Manataka American Indian Council Volume
V Issue 7 June, 2003
CONTENTS:
O'Siyo
Elders, Leaders, and Friends of Manataka,
PILGRIMAGE
There may be some confusion as to the date when we will ascend the sacred
Manataka to pray, drum and perform ceremonies as a family.
The date is Saturday, June 21 at 7 p.m. This date coincides with the summer
solstice and it has become a tradition for us to go to the mountain during the
summer and winter solstices.
Some had thought the date was set for June 14 - the day before the third Sunday
in the month - and time for our regular membership meeting at the Gorge.
You are advised to:
1) Prepare yourself spiritually:
A. Fast for at least 24 hours prior to ascending the mountain.
B. Perform cleansing and ceremonies before coming to the Fire Circle.
C. Enter into prayer often in the days and hours before coming.
2) Do not bring food, flashlights, metal objects or money.
(car keys and cash money will be secured)
3) Bring a blanket and water is acceptable.
4) Bring an offering to the mountain to leave as a gift.
5) Bring a drum, rattles, or flute if you wish.
There is no set time for leaving the mountain. Most will stay all night on the
mountain and many will stay into the next day and night or more. Some people
have gone to the mountain for three days and nights during personal journeys.
6) Some members of the Women's Council have agreed to stay at the Gorge or
arrive by early morning (Sunday, June 22) to prepare a breakfast meal for those
who leave the mountain.
If you have any questions, please contact us.
ALL ELDERS, LEADERS, AND COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND - unless
on your death bed.
WEB
PAGE:
Take a look at some of the new areas created during the past two weeks:
Book Reviews - American Indian Books
History, Philosophy, Religion, etc.
When you make a purchase, MAIC earns a commission
http://www.manataka.org/page132.html
Cookin' With Three Sisters -
Traditional corn, squash, beans, fish, wild rice, syrup recipes. (large pages)
http://www.manataka.org/page175.
Manataka Code of Conduct, Creed and Oath
Information every member should learn.
http://www.manataka.org/page182.
Native Games -
Games for children and adults (big area)
http://www.manataka.org/page103.
Teepees - Construction, Painting, Erecting and more
All you need to know. Designs, Pictures, See the World's Largest Teepee
http://www.manataka.org/page186.html
Teepees, Etc. - Purchase a teepee and accessories
When you buy a Teepee, MAIC makes a commission!
http://www.manataka.org/page39.html
And that ain't all! Check out some of the new stories, legends and features!
NOTICE
1:
The
Women's Council Meeting
Saturday,
June 7, 2003 11:00 a.m.
Gulpha
Gorge Fire Circle
Everyone
is Welcome! Bring your favorite dish or snack! Much to talk about....
NOTICE
2:
We will be
bidding farewell (for the third time) to our beautiful friend, spirit keeper,
and Manataka member Charles Lone Wolf Black during the regular membership
meeting on Sunday, June 15. He will be leaving (temporarily we hope) to Florida.
He will fly back for meetings on a regular basis and stay in contact by
telephone and email.
NOTICE
3:
UPCOMING
GATHERING NOTES
If you plan
to speak with one of the honored guests during the gathering, it is a
traditional custom to bring a gift to leave on the blanket. Your gift may be a
small handcraft, tobacco, cash or anything you choose. Please honor them with
your respect.
NOTICE
4:
FINANCIAL
We are
$375.50 short on covering expenses for the Gathering, if everyone who has made a
pledge contributes. We must fill this gap before June 15. Please make a pledge
today for any amount now by check or credit card: Gathering
NOTICE
5:
MUSIC
QUATISI!
Has a new CD out - "Ride Choctaw Girl - Ride!" Check her out!
