Manataka American Indian Council
Volume XII Issue 2 FEBRUARY 2008
SMOKE
SIGNAL
NEWS
Manataka
- Preserving The Past Today For Tomorrow
PAGE 2
LEGENDS OF OLD:
Coyote Escapes An Imaginary Foe
Caddo Story
One time Coyote went out hunting buffalo. While he was going through the timber
he found Turkey up on the top of a tall tree. He told Turkey that he was going
to kill him if he did not get down from the tree.
He said: "If you don't come down I
will climb the tree. If you fly to another tree, I will break it down at once,
and will certainly kill you; but if you fly toward the prairie I cannot harm
you, for I have no powers to kill anything on the prairie."
Turkey believed all that Coyote
said and started out toward the prairie. Coyote was right under Turkey all the
time. At first Turkey flew up so high that Coyote thought he was going to lose
him, but after a long flight Turkey kept coming down lower and lower, and
finally came down on the ground. Then Coyote was not very far behind and he
caught up with him and killed him.
While Coyote was eating Turkey, he
happened to look around to make sure that no one was watching him. He thought
that he saw somebody standing behind him making motions as if trying to strike
him. He started to run without learning who it was.
READ MORE...
FEATURE STORY
A front
line report from Unceded Coast Salish Territory ("Vancouver, Canada")
Where Are 50,000 Dead Indian Children?
Survivors
Confront Clergy and Churchgoers in
Vancouver
Deaths of more than 50,000 aboriginal
children in the residential schools protested
A crowd of nearly one hundred people
besieged the front entrance of Holy Rosary Catholic Church in
Vancouver last Sunday, chanting "Where are the Children?!"
as residential school survivor Rick Lavallee handed a Letter of
Demand to a priest after the intended-recipient, Archbishop
Raymond Roussin, quickly left town for Mexico.
The Letter, addressed to
Roussin, calls on him and the Catholic leaders to disclose the
buried location of all the children who died or disappeared in
Catholic residential schools. When Rick and other survivors
found that Roussin had scurried away, a copy of the Letter was
tacked to the front door of the church, and also handed to
priest and church rector Glenn Dion.
The event drew a huge media
crowd, including every major TV, newspaper and radio in
Vancouver, and was even publicized as the main story on the noon
hour CBC radio broadcast the previous day.
"This has never happened
before" commented rally organizer Kevin Annett. "We've finally
broken into the mainstream. It's an indication of how quickly
their whole house of cards is collapsing".
As the crowd surged up onto
the top stairs of the ornate gothic church, speakers like
traditional Squamish Chief Gerry Capilano castigated the
Catholic church for killing and then concealing the remains of
countless aboriginal children.
"I am calling on all the
elders to join with us in bringing the children home" yelled
Rita, a residential school survivor from Saskatchewan. "I know
of a big grave of children next to the school I attended. It's
time we know what happened to all of those kids."
The presence of so many
reporters emboldened the residential school survivors who were
present, and encouraged them to speak out, and confront priest
Dion and churchgoers.
"I'm sure glad there's press
people here today, 'cause last time these Christians nearly
killed us when we protested here. One woman spat in my face.
Another guy tried to hit me" said Rick Lavallee, after he handed
priest Dion the Letter of Demand.
Dion dismissed the claim of
dead residential school children outright, smiling as he said to
Rick,
"You people are
just exaggerating. No children died in our schools."
Dion's careless remark
indicates the growing divergence between the positions of the
churches and the government of Canada concerning the deaths of
more than 50,000 aboriginal children in the residential schools.
On January 1, the
government's "Truth and Reconciliation Commission" (TRC) head,
Bob Watts, stated that criminal acts had gone on in the schools,
accounting for the deaths of "unknown" numbers of children.
Yet the Catholic, Anglican and United Church continue to claim
that no evidence exists for these deaths, despite documentation
uncovered by the TRC, and the growing numbers of native
eyewitnesses who claim that homicide and mass graves were common
in the residential schools.
"Their backs
are to the wall now" commented one reporter about these
churches. "They're just playing the denial game, hoping the
government will bail them out again."
Yet pressure will be mounting
on the Canadian government in the coming months to do exactly
the opposite. Just hours after the church protest, Kevin
Annett issued a press release that announced that a national
press conference will be held at the Prime Minister's Office in
Ottawa, on February 4, because of the refusal of the Catholic
church to take the survivors' demands seriously.
"We're sick and tired of
these churches getting away with murder" said Annett. "It's time
Ottawa stopped protecting these wolves in sheeps' clothing, and
hold them, and themselves, accountable for genocide."
