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SMOKE SIGNAL NEWS Manataka - Preserving The Past Today For Tomorrow
May Issue Page 1 of 3
April Showers Bring May Flowers
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Manataka American Indian Council Volume XIII Issue 05 May 2009
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SMOKE SIGNAL NEWS Manataka - Preserving The Past Today For Tomorrow
May Issue Page 1 of 3
April Showers Bring May Flowers
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Contents: |
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Contents of Page 1 |
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Elder's Meditation:: |
Mathew King, Lakota | |
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Upcoming Events: |
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Feature Story 1: |
All Creation Around Us | |
| Feature Story 2: | The Shores Within - Chapter 1 | |
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Ecological Notes: |
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| Grandfather King Coke Speaks: | Absent Without Leave... | |
| Grandfather Seven Hawk Eyes Speaks: | Disciplining your children | |
| Mother Earth Watch: | Coal: Keep It In The Ground | |
| Tribal News: | State of the Indian Nations Address | |
| Education: | Teaching About American Indians | |
| Inspirational Thoughts:: | Five Lessons | |
| Website Updates: | New Articles in April 2009 | |
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Contents of Page 2 |
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| Legends of Old: | Green Corn Dance Ceremony | |
| Feature Story 3: | Hunting | |
| Feature Story 4: | 2012 is Coming | |
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Letters to the Editor: |
DNA Testing, Nuclear Reactors and Elk Hides | |
| Organic Consumers: | Safeguard Organic Standards | |
| Elder's Meditations: | Archie Fire Lame Deer, Lakota | |
| Plant Medicine: | ||
| Fluoride: | Fluoride, Arthritis, and Misdiagnosis | |
| Animal Rights and Wrongs: | A | Wolves Lose Vital Protection |
| Endangered Sacred Sites: | ||
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Contents of Page 3 |
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| Announcement: | Open Attendance at Manataka Gatherings | |
| History: | Timucua Indians of the Southeast | |
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Grandmother L. Cota Nupah Makah Speaks: Grandmother Magdala Rameriz: Grandmother Selma: |
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Feature Story 5:: Feature Story 6: |
2012 & Beyond, Rainbow Warriors the Stars Australian Manataka Spiritual Gathering - Australia | |
| Elder's Meditations: | Archie Fire Lame Deer, Lakota | |
| Women's Circle: | Pottery by American Indian Women | |
| Food & Nutrition: |
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| Book Reviews: |
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| Poetry Circle: |
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| Healing Prayer Basket: | Crossing Over, Sickness, and Memorials | |
| Manataka Business: | Special Needs; Meeting Postponed; Dues | |
"God is making use of you - you should be grateful He's found a use for you." --Mathew King, Lakota
The Creator can only create through human beings. Each human being has a purpose given to us by the Creator. We are on this earth to fulfill this purpose. Our only work is to make ourselves ready, to become a channel, to perform for the Creator. We prepare ourselves by prayer. We prepare ourselves by becoming unselfish. We prepare ourselves by seeking and choosing to walk on a spiritual path. Each morning we look to the east and we say an honor prayer to the Creator. We offer our gifts: tobacco and corn. We ask him to help us do His will for today. In this simple way, we still fulfill our purpose. It should be an honor to serve the Creator.
Great Spirit, today I am ready to serve You.
WANNA BECOME A MEMBER OF MANATAKA?
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO JOIN!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Manataka
2009 SUMMER GATHERING
Traditional American Indian Religious Ceremonies and Family Gathering
The Sixth Sun Aztec Dancers and Grandfather Jorge Ortega will perform the sacred dances at Manataka (Hot Springs National Park, AR) at 1 p.m. on June 20 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. Free and open admission. Members and non-members and guests are welcome to respectfully join in prayerful ceremonies and witness the colorful and exciting ancient dance of the Aztec.
Manataka Drum Society
Several
years ago when the Manataka Drum Society transitioned to a new drum leader,
there were many layers to pull away. It was as if we were an onion pulling away
the cover to find the core. We were searching not only for the heart of the
group but for the gentle, loving spirits within ourselves. Today, our bond is
stronger than ever. We truly are the best of friends.
Friendship is defined in the dictionary as a person whom one knows, likes and trusts. Though the word friendship holds much deeper meaning. The dictionary meaning does not emphasize the laughter that fills the air when friends are together or the support that one can get from a friend. A friend is someone special who laughs with you, cries with you, advises you and unhesitatingly tells you your mistakes. Friends do so much for us that sometimes it becomes our duty to thank them with all the gratitude we have for them in our hearts.