Webpage:
http://www.quatisi.com/ Email: info@quatisi.com
NOTICE
6:
OTHER
EVENTS
David
Quiet Wind Furr asks everyone to come to his land on Locket Mountain off Hwy 7
N. near Hot Springs) on Saturday, June 7 to help with the ceremonies initiating
a new sweat lodge. Come help clean up the property. For time and directions
contact: David Furr
NOTICE
7:
TRAVELING
A
female member in Georgia desires a traveling companion to share expenses for the
Gathering. Contact: Manataka
A
male priest in Colorado seek a ride (owns no car) to the Gathering. Will share
expenses. Contact: ncordova@catholicexchange.com
Two
ladies in New York looking for some one to share a ride and expenses. Will camp
out along the route. Contact: Manataka
NOTICE
8:
PRAYER
REQUESTS
1.
The mother of Joe Quiet Wolf Whitfield and Floyd White Bear Whitfield had an
accident.
2.
Jeremy Atkinson, Chief of the Arawak Nation of Venezuela and head of the
Indigenous Movement seventeen member nations of the Indigenous Movement in
Guayana became very ill during a visit
to
the United Nations. He is now hospitalized in New York. His condition is
critical. The
people
of Venezuela need this wonderful man. May the Creator bless him.
SUMMER
GATHERING AT MANATAKA!
Traditional American Indian Religious Ceremonies
http://www.manataka.org/page151.html
June
27- 29 - Fire Circle, Gulpha Gorge Campgrounds, Hot Springs, AR
This
event promises to be one you will never forget! We are blessed to have two
spiritual leaders who will bring important messages from far off lands. The
Painted Horse War Dance Society will dance into the Fire Circle in full regalia
dancing to ancient drum beats and Jennifer Agi-Da-Tla-Unega Attaway will bring
the beautiful Butterfly dance. Many activities are planned.
Grand
Chief Woableza, a Lakota spiritual leader and member of MAIC and head of the
World Council of Spiritual Elders will preside over ceremonies. Omeakaehekatl, a
Maya high priest and Day Keeper will conduct ancient rites. Members of the
Painted Horse War Dance Society of Oklahoma will act as color guard and perform
a dance exhibitions. Chief Gray Wolf Henson (ret.), former chief of the United
Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians will lead the Fire Ceremony. Cuchi Davila, a
Lakota member of MAIC, presides over all activities in the Fire Circle along
with Hurvie Chism, a Cherokee member of MAIC, Fire Keeper.
Featured guests will include a delegation of elders from the Indigenous Nations
Movement of Guayana, Venezuela. Chief Jeremy Atkinson of the Arawak Nation in
Venezuela leads seventeen member nations of the Indigenous Movement in Guayana.
Members of the delegation will perform ancient dance ceremonies and present
gifts to Manataka.
One of the many performers at the Gathering is Jennifer Agi-Da-Tla-Unega Attaway,
of Warrior, Alabama and a member of the Eastern Cherokee Nation will perform a
Fancy Shawl exhibition dance on Saturday afternoon.
Dr. Bob McFarlin, MAIC Chairman and Dr. Bob Digadoli Tsalagi Swindell, MAIC Vice
Chairman, will make special presentations to visiting elders and honored guests.
Lee Standing Bear Moore, MAIC Secretary and storyteller will preside over new
member induction, or "Making of a Relative" ceremonies and Indian
Naming Rites.
Dr. Swindell, promises the annual event will be one to remember. "Our
members across the nation work very hard to support the preservation of
traditional American Indian customs. The Summer Gathering at Manataka is a
celebration of those values and traditions. This year's event is filled with
good, family oriented activities that promise to be colorful, fun and
educational," said Swindell.
Born in Guatemala, OmeAkaEhekatl, Erick Gonzalez, MA is a Ajq'ij - a Mayan Day
Keeper. He was initiated into Native sacred rites over a twenty three-year
period with direct participation, teachings and guidance from Native spiritual
elders from Guatemala, Mexico, Columbia, and North America. OmeAkaEhekatl is a
member and representative of various councils of indigenous elders, youth, and
spiritual guides. He works as an advocate of native sovereign rights under the
guidance and cooperation of indigenous spiritual elders and leaders.
