The Coyote's Game Blog

Native Americans in Canada are using fasting and civil disobedience to protest a 2012 budget bill that First People and critics say makes it easier to sell reserve lands and weakens environmental safeguards for Canadian lakes and rivers.

Teresa Spence, chief of the Attawapiskat Tribe, has been fasting on fish broth and medicinal tea for over 30 days, in an attempt to start a dialog with the current government.   Other First Nation chiefs have joined her. They hope to address concerns over the recent budget bill as well as unfulfilled promises dating back to 1900 about indigenous participation in developing natural resources and other benefits.

In recent developments, Ms. Spence refused to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.  Her reason for boycotting the meeting is that many of the treaty rights at issue date back to British control of Canada and were established by royal proclamation.  Ms. Spence said that she was willing to attend a ceremonial meeting with Governor General David Johnston.

However, Shawn Atleo, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, and some other Native leaders met with the Prime Minister on Friday January 11, and agreed to a future meeting. Topics of the meeting will be treaty rights, education and employment opportunities.

Various Canadian Native rights groups, including Idle No More (INM) are supporting the protest. During 2012, members of INM held marches, highway blockades and flash mob protests with Native drumming and dancing to call attention to various demands. Spokespeople for Idle No More have stated that their quarrel is not with the Canadian people, but with the current government.

For more information on this story see:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20990366

New Mexico Honors Maria Martinez

San Ildefonso potter Maria Martinez has been honored as one of the women important to New Mexico history.  In July 2012 a roadside marker along state highway 502 near San Ildefonso Pueblo was dedicated to her.

For more information go to:  http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/BC-NM--HistoricMarker-PuebloPotter

BBC Special Explains El Dorado Myth

Stories of a city of gold were the driving force behind a number of Spanish expeditions into Central and South America.  The facts behind the legend are explored as part of a new BBC Four series “Lost Kingdoms of South America.”

According to Dr. Jago Cooper, British Museum curator for the Americas, archaeological research has proven that El Dorado was originally a religious ceremony of the Muisca peoples in Colombia.  El Dorado was the climax of an initiation ceremony for new Muisca leaders.  The new leader, naked except for a covering of mud and gold dust, made offerings to the gods by throwing specially made gold objects into a sacred lake.  The best description of this ceremony comes from a 16^th Century book The Conquest and Discovery of the New Kingdom of Granada by Juan Rodriguez Freyle.

The Muisca peoples made a special alloy of gold, silver and copper called “tumbaga” as an offering to the gods to maintain balance and harmony in Muisca society and with their environment.

With time, the Muisca ceremonial lakes were transformed into “cities of gold”—untold riches for a European society using gold as a symbol of wealth and as well as a currency.

“Lost Kingdoms of South America” began airing January 14 on BBC Four.  For more information on this series:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pyfwc

First Native American Saint Named

This October the pope named the first Native American Catholic saint, Kateri Tekakwitha, an Algonquin/Mohawk woman who lived in the 17^th Century. 

Kateri lost most of her family to smallpox and was left scarred and partially blind.  According to the BBC Magazine article, she was baptized into the Catholic religion at the age of 20.  After conversion she took a lifetime vow of chastity and left her village for a Jesuit-run mission near Montreal.  There she spent her days in self-punishment and fasting.   She died four years later.

Because the mission Jesuits believed her to be a saint, they wrote down everything they knew about her.  These records show that miracles started to occur when she died—the scars disappeared from her face, she appeared to people in visions.  In 2006 a part-Lummi boy was cured of a flesh-eating bacterial infection, necrotizing fasciitis, when a bone from Kateri Tekakwitha was placed against his body.

For more information on this story go to:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19996957

Russell Means Dies

On October 25 Russell Means died at his home on the Pine Ridge Reservation. 

Born into the Oglala Lakota tribe, he was a long-time advocate of Native rights.  In 1969 he was part of a group that reoccupied Alcatraz Island.  He became a leader of the American Indian Movement and was involved in the armed occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota.

