Native Americans still fighting ignorance at Plimoth

PLIMOTH PLANTATION, Massachusetts (CNN) — Modern-day pilgrims to Plimoth Plantation have much curiosity about life in the re-creation of an English village from the 1600s and a Native American homesite. But some of the thousands of people who visit daily to get a glimpse of how the first colonials existed and created the Thanksgiving tradition bring with them misconceptions about the Native people.

Paula Peters, of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, said one of the first things she learned when she started working at Plimoth in Massachusetts 30 years ago was: “People will say things that will hurt you.”

A parent might reprimand their children by saying, “If you don’t behave I am going to leave you with this Indian squaw and she will cook you for dinner,” Peters said.

A YouTube for Native Americans

PLUMMER, Idaho—Tired of searching for Native media or losing your videos among the millions of random YouTube pieces?

With the launch of RezKast, Native Americans no longer need to waste time looking for Native-themed videos on YouTube. The Coeur d’Alene Tribe launched RezKast, a Native content site, in July with hopes of preserving the Native culture, history and language before they disappear.

“Of course there is always the entertainment factor,” said Valerie Fast Horse, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s IT director. “What’s an Indian community without entertainment and laughter?”

Obama Brings Hope to Native Americans

POLSON, MONT. — With the first election of an African American president, the nation sees a broader horizon. Some see hope on that horizon for Native America.

“My memories of campaigning for this election range from heartbreaking to beautiful,” said Gyasi Ross, former constituency director of the Barack Obama campaign in Montana. “Indian people really showed that if given the opportunity, we can perform above the expected and it’s all in faith.”

Reflecting on his memories of this historic presidential election, Ross, a Blackfeet tribal member, admits his journey blossomed from a seed of doubt: “I figured (Obama) didn’t have a chance in hell becoming the next president,” he said. “But I knew he would do great things for Native Americans if elected.”

Rosebud Sioux Indian at center of battle that spotlights rights of Native Americans

Now he’s fighting tribal authorities who want to ban him from his home because he’s from another tribe.

Authorities say Ironshell has violated a tribal ordinance that prohibits Meskwaki women from sharing a settlement home with men who are not Meskwaki.

Ironshell is a Rosebud Sioux. His wife, Eloise, is Meskwaki. Both say the ban amounts to racial discrimination.

More Native Americans urged to cast votes

Jacqueline Johnson Pata thought about the question and ran her hand through her hair.

It’s a question that keeps her up at night and motivates her all through the day.

Is it harder to get an 80-year-old Native American to vote or a 20-year-old?

An 80-year-old Indian,” she said slowly, “but they are both kind of challenging.

“An 80-year-old has felt enough disenfranchisement to have a reluctance to engage. A 20-year-old has a sense of hopelessness. That’s difficult to get past, too.”

Johnson Pata is executive director of the National Congress of American Indians, which is trying to increase voter participation among Indians heading into the Nov. 4 election.Her efforts are best represented by a simple button that appeared on nearly every chest at this week’s NCAI conference in Phoenix.

The button says: “I’m Indian and I vote.”

Making sure that actually happens is not going to be easy.

“Indians do not vote in high numbers,” said Ken Poocha, Arizona’s executive director for Indian affairs. “It has gotten better in recent elections, but we have a long way to go.”
Analyzing low turnout

One reason for low turnout is geography, as many Indians in the state and across the country live in rural areas.

That can make just getting to the ballot box difficult, Poocha said.

The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office is precluded by law from tracking the voting patterns of any race, ethnicity or gender, department spokesman Kevin Tyne said.

But he said the office is actively trying to encourage increased voter participa

Study Finds Native Americans Excluded From Repatriation Process; More Work Needed on Improving NAGPRA

The federal government neither assures compliance with nor enforcement of a federal law enacted to protect American Indian remains and funerary objects and to reunite them with their families and homelands. In some instances, agencies have withheld or changed information about the objects or human remains in their possession, in blatant disregard of the law, according to a new report studying the implementation of the act.
While some federal agencies have good working relationships with Native Americans, many Indian tribes say federal agencies rarely made good-faith efforts in contacting them about their collections. Tribes also have discovered that some of the federal agencies’ official notices of cultural determinations have been withdrawn for unknown reasons and without consulting the tribes, according to a new report assessing the implementation of the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act or NAGPRA released today.

Native Americans to be honored for their contributions to Indian gaming rights

Six people who have worked to protect and expand Indian gaming rights since the inception of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act 20 years ago will be honored this fall by the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.
The individuals, named “Pathbreakers” for their leadership in helping tribes achieve economic freedom, will be lauded during a national conference sponsored by the College’s Indian Legal Program. “Indian Country’s Winning Hand: 20 Years of IGRA” will be Thursday and Friday, Oct. 16-17, at the Radisson Fort McDowell Resort & Casino in Scottsdale/Fountain Hills. The Pathbreaker’s Banquet will be Oct. 16 in the resort’s Courtyard Plaza.

Native Americans as Early Land Managers

ndigenous people used several techniques to cultivate plants. Pruning changed the structure of the plant and increased seed and fruit production according to M. Kat Anderson. Pruning often removed dead plant material that may be susceptible to insect infestation. The removal of dead material made room and light available to new growth. New growth increased fruit yield and/or produced long straight shoots that could be used in basket making.