OmeAkaEhekatl will teach about the sacred Tzolkin, the Mayan/Meso-American
calendar) and the Tzite, the Mayan Oracle or sacred bundle of the AjQ'ij. The
Maya calendar is a product of scientific observation using sacred math and
astronomy and was considered for thousands of years to be among the most
accurate calendars in world. The Tzolkin is used in Maya culture as a guide for
ceremonies, healing, divination, and harmonizing with the universe. The sacred
bundle of the Maya, the Tzite, is used as a way of consulting and communicating
with the spirit guides, divinities and the natural forces of the universe.
MAIC organizers will provide the public a rare opportunity for dialogue and
questions and answers with this insightful teacher during the weekend event.
The world-renowned American Indian dance group, the Painted Horse War Dance
Society, dressed in colorful feathered regalia will dance several traditional
dances and exhibit the various styles of American Indian dance. The Painted
Horse War Dance Society is a nonprofit organization with volunteer members from
various tribes including Quapaw, Wyandotte and Cherokee. In addition to dancing
at powwows and other event across the country, owns and operates the Painted
Horse Native Museum in the Indian Territory Cultural Center near Wyandotte,
Oklahoma where elders at the center teach powwow dances, stomp dances, social
dances and traditions of the dance. During the Gathering at Manataka, members of
the Painted Horse War Dance Society the Mantaka American Indian Council will
give free dance lessons to the public.
Jennifer Agi Da Tla Unega Attaway of Warrior, Alabama, a well-known and
respected American Indian dancer, will perform an individual dance exhibition on
Saturday. Attaway, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the
Manataka American Indian Council will exhibit the Fancy Shawl Dance. This dance
style is the most modern and newest style of American Indian dances and
originated in the early 1950's among the Northern tribes along the U.S. -
Canadian border.
Other activities during the weekend event include an Indian-style potluck picnic
at 12 noon, Saturday, sponsored by the MAIC Women's Council. A series of
mini-seminars will be presented in the amphitheater starting at 4:30 p.m. on
Saturday. Seminar subjects include Indian herbal medicine, history, Indian
customs, and crafting. The MAIC Education committee will sponsor children's
stories and games at various locations in the campgrounds. Two large and
colorful teepees will be set up for the public to learn more about Indian
culture. A favorite activity is the trade blanket spread out for participants to
show various Indian hand-made crafts.
On Friday evening, June 27, at 6:00 p.m., the MAIC Women's Council will sponsor
a mini-potluck picnic for members and early arrivals. At 7:30 p.m.,
storytelling, singing and drumming will begin around the campfire. At 9 p.m.,
guests and elders will ascend the Manataka (Hot Springs) Mountain to participate
in ancient prayer ceremonies, storytelling and singing. Manataka Elders will
conduct Sunrise prayer services on Sunday, June 29.
Admission to all weekend events is free. Alcohol, other drugs or weapons are not
permitted. Security and parking assistance will be present. All guests must
register to enter.
For more information contact MAIC, P.O. Box 476, Hot Springs, AR 71902-0476,
501-627-0555, manataka@myexcel.
MAIC
is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3), cultural and educational organization.
STANDOFF
IN NATIVE BURIAL GROUNDS
Bulldozers and heavy earth-moving equipment contracted by the State of South
Dakota moved into the North Point Ihanktonwan Burial Grounds in Eastern South
Dakota at 7:00 this morning, two hours earlier than they promised the
Ihanktonwan Nation yesterday afternoon. Members of the Nation were awakened from
their spiritual encampment of tipis this morning by the sound of a bulldozer in
their burial ground and dumptrucks hauling off burial earth.
They
ran out into the burial to try to talk with the state of South Dakota's
Department of Game Fish & Parks and the US Army Corps of Engineers, and
convey the message that there had been no consultation with the tribe and due to
the disrespect shown, that the tribe was refusing to cooperate any further, and
that they wanted them out of their burial grounds immediately.
The
people stated they were there to peacefully protect their relatives' remains.
Bulldozers continued to destroy the burial. Within minutes, a Yankton tribal
member along with a WBAI Pacifica radio journalist jumped in front of the
bulldozer as it went in for more fill. After a brief attempt to maneuver
around the two protesters, the bulldozer stopped and waited for direction from
the authorities.
