Indian country support aided Obama

Rob Cappriccioso reports for Indian Country Today that, in the final days of the campaign, John McCain's support among a host of traditionally Republican Indian leaders practically vanished, making way for a rush of support for Barack Obama amongst their constituents.

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From Indian Country Today

Pre-emptive strike

Tribal historic preservation officers lay out priorities for new administration

By Rob Capriccioso

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/enews/alerts/30284139.html

Help Revitalize Native American Languages

Sign the Petition:

Your help is urgently needed to save and revitalize Native American languages. Among the more than 300 original languages once spoken in the U.S. only 155-175 are spoken today. Scholars estimate that only 20 of these remaining indigenous languages are being widely transmitted to today's Native children. Fully 70 languages could vanish within the next 10 years without immediate and significant funding for tribal language programs.

More here

Native Hawaiian Self-Determination Included in Platform Adopted by Dems

Day 2 of the Denver convention saw a step forward for the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, or so-called Akaka bill.

The Democratic Party determined to include its support for Native Hawaiian self-determination and sovereignty in its platform formally adopted during the convention.

Barack Obama himself, who was raised in Hawai'i, had already expressed his support in january and promised to sign the bill that would allow Native Hawaiians to negotiate over control of land and assets.

John McCain, who had served as chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, has said he opposes the bill.

Colleen Hanabusa, a member of the Hawaii Delegation at the convention, praised the decision. The fact that you have Native Hawaiians recognized alongside Native Americans is really a major statement," she said in a report on KHON News.

For a concise background account of the bill, its status in the election season, and the two candidates' positions, see the Honolulu Advertiser's report.

There is hope for the world!

From the Guardian:

Paraguay: Former slave gets cabinet position

Margarita Mbywangi, a tribal chief who'd been captured and sold into slavery, has become the first indigenous person to oversee ethnic Indian affairs in Paraguay. She'll serve under newly-elected progressive president, Fernando Lugo.

Here:

International Day of the World's Indigenous People

9 August

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By resolution 49/214 of 23 December 1994, the General Assembly decided to celebrate the International Day of the World's Indigenous People on 9 August every year during the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People. In 2004 the Assembly proclaimed a Second International Decade by resolution 59/174. The goal of this Decade is to further strengthen international cooperation for the solution of problems faced by indigenous people in such areas as culture, education, health, human rights, the environment, and social and economic development. In April 2000, the Commission on Human Rights adopted a resolution to establish the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues which was endorsed by the Economic and Social Council in resolution 2000/22 of 28 July 2000. The mandate of the Permanent Forum is to discuss indigenous issues related to culture, economic and social development, education, the environment, health and human rights.

The Case for Diane Benson, first Native American women to run for Congress

Nation magazine editor, Katrina Vanden Heuvel, blogs her strong support for Diane Benson, waging a tough fight to unseat Repbulican representative Don Young for Alaska's at large Congressional seat, despite the fact the Young faces criminal allegations for bribery and extortion. But first Benson must defeat a Democratic challenger in the primary on August 26, Ethan Berkowitz. Berkowitz has got the Democratic establishment on his side. But Benson, who grew up poor, even destitute, has grass roots and progressive support.

Tough self love or self hate?

Writing for Indian Country Today, Charles E. Trimble (Oglala Lakota) is challenging Indian country to adapt on the reservations Bill Cosby's tough, self-policing script for what Trimble cites are a litany of ills--"gangs, drugs, epidemic alcoholism, violence and crime"-- remedied only by the most stringent self-cure.

It's a provocative piece, making a heavy indictment and throwing down a challenge that's sure to make many downright mad, a la Cosby's reception by segments of the black community for his tough talk.

Read it and respond. Let us know what you think!

Paula Gunn Allen: "A woman of great words"

MariJo Moore writes in Indian Country Today of the passing last month of Native literary lioness, Paula Gunn Allen. Gunn Allen was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 2004. In this insightful life's review, the author links Gunn Allen's womanist writings to the history of her people, the Cherokees, and their pre-Columbian tradition of strong, powerful women.

Tribal Scholarships--Hurry! Deadline's Near

Thanks to Indian Country Today for this list which we’ve lifted from their on-line article of the 7th, May.

The following scholarships are available for the 2008 - 09 school year. Applications are due May 31. For more details about all scholarships, visit www.collegefund.org.

Tribal college students

" The Cartwright Scholarship Program - for men based on financial need. Recipients receive $2,000 and are required to mentor other male students in their community by encouraging them to attend college.

" The Citi Foundation Scholarship Program - $4,000 scholarship to tribal college students in South Dakota.

" The Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship - $5,000 for tuition, fees and unmet need for a student's first year in college. Students maintaining a 3.0 grade point average with strong participation in campus and community life can continue the scholarship throughout their academic career at a tribal college.