Words can not begin to express how
grateful we are to have each and every one of them in our lives. We have learned
an incalculable wealth of knowledge from each other and each one is thankful for
that.
We are now one powerful voice that holds great esteem and honor in Manataka and we look forward to the many years to come. The Manataka Drum Society has grown to include dozens of women of all ages and backgrounds. We love them all.
If you would like to be a part of the Manataka Drum Society now is the time to join our ever evolving circle of friends. Contact: Amanda Morning Star, Drum Leader at Morningstar@manataka.org or (501) 627-0555.
Announcements - Attention!
Native Youth Camp Needs Help
Each
year the Traditional Ecological Program (TEK) hosts two
Paiute Mountain School/Camps for children
ages of 8-15 in our Eastern Sierra Mountains.
The camps teach the youth leadership, environmental
education on land, water, plants and animals. Children are
taught family values, discuss teen pregnancy, alcohol and
drug abuse prevention. The kids have wholesome fun in
fishing, hiking, games, and other outdoor and indoor
activities. The camps focus on traditional ways and
science. The
Paiute Mountain School Camps aim to
make Mother Earth a better place.
Unfortunately, funding has been cut by 80% this year due to all the freezes in grants throughout the nation. They are asking for your help.
This is the only time during the year participants experience something positive in their lives, and many look forward to the summer for these camps.
Make a donation for our Native Youth Camps & Workshops. Please call us for more information (760) 937-3391 or (760) 873-3041
TEK PROGRAM
250 Bell St.
Reno, NV 89509
Visit our webiste at http://healingsyoti.com/native_youth_programs
Irma Nieves-West nievesyoti@yahoo.com
Please help!
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2009 CHEROKEE HERITAGE CALENDAR
Was
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All Creation Around Us
by Kim Summermoon Wilson
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2007 Altar Show. Nevada County Fairgrounds, Grass Valley, CA http://www.thealtarshow.org/archives/2007.html |
Recently I received some good counsel from a dear friend. He advised me to put
my hands in the rich dark soil and feel the life force of Creator. I had been
talking about gardening, and doing a lot of talking - he summed it up for me in
a few good words.
Thinking about his good words, I realized a few things. We humans like to box
things up and separate them into definitions, categories, put boundaries around
everything. Makes life easier to comprehend sometimes. But sometimes this boxing
and labeling can mislead us into thinking that w e’re superior to our
surroundings and can do as we please, with little thought to consequences - or
to the footprints we leave behind, both literally and figuratively.
There is no separating the Creator and the created - any of it. Nor are there
any boundaries between the Creator and the created, except the ones we
manufacture in our own minds - our perceptions. The Creator is the life force,
as my friend pointed out. The life force is also like the blood in the body -
where does the blood not travel and nourish? Separate the blood from the body
and there is no life.
Where is there no Creator? What part of Earth has not been created by the
Creator?
We are part of all things created. Not better than, not separate from - but part
of. Step outside, work in the garden, walk in the forest, swim in a lake, sit in
the grass - we are not above, spending time in, or traveling in a foreign
country. We are the Earth, and the Earth is us. What we do to the Earth, our
back yards, we do to ourselves. What we do to insects, to Standing Ones, what we
put in the water, feed the animals, how we treat all beings, send to the sky
clouds, strip mine the Stone People - we do to ourselves also.
READ MORE...
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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 second 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.
Introduction and Chapter 1 - May 2009 Preface and Forethought - April 2009
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RED
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Fringe Bags |
Totem Necklaces |
Pipe Bags |
Beautifully Handcrafted Jewelry |
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Great prices - Wonderful Craftsmanship
- Special Orders Accepted -
Organic Cotton
Clothing
Conventional cotton grown in the U.S. ranks third behind corn and
soybeans in total amount of pesticides sprayed.
Where to
Buy Organic Clothing Online:
What to do about the clothing we wear? Buy organic cotton clothing if
you can afford it, or...
buy
"recycled" clothing from thrift stores or re-sale stores. Hold off on
buying clothing until you absolutely have to! I wait until my stuff is
nearly in tatters before I replace it, or I've "outgrown" it (at age 51
I'm not likely to get any taller, just wider)--yeah, not exactly
fashionable, but easier on the environment and on my budget!
By buying "recycled" clothing, the consumer demand for new clothing
diminishes--the consumer is "buying out" of the "consumer mentality"
that grips Western culture. "Recycle, reduce, reuse" applies to all
aspects of consumer consumption, not just the usual
paper/glass/aluminum, etc.
If we must buy new, the more of us who buy new clothing that is made
from organic cotton, the higher the consumer demand, the more acreage of
organic cotton is grown, the less pesticides/herbicides are used, and
hopefully the cost of organic cotton clothing goes down over time as
more of it is manufactured.