Later in his life he acted in a number of films including Last of the Mohicans and Natural Born Killers.  He also ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. presidency in 1988 on the Libertarian ticket.

But he is best remembered as a man who fought against prejudice and stereotypes.  Means once said:  “The first thing about freedom is:  You are free to be responsible.”

Bills Introduced to Refund Esther Martinez Native American Language Act

Funding for the Esther Martinez Native American Language Act expires at the end of this year.  Passed in 2006, the law was designed to support programs in tribal communities for restoration and immersion in endangered Native languages.

Companion bills to refund the Act have been introduced in the U.S. House and Senate.  The House bill is sponsored by a bipartisan group of legislators from New Mexico.

The Act was named for Esther Martinez, a member of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, located in the State of New Mexico, who kept her Tewa language despite being punished for speaking it through years of boarding school.

For more information on this story:  http://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/native-american-languages-funding-bills-introduced-house-and-senate?utm_source=September+Voices+2012&utm_campaign=LG2&utm_medium=email

Urban Outfitters Asks Judge for Change of Venue

In Feburary 2012, the Navajo Nation sued Urban Outfitters for their unauthorized use of the name “Navajo” for a line of clothing with Native American style patterns.

According to KRQE News 13, Urban Outfitters has asked the judge to move the case from New Mexico to Pennsylvania where the company is based.  Reasons given for the request are that it would be more convenient and the case would be handled more quickly.

The KRQE story adds that the reporter found no federally recognized Indian tribes currently in the State of Pennsylvania.

One of the complaints that I hear frequently from non-Native acquaintances is:  “All of those Indians are so rich because they get money from the casinos.”

Well, I know that the majority of Native people in this country are not getting rich from casino share-outs, but it’s a hard myth to refute.  Definitely, someone is making money.  So I did a little on-line research to see if anyone had published statistics on how many Indians were getting rich from casino profits.

There isn’t a lot out there.  If you want the nitty-gritty on Indian casinos, read Time Magazine’s December 2002 article “Indian Casinos:  Who Gets the Money?”  http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1003869,00.html.   From this article it’s clear that tribes are not waltzing away with 100% of casino profits.  In fact, the promoters who finance, set up and manage most Indian casinos get 30% to 40%.  Not only that, Indian gaming pays federal taxes, $9.4 billion in 2009, according to 500 Nations Indian Casinos Supersite.  Tribes get $4 of every $10 wagered at casinos (National Indian Gaming Commission figures).   

28 states currently allow Indian casinos. 

In general, casinos are not free meal tickets for individual tribal members.  It’s well documented that tribes are using casino profits to repave crumbling reservation roads, to build safe, modern schools for their children as well as to fund child welfare programs, to purchase traditional lands and sacred sites not included in their original reservation, to build desperately needed housing, water systems—things that most Americans living outside of reservations take for granted.

Other benefits of Indian casinos, according to a 2004 Bureau of Economic Research article, include more young adults moving back to the reservation, adult employment increasing by 26% and a 14% decline in the number of working poor.  It should be added that the increased employment in counties near an Indian casino includes non-Native people as well as Indians.  

“Indian Casinos:  Who Gets the Money?” describes the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act as the U.S. government’s attempt to cut funding to Indian tribes and encourage them to pay their own way.   Whether or not you agree with the ethics of this system, in some cases it has succeeded.  However, the article points out that tribes with casinos located in rural areas usually don’t make much money.  It’s the tribes with casinos in or near high population areas that reap big profits.

According to the Time article, only about 25% of tribal members get any direct payout from casino profits.  True, there are documented cases of corruption and abuse; but there are no perfect systems anywhere.

Conclusion?  The big Indian casino payout is just another urban myth.

Native American beaders have used Charlotte cut beads for years. The fact that Charlottes are available in different sizes has led many artists to include these popular beads in their work.

Older beaders frequently mix the same size of seed and Charlotte cut beads together in one piece, which can lead to interesting effects where part of the design sparkles in the light. Today it’s more common for Native beaders to make entire pieces using only cut beads. Generally, they prefer the smaller size beads—13 through 15—resulting in a richer and more complex pattern. And, because of the cost of the beads, the price will be higher.