For the participants of
today's rally, just confronting the church without fear was
enough of a victory.
"It made me happy for the
first time in a long time, you know?" said an older survivor
from the downtown eastside. "Did you see the way even the cops
stood back and didn't stop us? I didn't get scared when I saw
them show up. Not even that f ... ing priest scared me. I guess
being here all together like this was like, the start of our
healing."
For more information on
the independent Truth Commission:
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR...
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.
Diet and Health Watch
I agree
that drugs are not the answer to ADHD. I am ADHD and my parents
gave me drugs. When I was 12, I remember telling my mother that
I would not take the drugs anymore. I learned by watching
others how to behave. My grandmother gave me suggestions
and this helped me throughout life. A few years back, I
was again having trouble with ADHD, so I went to a medical
doctor and asked for some help. After a couple of months of
being a lab rat, I told the doctor that I would just go home and
drink a glass of water. I changed my diet slightly and am
better. So I am one to stand up and say that drugs are not the
answer to ADHD, having had to learn to live with this most of my
life.
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Bear Butte Watch
Hello Manataka,
We wrote an article some time back on the struggle for Bear Butte
and we'd like to follow up with a brief news update. We read that
the Governor of South Dakota has proposed that the state purchase
land surrounding Bear Butte and designating it as protected.
One article states that he has proposed purchasing easements from
existing landowners. Can you give us an update on the story and let
us know if the property to be purchased would be easements?
Deanna Linton
Associate Editor, Thunder Press
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Greetings all,
Some friends of mine are
selling a beautiful piece of
land in
Costa Rica. They are
wanting it to go to someone
who is interested in
preserving the land --
ideally utilizing perma-culture
practices, and
using only sustainable
building methods.
You can read more about it
here:
http://www.luminaia
.com/costaricare alestate
As many of you know, there's
a quite a bit of
non-sustainable practices
being exported to
Costa Rica from
people in the US. It would
be wonderful to expand the
already growing
earth-conscious community
there.
Peace, Michael
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A Note of Appreciation...
Dear Manataka,
Thank you for your page on current Native
American people of note. When my son was choosing
a figure of the 1700's for his elementary school
history project this year, he chose Chief Pontiac, but
for the wrong
reasons (he thought Pontiac was a terrifying "bad guy"
of the war and had a cool name (a car)).
He and I then embarked on a beautiful
journey together researching and learning the
efforts of Chief Obwandiyag to unify native peoples and
protect their lands and heritage. It carried me back
to my youth immersed in studying Native American lore.
Our journey wound it's way through many conversations
about the injustices done to native peoples in the past
and present, and he asked me "where are they now?"
and "what do they do". I was so please to find your
website and be able to share positive images for him to
recognize!
A Healthy, Happy New Year to you,
Randy Young
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Book
Collection for Children
Manataka,
WILD HORSE Native American
Educational Foundation is collecting children's books, ages 3 -15 to
be sent to reservations and their school libraries. See:
www.home.earthlink.net/~nativecrafts.
Richard and Connie
Janulewicz |
Pine
Ridge Poverty Shocking
Dear Manataka,
Did you write the article on Pine
Ridge? I find it shocking we allow anyone to live in such
conditions. There must be a way (or many ways) to allow the
people of Pine Ridge to respectfully retain their culture and
dignity while getting much needed assistance. First the alcohol/
addiction and health issues must be addressed.
I understand rehab. is becoming
available in Pine Ridge? How society can allow any group to
suffer they way the people and children of Pine Ridge is beyond
my imagination.
Thank you for any info. or insight you
can offer to this huge and complex problem.
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Joseph
Rael Speaks
“I would like to
tell everybody to watch world events, because a new spirit is now
being superimposed on all peoples. A shift is taking place that is
subtle but real — a shift in a positive direction toward peace. The
conflicts we see now are really the last struggle of the big giants.
“It is ski season in
the Colorado mountains where I live, and the image I see is that we
have been climbing up a mountain, and now we’re going down the other
side.
“We are singing our
songs and creating our realities as we’re going along. Because we
live in a collective consciousness, everyone is contributing to that
creation of our shared reality. Keep focusing on peace and pay
attention to the areas where it will be emerging on the world scene.
“Remember, you are the song. You are the sacred. You are who you
are and it is good.”
--Joseph Rael,
January, 2008 |
 |
WEB PROGRAM OF THE MONTH:
ORGANIC GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD?
Even if you're not from the Northland,
Canada's #1 highest rated food podcast
is worth a listen to. The weekly program
"Deconstructing Dinner" covers just
about every issue that you read about in
Organic Bytes, it and can be listened to
on your ipod or computer. Listen to this
week's program to hear about the future
path of organics. If big agribusiness
has its way, it won't be long before you
can buy "organic genetically engineered
food."