No Need for Fabric Softener or Dryer Sheets!
Maggie's SOAP NUTS
A Great NEW Gift IDEA for the Holidays
THE SOAP THAT GROWS ON TREESTM
No offense intended for any individuals or tribes.
Fry Bread
The old
tribal chairman was on his death bed. He had only hours to live when he suddenly
smelled the scent of fry-bread wafting into his room. Aaahhhh. . . He loved
fry-bread more than anything else in the world.
With his last bit of energy, he pulled himself out of bed. . . Down the stairs
and into the kitchen he went. There was his beloved wife, Lillian, kneading the
dough for a new batch. As he reached for one of the fresh steaming fry-breads,
he got smacked across the back of his hand by the wooden spoon his wife was
holding. 'Leave them alone!' she said. 'They're for the funeral ! ' "
This
space is normally dedicated to the wise words of Grandfather Robert Grey
Hawk Coke, a 79-year-old Cherokee metaphysics teacher who occupies an
honored post on the Manataka Elder Council. Unfortunately,
Grandfather Coke is 'absent without leave' this month as he attends to
the important task of completely wrecking his home in Dallas and driving
his good wife Vicky crazy as he prepares to remodel. We should be so
lucky at his age to have such ambition, endurance and spunk. We
look forward to reading his next contribution to these pages in June.
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Lots More Videos - DVD and VHS - Fast Delivery |
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GRANDFATHER
SEVEN HAWK EYES SPEAKS
Disciplining your children
Did
you know, it is unlawful in some states to lay your hands on a child by whipping
them with a belt or smacking them on the behind in order to discipline them for
a wrongdoing? When I was growing up it was not uncommon to receive discipline in
the form of using a ‘Willow Switch’ or getting a good whipping with a belt or
razor strop.
Many days my younger brothers and I would do something wrong and mother would say, “Just wait until your father gets home! We knew we were in for a good switching from our father when he arrived home from a long day working in the coal mine. We also knew we could do or say nothing to make our father forget his responsibility to correct us. We would line up in the back yard and wait for father to come walking down the railroad tracks. If father had a bad day, the whipping was much more severe or if he was extra tired the whipping would be short and sweet. Although we deserved the whippings we never complained because we knew we needed the discipline.
SOFT
IS ROUGH ON FORESTS
America has an obsession with ultra-soft toilet paper, but as a recent New
York Times article pointed out, that fluffiness comes at a high
environmental price -- the destruction of millions of trees in North
America, including rare old-growth forests in Canada.
But it's more than just the loss of forests: "Turning a tree to paper requires more water than turning paper back into fiber, and many brands that use tree pulp use polluting chlorine-based bleach for greater whiteness. In addition, tissue made from recycled paper produces less waste tonnage - almost equaling its weight - that would otherwise go to a landfill."
No forest should be used to make toilet paper. There is another choice -- post consumer recycled tissue products.
FACT: Americans could save more than 400,000 trees if each family bought a roll of recycled toilet paper - just once.
THIS
IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE
According to the Department of Energy, there are 28 plants now under
construction, to join an estimated 600 coal plants that currently provide
about half of the nation's electricity. Those plants produce about 2 billion
tons annually of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide - roughly a third of the
United States' total global warming emissions. NASA global warming scientist
Jim Hansen has said existing plants need to be phased out by 2030 to curb
the effects of climate change.
Last week, thousands of people came together to offer an unprecedented example of mass protest and civil disobedience for the climate. Environmental groups, led by Greenpeace and the Rainforest Action Network, enlisted more than 2500 activists, including Marchers Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Bill McKibben, to successfully blockade all five entrances to the Capitol Power Plant for four hours. The scale and the commitment of the participants was the biggest example yet of the public support for changing our old ways of developing energy.
Visit CapitolClimateAction.org for more information.
FACT: CO2 emissions from U.S. coal-based electricity are greater than emissions from all the cars and trucks in America.
COAL:
KEEP IT IN THE GROUND
An
Associated Press story this week outlined the difficulties new coal
plants are having to get off the ground. Environmental groups tally more
than 90 plants canceled or delayed since 2002, but despite the setbacks the
coal-fired power industry continues to enjoy its largest expansion in three
decades.
Learn more facts about the dangers of coal from the Sierra Club's "Move Beyond Coal" Campaign and The Reality Coalition.
FACT: 260 million gallons of water are used for coal mining in the U.S. every day.
NEW
PARTNERS REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE
We're glad to welcome two new partners,
BringYourOwn.org and
Mugwump, who are giving new life to old discarded items to help reduce
waste and stop global warming.