Two
more tribal people showed up and jumped in front of the bulldozers, and a
standoff occurred: as tribal people rushed to the site, more and more South
Dakota Parks law enforcement and Army Corps officials gathered along the
perimeters of the burial ground, and were joined by State Highway Patrol,
who hid in a wooded area behind the burials. The standoff area became tense as
law enforcement threatened arrest of anyone who refused to move.
Spiritual
people and a drum arrived, and the Ihanktonwan began to sing their traditional
songs of prayer and protection, as they held signs that read "Ancestors and
Sewage Don't Mix," "Respect Our Sacred Grounds and We Will Respect
Yours," "Our Burials are NOT Your Playgrounds," and "How
would you like it if WE picnicked on YOUR Grandmas."
After
several hours of uncertainty and impending arrest of tribal people, a Corps
official indicated they would not do any further earthmoving work until they
heard from a court. Tribal attorney Mary Wynne filed papers in court today to
get an injunction stopping all desecration. Tribal people have little faith in
the legal process, as desecration of their relatives has continued with court
sanction.
The
outcome now is unpredictable. The people say that public outcry is the only form
of protection they have against the state and US Army. They send their great
thanks for all the prayers of support and phone calls, emails and faxes to
governmental officials informing them of the human rights abuses
they are suffering. They are asking for continued support from the outside world
as they maintain their spiritual activism with the tipi encampment, the
solidarity of other tribes, and the call for witnesses to their Homelands.
They
are asking for people to keep the pressure on public officials from their own
states and from South Dakota until the time comes that their ancestral homeland
and sacred areas are respected, as is only just for the First Nations of this
land.
Tribal
people commented today how much their fight for their burial grounds reminded
them of the history of Native oppression experienced by their ancestors on this
Land, the ancestors they are trying so hard to protect and remember and honor.
PLEASE
CONTACT the Persons listed below, and express your concerns and protests against
this horrendous behavior:
From: LAKOTAWAN
605-840-2700
605-491-1664, 914-325-2308
North Point Negotiating Team (605) 487-7769
South
Dakota Governor
M. Michael Rounds 605-773-3661 Fax 605-773-5844 governor@state.sd.us
Senator Tom Daschle (D)
202-224-2321 fax 202-224-6603 daschle.senate.gov
Senator Tim Johnson (D)
202-224-5842 fx 202-228-5765 johnson.senate.gov
Representative Bill Janklow (R)
202-225-2801 fx 202-225-5823
SD Game Fish & Parks Department
605-773-3391
US Army Corps of Engineers
Colonel Kurt Ubbelohde, Omaha, Nebraska
Republished
by Request
DADDY'S DAY AT
SCHOOL
Her
hair was up in a ponytail
Her favorite dress tied with a bow.
Today was Daddy's Day at school,
And she couldn't wait to go.
But her mommy tried to tell her,
That she probably should stay home.
Why the kids might not understand,
If she went to school alone.
But
she was not afraid;
She knew just what to say.
What to tell her classmates
Of why he wasn't there today.
But still her mother worried,
For her to face this day alone.
And that was why once again,
She tried to keep her daughter home.
But
the little girl went to school,
Eager to tell them all.
About a dad she never sees
A dad who never calls.
There were daddies along the wall in back,
For everyone to meet.
Children squirming impatiently,
Anxious in their seats.
One by one the teacher called,
A student from the class.
To introduce their daddy,
As seconds slowly passed.
At last the teacher called her name,
Every child turned to stare.
Each of them was searching,
For a man who wasn't there.
"Where's
her daddy at?"
She heard a boy call out.
"She probably doesn't have one,"
Another student dared to shout.
And from somewhere near the back,
She heard a daddy say,
"Looks like another deadbeat dad,
Too busy to waste his day."
The
words did not offend her,
As she smiled up at her Mom.
And looked back at her teacher,
Who told her to go on.
And with hands behind her back,
Slowly she began to speak.
And out from the mouth of a child,
Came words incredibly unique.