Listen:
http://cjly.net/deconstructingdinner/podcasts.htm |
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DESPITE CONSUMER OPPOSITION FDA
APPROVES FOOD FROM CLONES
On January 15, the FDA announced its
final approval of meat and milk from
cloned animals. OCA's action alerts on
this issue last year generated tens of
thousands of letters to the FDA, but the
agency has not changed its mind. OCA's
biggest concerns with this issue are the
lack of proof regarding the safety of
cloned food as well as issues relating
to sustainability and animal welfare. On
a sustainability level, a healthy
population of any animal or plant
requires genetic diversity to prevent an
entire population falling to one disease
outbreak, for example. In regards to
animal welfare, the majority of cloned
cattle and other animals are born with
painful birth defects. The upside of
this announcement is that it will likely
be several years before any of these
food products hit the market, due to
high costs of cloning. In addition
consumers can avoid food from cloned
animals by purchasing certified organic
foods, which ban cloned ingredients. For
more information on cloning see the OCA
website:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_9699.cfm
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RELATED TIP OF THE MONTH:
TEN FOOD-BASED STEPS TO TAKE TO PROTECT
YOUR FAMILY'S HEALTH
1) Reduce consumption of processed
foods.
2) Eat food with ingredients your
grandmother would have used.
3) Purchase organic eggs and of course
other organic products.
4) Cook with olive oil instead of
butter, margarine or vegetable oil.
5) Avoid conventional soy and corn
products (most of it is genetically
engineered).
6) Avoid meat raised with antibiotics
and/or synthetic hormones.
7) Avoid exposing kids under 12 months
to non-fermented soy.
8) Consume organic foods during first 12
weeks of pregnancy.
9) Look for organic milk or milk labeled
as being made without rBGH.
10) Thoroughly research any vaccines you
are considering.
Source:
http://www.allergykids.com |
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ALERT OF THE MONTH:
PUT THE NATURAL BACK IN MEATS LABELED AS
"NATURALLY RAISED"
Polls indicate that the average consumer
believes meat labeled "Naturally Raised"
comes from animals that have spent their
drug-free lives freely roaming the
pastures of a family farm, eating grass
and hay, and being (at least somewhat)
humanely slaughtered. A 2007 Consumer
Reports survey found that 83% of
consumers assume a "naturally raised"
label means it came from an animal
raised in a natural environment. In
stark contrast, the USDA, bowing, as
usual, to pressure from corporate
agribusiness, has released a standard
for "Naturally Raised" meats that is so
weak and misleading it would apply to a
cloned animal, weaned on pig or cow
blood plasma, raised in the confines of
a factory farm, and fed a steady diet of
genetically engineered grains. The
public comment period on this labeling
standard only lasts until January 28, so
take action now before yet another
fraudulent label becomes as ubiquitous
as corporate lobbyists on Capitol Hill.
Take action:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_9692.cfm |
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This article is brought to you by
ORGANIC BYTES, from
Organic Consumers Assoc.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/
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ELDER'S MEDITATION
"Even the seasons form a great circle in
their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life
of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood and so it is in
everything where power moves."
-Black Elk (Hehaka Sapa)
Oglaala
Sioux
In these modern times it is difficult to
understand why we should think circles and seasons. People and society
are always moving, through distance, over yonder, going here and going
there - hurry up, grow up, be successful, climb the ladder to success,
etc. The Elders tell us to slow down, to be patient, pray, and think
circles. Circle thinking applies to relationships, business, and every
area of our lives. We need to teach our awareness to look for
seasons and cycles.
teach me the seasons of growth.
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Manataka "Spirit Award"
for
exemplary volunteer service to the organization and community, this
months'
award by unanimous decision of the Elder Council
goes to the
following member:
|
 Jody
Applewhite is called "Morning Flower" in the fire
circle. but some say she can also be called "Whirlwind"
because wherever Jody is found there is cloud of spinning
dust. Jody is a longtime, loyal and trusted member of
Manataka. She is Grandmother Lodge Keeper, works
diligently with the Women's Council, offers flute
instruction, and is a member of the Manataka Drum Society.
If you followed Jody Applewhite around
at home, you would be raising rabbits, skinning deer hides,
hand making jewelry, building furniture, growing gardens,
polishing stones, cooking, cleaning and caring for her
husband Dutch. A few nights a month you might follow
her to the bowling alley where she is always at the top of
her game. Over the years, Jody has been the 'friend'
everyone needs from time to time with a kind word, wise
advice, or lending an ear.