" The Ford Motor Co. Tribal College Scholarship - need-based scholarships for up to $5,000 to students majoring in math, science, engineering, business, teacher training or environmental science at a tribal college.

" The General Mills Foundation - need-based scholarships of $2,000 to outstanding tribal college students currently enrolled in Minnesota and New Mexico.

" The Lilly Foundation - one $8,000 Distinguished Scholar Award to a graduating valedictorian or salutatorian of their 2008 high school class, and one $8,000 Keepers of the Next Generation Award to a single-parent student demonstrating exceptional academic achievement.

" The Morgan Stanley Tribal Scholars Program - $2,500 annually to outstanding tribal college students currently enrolled with an interest in business and financial services.

" The Nissan North America Inc. Scholarship - $3,000 annually to outstanding tribal college students.

" The Sovereign Nations Scholarship Fund Endowment - a permanent endowment supported by American Indian Nations and American Indian-owned businesses. The American Indian College Fund awards $2,000 scholarships to tribal college students.

" The Time Warner Scholarship - $2,500 to outstanding tribal college students.

" The Winners for Life Foundation - $2,000 to young tribal college students based on academic achievement and unmet need.

Mainstream institution students

" Morgan Stanley Scholarships - up to $10,000 for outstanding students who have an interest in the business and financial services industry and attend a mainstream four-year institution.

" The Ford Motor Co. Scholarship - need-based scholarships of up to $10,000 for deserving students at mainstream four-year institutions who are majoring in accounting, computer, electrical or mechanical engineering, finance, information systems, marketing or operations management.

" The Nissan North America Inc. Scholarship - $5,000 to selected students attending a mainstream four-year institution.

" The Sovereign Nations Scholarship Fund Endowment - a permanent endowment supported by American Indian nations and American Indian-owned businesses.

Graduate students

" The Sovereign Nations Scholarship Fund - $2,000 scholarships to students pursing a graduate-level degree.

" The Vine Deloria Jr. Memorial Scholarship - for graduate students.

Is Evo Morales the Depak Chopra of the Global Indigenous?

Following is a digest of Bolivian President Evo Morales' speech at the UN, on April 21. In it, he offers 10 recommendations on "how to live well" in the face of "unbridled" development and the devastation of the environment. His suggestions are true to indigenous understanding and respect for Mother Earth. The digest was prepared by the UN's Department of Public Information and, from what I can gather after hearing snippets of the speech itself, is somewhat watered down. At the same time, the UN folks did not excise Morales' warning that the way to change is through "social movements, such as the indigenous people’s movement, which would not fall silent until it had brought about change."

EVO MORALES AYMA, President of Bolivia, said the Forum was to be viewed as a model for “living together” and was an extension of the decades-long struggle of indigenous peoples for equality and justice. It was also appropriate that the Forum focus on climate change and the role of indigenous peoples in tackling that problem, since indigenous peoples were human beings with the same rights and responsibilities as anyone else.

He noted that the indigenous movement had successfully organized itself to defend access to land and basic services, in the face of attacks and threats of extermination. That fight should continue for as long as needed. In the meantime, the Forum, along with similar bodies, could put forward alternative economic models to ensure the survival of indigenous peoples as they continued their quest.

In the context of finding solutions to environmental issues, including climate change, he said indigenous peoples had the moral authority to participate in those discussions, having lived closely with Mother Earth and defended it for ages. Indigenous peoples in Bolivia had “achieved the Presidency”, enabling it to proceed in the fight for justice and equality. It now fell to gatherings of indigenous peoples, such as the Forum, to work with other world leaders to encourage them to play their part.

He said indigenous peoples wanted to express “how to live well” within their vision of Mother Earth, which was the source of life. Living well was not possible under the current capitalist system, which sought to turn Mother Earth into a capitalist good. The conclusion had been reached in many circles that the authorities of many places were to be blamed for encouraging climactic factors that caused harm to peoples, which had brought floods and global warming. A conversation must be held with other communities on establishing a new model for living. World leaders must encourage more contact with indigenous peoples.

He offered a series of “ten commandments” that he thought should underpin the new model, beginning with the first: a call to end the capitalist system. The capitalist system was inhuman and encouraged unbridled economic development. The exploitation of human beings and pillaging of natural resources must end, as should wars aimed at securing access to those resources. Also, the world should end the plundering of fossil fuels; excessive consumption of goods; the accumulation of waste; as well as the egoism, regionalism and thirst for earning where the pursuit of luxury was taking place at the expense of human beings. Countries of the south were heaped with external debt, when it was the ecological debt that needed paying.

Second, the world should denounce war, which brought advantage to a small few, he said. In that vein, it was time to end occupation under the pretext of “combating drugs”, such as in South America, as well as other pretexts such as searching for weapons of mass destruction. Money earmarked for war should be channeled to make reparations for damage caused to the Earth.