"My
Daddy couldn't be here,
Because he lives so far away.
But I know he wishes he could be,
Since this is such a special day.
And though you cannot meet him,
I wanted you to know.
All about my daddy,
And how much he loves me so.
He loved to tell me stories
He taught me to ride my bike.
He surprised me with pink roses,
And taught me to fly a kite.
We used to share fudge sundaes,
And ice cream in a cone.
And though you cannot see him,
I'm not standing here alone.
Cause
my daddy's always with me,
Even though we are apart
I know because he told me,
He'll forever be in my heart"
With
that, her little hand reached up,
And lay across her chest.
Feeling her own heartbeat,
Beneath her favorite dress.
And from somewhere in the crowd of dads,
Her mother stood in tears.
Proudly watching her daughter,
Who was wise beyond her years.
For she stood up for the love
Of a man not in her life.
Doing what was best for her,
Doing what was right.
And
when she dropped her hand back down,
Staring straight into the crowd.
She finished with a voice so soft,
But its message clear and loud.
"I
love my daddy very much,
He's my shining star.
And if he could, he'd be here,
But heaven's just too far.
You see he was a fireman
And died just this past year
When airplanes hit the towers
And taught Americans to fear.
But sometimes when I close my eyes,
It's like he never went away."
And
then she closed her eyes,
And saw him there that day.
And to her mother's amazement,
She witnessed with surprise.
A room full of daddies and children,
All starting to close their eyes.
Who
knows what they saw before them,
Who knows what they felt inside.
Perhaps for merely a second,
they saw him at her side.
"I know you're with me Daddy,"
To the silence she called out.
And what happened next made believers,
Of those once filled with doubt.
Not one in that room could explain it,
For each of their eyes had been closed.
But
there on the desk beside her,
Was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.
And a child was blessed, if only for a moment,
By the love of her shining bright star.
And given the gift of believing,
That heaven is never too far
They say it takes a minute to find a special
person, an hour to appreciate
them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.
***
Send
this phrase to the people you'll never forget. It's a short message to let them
Know that you'll never forget them. If you don't send it to anyone, it
means you're in a hurry and that you've forgotten your friends.
Take the time...to live and love.
Until eternity. May the Creator bless.
HAPPY FATHER'S
DAY! - JUNE 15
OTHER WEB SITE
JUNE ADDITIONS
Fancy
Dancing – Jennifer Attaway
How Chipmunk
Got Stripes – Children’s Story
Indian
Prophesies – Medicine
Lodge
Red Nations
Code of Ethics – Medicine Lodge
Unconditional
Love – Beautiful
Words
MAY ADDITIONS
Bear and the
Badger – Children’s
story
Bear Man –
Children’s
story
Black
Elk’s Visions – Medicine
Lodge
Cherokee
Dictionary – Updated!
Combing
Snakes Out of Atotarho’s Hair
Constitution
of the Six Nations Confederacy – History
Essays of
Frank J. King III – Feature article
Fun Page –
New
jokes!
Honoring
Lori Piestawa – Women’s Council
Hopi Chief
Dan Euehema – Medicine Lodge
Links Page
– Over
350 Updated links!
Minominee
Clans –
Feature story
My
Pilgrimage to Manataka – Feature story
Native Games
– Children’s
story
Search
Engine – Search
Manataka
State of
Indian Nations – Special Report
10 American
Indians You Should Know – Feature story
The First
Totem Pole – Legends
The Old Rez
Road – Beautiful
Words
Turtle Makes
War On Men – Children’s
story
Yaqui Nation
– History
COMING SOON!
CHECK THESE FEATURES AND
MORE!
http://www.manataka
Do you have a story to tell or an article you would like to see appear
on our website? If so, please send it today.
CAN YOU SPEAK
CHEROKEE?
If you would
like to learn the easy way...
The See, Say,
Write method works!
cassette tape
and book
Reserve your
set of Chief Jim Gray Wolf Henson’s Cherokee language tapes and book today!
Send $40. Check/money order to MAIC, PO Box 476, Hot Springs, AR 71902-0476