It is rare for one member to receive the
Spirit Award twice in one year, but with Jody Applewhite
anything is possible.
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Nominate someone you know who walks the path.
Spirit Award Nomination
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HEALTH
WATCH...
Minimizing the use of Medicines
ON REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF DRUGS AND MEDICINES IN YOUR
LIFE
"The best doctor gives the least medicines." -
Benjamin Franklin
Another way to put that is, "The best patient NEEDS the
least medicines."
Anything
that you can do to be healthier is likely to reduce the
number and amount of drugs that your doctor would need to
prescribe for you. A good doctor is certainly willing to
see that you are taking as little medicine as possible.
One reason to take only minimum doses is that all drugs
carry a risk. You could say that vitamins carry a risk,
too. You could say that everything in life carries
some risk. You could, but that would obscure the real point
that drugs carry a higher than average risk, and they are
regularly used by a very large number of people.
Vitamin supplements have an especially high margin for
error; drugs do not. Let's take the most dangerous of
vitamins and one of the safest of all drugs for comparison.
The vitamin is Vitamin D and the drug is aspirin.
The U.S. Recommend Daily Allowance for vitamin D is 400
International Units (I.U.) per day. It has frequently been
said that vitamin D can be toxic at relatively low levels.
Certainly doses of over two thousand I.U. per day are hard
to justify. It is instructive to note, however, that as far
back as 1939 some really enormous doses of vitamin D were
found to be remarkably non-toxic. In several countries,
infants including preemies were safely given from 200,000
I.U. to over HALF A MILLION units of vitamin D in a single
injected or oral dose. This is hard to believe; the
references are on pages 544 and 584-591 in the medical
textbook The Vitamins in Medicine, third edition, by
Bicknell and Prescott (1953). This is quite a comprehensive
work. There are a total of 344 scientific papers on Vitamin
D cited in one chapter.
READ MORE....
PLANT MEDICINE...
Cayenne Peppers - Emergency Uses
Therapeutic Action
Cayenne is a powerful and pure
stimulant, having NO narcotic effect, increasing the power of the pulse and
carrying the blood to ALL parts of the body, plus equalizing and restoring the
balance of circulation throughout the body ! Cayenne is a Hemostat, arresting
the flow of blood from a cut or wound in seconds and a cardiac tonic, helping to
rebuild the heart. It is an Antiseptic, killing pathogens and a
Counter-Irritant, helping to relieve pain. And cayenne is a Stomachic, helping
to digest foods and a Carminative, helping to expel gas.
The Formula
The best Cayenne Pepper Tincture is
made by the following:
1. Start to make this and ANY Tincture, if possible, on a new moon.
2. Take a Quart (liter) canning jar and fill it 1/4 full with dried Cayenne
Peppers, getting the HOTTEST ones (i.e. - Habanero, African Bird, Serrano,
Jalapeno - 90,000+ Heat Units), that you can obtain.
3. Add enough 50% Grain Alcohol
(100 Proof Vodka) to the Cayenne Peppers (powdered, using a Blender or Grinder)
to just COVER them.
4. Use enough FRESH Cayenne
Peppers, that you can blend with 50% Grain Alcohol (100 Proof Vodka) to turn the
Mixture into an Apple Sauce-Like Consistency.
5. Add this Mixture to the 1st
Mixture, filling up the Canning Jar 3/4 full.
6. Fill up the rest of the Canning
Jar with more 50% Grain Alcohol (100 Proof Vodka).
7. Shake it as many times as
possible, during the Day.
8. Let this Mixture sit, until the
following Full Moon (15-16 Days), but optimally until the following New Moon
(28-29 Days)
9. Strain this mixture through an
un-bleached coffee filter.
10. Bottle the resulting Tincture.
NOTE:
Part equals volume, NOT weight in this tincture method. Modify this
procedure by using dried herbs only, if fresh herbs are not available, and when
making other Herbal Tinctures also. Also if you want to make a super
potent tincture (i.e. - Cayenne Pepper - Lobelia Seed Pod - see below), then
allow the mixture to sit for a full 3 months !
Applications and Dosages
READ LOTS MORE...
FLUORIDE WATCH...
Scientific American Journal having 'Second Thoughts about
Fluoride
NEW YORK, Jan. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Some recent studies suggest that
over-consumption of fluoride can raise the risks of disorders affecting teeth, bones, the brain and the thyroid gland,"
reports Scientific American editors (January 2008). "Scientific attitudes toward fluoridation may be starting to shift,"
writes author Dan Fagin.