Some of the American Indian artists whose work is offered on Coyote’s Game use Charlotte cut beads in their beadwork. Here’s an example of a loomed hat band that mixes cut and seed beads:   

A few artists work exclusively with Charlotte cut beads. Comanche Jr. Weryackwe is one of these. A nationally recognized artist, Jr. has been creating his unique cut beadwork since 1973. Although no two pieces are alike, each includes symbols traditional to Comanche culture and history. Below are several examples of Jr.’s work:

Clicking on the picture will take you to our web site where you can find a full description of each piece and more of Jr.’s work.

Not long ago a Native American artist I know lamented that the demand for his products has dropped in recent years.   I agree with him that at present, real Indian crafts are mainly a niche market.

Some may argue that fashion trends loosely imitating traditional Native styles and patterns show interest in American Indian arts.  Or that imitation dream catchers, Kokopeli decorations and the like, offered on and off-line, indicate popularity.  I beg to differ.  Fashion is ephemeral; dream catcher and Kokopelis have become Americana, sold everywhere, like salt water taffy.  There are still genuine collectors as well as buyers who seek out work made by Native artists with tribal enrollment.  But judging by the predominant hair color of shoppers at events like the Santa Fe Indian Market, most of them are Boomers.

Young Native artists are turning out amazing work—art that transcends the “American Indian” genre and compares favorably with contemporary global art.  A new generation of young Indian crafts people are creating outstanding designs that combine traditional techniques with modern concepts.  But unless we get more non-Native people interested, the demand will not change and these talented artists will be forced to treat their art as a hobby rather than a primary or secondary source of income.  A few of these artists have succeeded in breaking through the glass ceiling and winning general recognition; they are not many.

It seems the entertainment industry often inspires fashion.  I just read an article on BBC Magazine that, in part, credited the popularity of corsets as outwear to Madonna’s 1990s Blond Ambition tour.   In the same way, the success of Billy Jack (1971) and  Dances with Wolves (1990) helped to make Indian jewelry and crafts universally popular then.

So what’s to do?  We need to spark some interest in Native arts and crafts among the younger generations.  Maybe the time is ripe for a runaway indie film made by First People.  Or for someone like Steven Spielberg to back a movie celebrating the American Indian.

Get busy, Hollywood!

Nation’s First Tribally Managed National Park Proposed

The nation’s first tribally managed national park could be created under the General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement for the South Unit of Badlands National Park in South Dakota, now in it's final draft.  The southern unit is located entirely within the Pine Ridge Oglala Sioux Reservation, and has been jointly managed by the National Parks Service and the Tribe for almost 40 years.

Plans for the new park, originally suggested by the Oglala Sioux Tribe, fall in with the Park’s Service future plans that include “protected sites that more fully represent our nation’s natural resources, history and cultural experiences.”

If the plan is approved by Congress, the 133,000 acre South Unit will gain a new Lakota Heritage and Education Center and a youth development program for future park rangers.  In addition, the South Unit would have programs for landscape restoration and enhanced wildlife habitat as well as reintroduction of buffalo.

According to the Department of the Interior, over one million people visited Badlands National Park in 2010, but most spent time in the North Unit.  Under this new plan, more visitors would be attracted to the tribally managed South Unit, providing jobs and income for the Pine Ridge Reservation.  For more information or to comment go to: http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Salazar-Jarvis-Announce-Proposal-to-Establish-Nations-First-Tribal-National-Park-in-Badlands.cfm

National Science Foundation and Google Collaborate on Endangered Languages Project

A new website called the Endangered Languages Project, designed to record, preserve and teach endangered languages, was launched this June.  Funded by a National Science Foundation grant and developed by Google, the project is supported by the Alliance for Linguistic Diversity, an international group of organizations and universities interested in language preservation.

One of the website’s central features is a catalog of endangered languages complied by the University of Hawaii Manoa and Eastern Michigan University’s LINGUIST list.  The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) will also contribute material to this project.