Third, there should be a world without imperialism, he said, where no country was dependent upon or subordinate to another. States must look for complementarity rather than engage in unfair competition with each other. Member States of the United Nations should consider the asymmetry that exists among nations and seek a way to lessen deep economic differences. Moving along those lines, he said the Security Council -- with its lifelong members holding veto rights -- should be democratized.

Fourth, he said access to water should be treated as a human right, and policies allowing the privatization of water should be banned. Indigenous peoples had a long experience of mobilizing themselves to uphold the right to water. He proposed that they put forth the idea of forming an international convention on water to guarantee it as a human right and to protect against its appropriation by a select few.

Fifth, he said the world should promote clean and eco-friendly energies, as well as end the wasteful use of energy. He said it was understood that fossil fuels were nearing depletion, yet those who promoted biofuels in their place were making “a serious mistake”. It was not right to set aside land not for the benefit of human beings, but so that a small few could operate luxurious vehicles. It was also because of biofuels that the price of rice and bread has risen; and the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were now warning that such policies must be prevented. The world should explore more sustainable forms of alternative energy, such as geothermal, solar, wind and hydro-electric power.

Sixth, he said there should be more respect for Mother Earth, and the indigenous movement must bring its influence to bear in fostering that attitude. The world must stop thinking of Mother Earth in the capitalist sense -- which was that of a raw material to be traded. For who could privatize or hire out his mother?

Seventh, he stressed the importance of gaining access to basic services for all. Services such as education and transport should not be the preserve of private trade.

Eighth, he urged the consumption of only what was necessary and what was produced locally. There was a need to end consumerism, waste and luxury. It was an irony that millions of dollars were being spent to combat obesity in one half of the globe, while the other was dying of hunger. He said the impending food crisis would necessarily bring an end to the free market, where countries suffering hunger were being made to export their food. There was a similar case with oil, where the priority lay in selling it abroad, rather than domestically.

Ninth, he said it was important to promote unity and diversity of economies, and that the indigenous movement should put forth a call for unity and diversity in the spirit of multilateralism.

Tenth, the world should live under the tenet of “trying to live well”, he said, but not at the expense of others.

He said the best way forward lay in social movements, such as the indigenous people’s movement, which would not fall silent until it had brought about change. He ended by greeting fellow South Americans in the room, acknowledging their role in the fight. In Bolivia, the provisions of the Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples had been made into law, and he expressed hoped that other countries would do the same. He welcomed the attention, good or bad, he was receiving as a member of that movement, saying that perhaps it would lead to ideological clarity.

See a report of Morales' visit on the Native American Village home page.

Campus Lockdown: Women of Color Negotiating the Academic Industrial Complex

DATE: Saturday, March 15, 2008
TIME: 10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
LOCATION: Michigan Union, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
For more information & to register online: http://www.woclockdown.org/

Campus Lockdown: Women of Color Negotiating the Academic Industrial ComplexCampus Lockdown is organized by undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Michigan. Its aim is to promote dialogue on the politics of women of color scholarship in a post-Proposal 2 (anti-Affirmative Action) environment. Women scholars of color from universities across the country will participate in critical discussions of a host of issues relating to politics, pedagogy, and campus climate for women devoted to pubic scholarship. The conference is intended as an organized community forum space and all attendees are encouraged to contribute to the day's ongoing conversations.

Statement of University of Michigan students and faculty in support of UM Native American Studies Director Andrea Smith's tenure case. | Action alert.

Speakers:
Piya Chatterjee, University of California, Riverside
Angela Davis, University of California, Santa Cruz (via teleconference)
Rosa Linda Fregoso, University of Southern California
Ruthie Gilmore, University of Southern California
Fred Moten, Duke University
Clarissa Rojas, San Francisco State University
Haunani-Kay Trask, University of Hawai'I

CO-SPONSORS: University of Michigan Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies Program, Center for the Education of Women, Department of History of Art, Department of Women’s Studies, Division of Student Affairs, Michigan Student Assembly, Museum Studies Program, Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs, Students of Color of Rackham Native Caucus, William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center, Women of Color in the Academy Project

Film Explores WWII Internment on Colorado River Indian Reservation

Cross-posted from our sister site, Asian American Village:



Following up on the Annual Day of Remembrance -- marking FDR's signing of Executive Order 9066 -- we feature a contribution by filmmaker Joe Fox, whose new film Passing Poston: An American Story, debuts in New York City tonight.

The filmmaker and writer discusses the inspiration behind the new film about Poston concentration camp, and about the film's exploration of connections between the Japanese Americans who labored there and the Colorado River Indian tribe, whose desert reservation served as its host.

As Fox states, "A filmmaker is nothing more than a storyteller. And one really searches high and low for those amazing stories to tell."

He and partner James Nubile have found an amazing story indeed. Learn more at http://www.passingposton.com/.