"Fluoride, the most consumed drug in the USA, is deliberately added to 2/3 of public water supplies theoretically to
reduce tooth decay, but with no scientifically-valid evidence proving safety or effectiveness," says lawyer Paul
Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation.
Fagin, award-wining environmental reporter and Director of New York University's Science, Health and
Environmental Reporting Program, writes, "There is no universally accepted optimal level for daily intake of fluoride."
Some researchers even wonder whether the 1 mg/L added into drinking water is too much, reports Fagin.
READ MORE....
FUNNY
BONES
No offense intended for any individuals or tribes.
OOPS! A LITTLE
SLIP HERE OR THERE...
A little American Indian
boy asked his father, the big chief of the tribe, 'Papa, why is it that
we always have long names, while the white men have shorter names like
Bill , Tex, or Sam????
His father replied, 'Look, son, our names
represent a symbol, a sign, or a poem, for our culture is not like the
white men, who live all together and repeat their names from generation
to generation. Also, it is part of our makeup that in spite of
everything, we survive.
For example, your sister's name is Small
Romantic Moon Over the Lake, because on the night she was born, there
was a beautiful moon reflected in the lake.
Then there's your brother, Big White Horse of
the Prairies, because he was born on a day that the big white horse who
gallops over the prairies of the world appeared near our camp and is a
symbol of our capacity to live and the life force of our people. It's
very simple and easy to understand.
Do you have any other questions, Little
Broken Condom Made in China ?
Submitted by Sheri Awi Anida Waya Burnett
ANIMAL
RIGHTS... AND WRONGS
ENDANGERED SACRED SITES:
Full Appeals Court Hears Critical Religious Freedom Case
Tanya Lee, Targeted News Service
The full 11-member U.S. Court of Appeals for the
9th Circuit heard arguments in a lawsuit that will determine to what extent
and under what circumstances Native Americans will be able to exercise their
religious freedoms and rights.
At issue in this case is whether the U.S. Forest
Service may allow the privately-run Arizona Snowbowl ski resort on federal
land to use reclaimed wastewater to make artificial snow on mountains known
as the San Francisco Peaks, just north of Flagstaff. The Peaks are sacred to
at least 13 tribes,
whose religious practitioners travel to the
mountains to perform ceremonies and to collect plants.
The tribes say the Peaks will be
irrevocably damaged by the wastewater, making it impossible for them to
practice their religions. Thomas Beauty, the new chairman of the
Yavapai-Apache Nation, told NewsWatch Native America: 'The San Francisco
Peaks are a holy and sacred place for the Yavapai and Apache people. It
saddens me that the federal government has once again disregarded its
obligation to the trust and sovereignty of Indian nations and placed
development and expansion as a priority rather than respecting the cultural
traditions of this country's first inhabitants.' Beauty called the hearing
'not only monumental for the tribes involved, it was also a pivotal point in
American history, setting precedent for future decisions on environmental
impact and religious freedoms.' Beauty said it was his hope 'the tribes will
prevail in this attack on our traditions, culture and ceremonial beliefs.'
During the hour-long hearing, the
judges were eager to hear the plaintiffs' interpretation of the Religious
Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). They particularly wanted to know how the
terms 'substantial burden' and
"compelling interest" should be defined. Under RFRA, the government may
place a substantial burden on the practice of religion only if it has a
compelling interest that would justify such an action…"
By Tanya Lee, Targeted News Service, December 19,
2007.
Copyright 2007 HT Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
"Those who give up essential liberties for temporary safety deserve neither
liberty or safety."
-Benjamin Franklin
SOUNDS OF MANATAKA
Adults
Children
NEW!
Mothers and Babies
NEW!
Pets
100's of native herbal remedies!
Cure the Cause
Don't just treat the symptoms
100% Natural - Organic - No Side Effects
Manufactured under strict guidelines
60-day Money-back Guarantee
Read More...
Herbal control solutions and natural remedies for what ails you.
GO
TO PAGE 3
|
Disclaimer
and Trademark Information
Material appearing here is distributed without profit or
monetary
gain to those who have expressed an interest in viewing the
material for research and educational purposes.
This is in accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. section 107.
Reprinted under the Fair Use doctrine of international copyright
law.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html
Non-profit/Teaching/Educational
©2008 ManatakaTM
American Indian Council
The word "Manataka"
is a registered trademark exclusively owned by the Manataka
American Indian Council, Inc. Use of this
trademark for any purpose without the
expressed written permission of MAIC is
prohibited and violators will be prosecuted.
15 U.S.C. Section
1051(a), (b) |
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