It’s estimated that by the end of this century between 50% and 90% of the world’s languages will disappear.  Today, in some cases, only one or a few elderly people remain who can speak and understand a particular language.

According to a UAF press release, the Endangered Languages Project will give linguists and communities on-line access to language information.  They will be able to make comments and even add to documentation on endangered languages.

For more information on the Endangered Languages Project go to:  http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/. 

Radio—a New Way to Preserve Endangered Languages

In July and August 2012 Recovering Voices Initiative, in collaboration with Cultural Survival, will hold a conference on producing radio programs in indigenous languages.  “Our Voices on the Air: Reaching New Audiences through Indigenous Radio” is funded by the Smithsonian Institution through their Recovering Voices Initiative.

Cultural Survival describes radio as an ideal tool for preserving and revitalizing languages and cultural practices that are falling into infrequent use.  The conference’s goal is to create a series of programs for national and public radio that will tell about the loss of languages and how the use of radio can revitalize them.  Participants will also be able to develop new materials for community radio programs.

This conference will bring together indigenous radio producers from throughout the Americas.

For more information on “Our Voices on the Air” go to:  http://www.culturalsurvival.org/our-voices-on-the-air  

Charlotte cut seed beads are the Cadillac of seed beads, the one cut facet making them sparkle and shimmer. Considering how popular they are, they are very hard to get in any form of consistency, and beaders who know, buy them whenever they can, and keep their sources secret.

According to Peter Francis, Jr. Charlotte cuts were first used in 1847 in France, for the garment trade. Although Peter doesn’t know the origins of the name, in a recent letter to Bead and Button magazine by Elliot Greene of New York, Elliot states the name was attributed to his daughter. Elliot Green is an importer of Czech glass beads, and one of only a small handful of importers of charlotte cut seed beads.

Tsimshian Revives the Art of Totem Carving

Tsimshian David Boxley and his son, also named David, are reviving the art of totem pole carving.

When Boxley decided to resurrect this ancient skill he discovered that no one was left in his tribe who could teach him.  He visited museums to study existing totem poles, the materials, paints and carving techniques used.

In an interview with BBC, Boxley said that totem poles stood outside Tsimshian homes, not as religious symbols, but as declarations of a family’s lineage, a statement of a man’s tribe, clan and ancestors.

Although the original lands of the Tsimshian people were in British Columbia, today Boxley and his family live in Alaska.  He is currently working on a 22 foot totem pole for the Smithsonian Institution.

Coeur d'Alene Tribe Establishes Unique History Museum

Efforts of a few dedicated Native people have transformed what began as a traveling exhibit into a permanent museum display.   Sacred Encounters: Father De Smet and the Indians of the Rocky Mountain West, explores contact between Jesuits and the Native Coeur d’Alene during the 19th Century. The story is told from the Native American as well as the European point of view.

For information on visiting Sacred Encounters at Old Mission State Park, Cataldo, Idaho, see the Idaho Parks Dept. website at http://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/parks/oldmission.aspx.

Genetically Pure Buffalo Return to the Great Plains

This March, 61 genetically pure wild bison have returned to a tiny portion of their ancestral lands on the Fort Peck and Fort Belknap Reservations in Montana, thanks to the efforts of Defenders of Wildlife, the Assiniboine, Sioux and Gros Ventre Tribes, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer and others.  The buffalo had been living in quarantine near Yellowstone National Park, because ranchers feared that their herds might contract disease from the wild buffalo.

Buffalo have been part of the traditional life of many Native American tribes—not only those on the Great Plains for whom the bison was sacred, but for many tribes having  lands that border the Great Plains.

There is still opposition from some Montana farmers and ranchers.  According to a recent article on Fox News, they believe a growing bison population on Montana threatens their interests.  Montana already has bison herds that have been cross bred with cattle for the market.

These bison are different—because they’re genetically pure they are a symbol of Native tradition and power.  For more information on this story visit the Defenders of Wildlife website http://www.defenders.org/.