In the U.S., we use an estimated 30 million barrels of oil a year to make petroleum-based plastic water bottles and bags. A fraction of these are recovered, the rest clog our landfills and our oceans. The production and transport of these bags contributes greenhouse gases to our atmosphere. BringYourOwn.org has great reusable produce bags made locally from discarded tee-shirts. Get your bag today and ditch the plastic for good.
All Mugwump items (bags, totes, wallets) are designed and created using reclaimed/recycled materials, such as placemats, shower curtains, air mattresses, and maps. The latest line are pouches from discarded children's books from school libraries. Save the Earth, and look good doing it!
Keep Marching,
Laurie David, Founder, StopGlobalWarming.org
On Cold Winter Nights Snuggle Up with These Great Indian Movies
Priorities on the Hill
The beginning of a new congressional term brings a new list of priorities and
promises for American Indians. FCNL is listening closely to what members of
Congress and the administration are saying and is working with our partners and
colleagues to ensure that U.S. leaders consider these priorities. On February 5,
Sen. Byron Dorgan (ND) and the other members of the Senate Committee on Indian
Affairs held their first business meeting of the year and stated that health
care, tribal law and safety, education, tribal recognition, housing, and the
prevention of Indian youth suicides are the committee's top concerns for this
session of Congress. The committee followed the business meeting with an
oversight hearing to discuss the best ways to move forward on Indian health
care.
Michelle Obama visited the Department of the Interior on February 9 and addressed the employees in the building. "For those of you focused on meeting the federal government's obligations to the Native Americans," she said, "understand that you have a wonderful partner in the White House right now. Barack has pledged to honor the unique government-to-government relationship between tribes and the federal government. And he'll soon appoint a policy advisor to his senior White House staff to work with tribes and across the government on these issues such as sovereignty, health care, education -- all central to the well-being of Native American families and the prosperity of tribes all across this country." Watch or read Michelle Obama's speech at the Department of the Interior.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was the focus of an oversight hearing on February 12. His list of priorities for Native Americans included economic opportunity, energy development and climate change, education, and law enforcement. The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs discussed other issues with Salazar, including the overbearing bureaucracy of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, trust litigation, water settlements, tribal recognition process, and health care. ~ Friends Committee on National Legislation, Quaker Lobby In the Public Interest.
State of the Indian Nations Address
On February 10 Joe Garcia, president of National Congress of American Indians (NCAI),
gave the eighth annual "State
of the Indian Nations" address. Tribal leaders from all over the country
gathered at the National Museum of the American Indian to hear Garcia's speech.
Garcia spoke with great hope, affirming that there are "new winds of change in
the land," and highlighted four priorities for the NCAI in the 111th Congress:
"-We seek a place at the table for Indian Nations in the economic recovery of
this great nation;
-We seek transformational improvements to health care;
-We call for a fundamental, federal commitment to public safety; and
-We seek a new federal priority for the education of the children of Indian
Nations."
Garcia went on to praise President Barack Obama's early efforts to reach out to
Native Americans. "As I think of the state of Indian Nations," he said, "I know
that the spirit of our people is strong - even though the needs of our people
are great. I am excited by the promise of a new day in Washington."
~ Friends Committee on National Legislation, Quaker
Lobby In the Public Interest
Religious Freedom and Sacred Sites
The law firm of Storzer and Greene filed an
amicus brief asking the
U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a U.S. Forest Service decision permitting
a private ski resort to spread snow made from recycled sewage on the San
Francisco Peaks, the most sacred site of the Navajo, Hopi, and several other
Native American tribes. FCNL helped organize major religious organizations
to sign on to the brief.
Read more about efforts to protect the San Francisco Peaks.
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
Five lessons to make you think about the way we treat people.
1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a
conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the
last one:
"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times.
She was tall, dark-haired and in he r 50s, but how would I know her name?
I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended,
one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people.
All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do
is smile and say "hello."
I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the
side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had
broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to
flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally
unheard of in those conflict-filled 60s.. The man took her to safety, helped her
get assistance and put her into a taxicab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him.
Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a
giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached..
It read:
"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain
drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because
of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he
passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."
Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.
3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a
hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front
of him.
"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.
"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing
impatient.
"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins.
"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away.
The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress
came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neat ly
beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he
couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
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4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself
and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the
king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.
Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did
anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the
boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the
side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After
the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the
road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note
from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the
boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.
5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a
little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only
chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old
brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the
antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to
her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his
blood to his sister.
I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying,
"Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in
bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to
her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the
doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was
going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.
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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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