AAnniisshhiinnaaaabbeegg TTooddaayy A Monthly Chronicle of White Earth Reservation Vol. 26 No. 7 White Earth, Minn. [email protected] Wednesday, July 7, 2021 Raising awareness for nibe and manoomin Community members gathered at Big Bear Landing on Lower Rice Lake June 24 to raise awareness for our nibi and manoomin. Drought conditions and dewater - ing at Upper Rice Lake have had a serious impact on wild rice beds in Lower Rice. An opening ceremony was held in the morning and a team of runners (top) began a 26-mile run around the lake. A walk was held later in Rice Lake Village, followed by speakers and a feast. Left : People checking out the low water levels. Photos by Gary W. Padrta N E 4 D M D 1 G E s R e A T O A k D T R N I a D S O t L A i N O S P Looking cool t i P m A E r o T r S e R t S P P e U D for the White Earth Sobriety Parade r e The White Earth Public m S Health staff participated o S t s the annual White Earth W u R Sobriety Parade held June C C 10. l E a t s The theme of their float o P was “Our future is so bright we gotta wear shades.” See more parade photos on Page 32. Submitted photo 2 Anishinaabeg Today Wednesday, July 7, 2021 Anishinaabeg Today COVID-19 Delta variant could cause concerns for unvaccinated people By Dr. Carson Gardner, MD deaths here on Turtle Island, North America. Bad news. But The Anishinaabeg Today (AT) is the offical publica - White Earth Heath Medical Director next is the good news, Anishinaabeg. tion of White Earth Reservation and is published once a Does Delta Dawn mean we should panic and walk month. Editorials and articles appearing in the AT are Delta Dawn - remember that song? It was 1972, and around with a suitcase and a flower? No, of course not! All the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily that kind of rock-a-billy song hit the charts as a sad lament the current science shows that all the currently-available reflect the opinion or attitude of the AT staff or the White about a lost opportunity for joy. It was written by Larry COVID vaccines on Turtle Island, North America, work Earth Reservation Business Committee. Collins and Alex Harvey. Harvey recorded it in 1971. It was quite adequately against all the variants—Alpha—B.1.1.7, The AT reserves the right to reject any advertising a 1972 top-10 hit for country music’s Tanya Tucker and a Beta—B.1.351, Gamma—P.1, and Delta—B.1.617.2. The or materials submitted for publication. The submission 1973 number one hit for Helen Reddy. Then multiple covers problem will be for our unvaccinated children, teens, young of articles and photos is encouraged, however, they are followed. So what? Bring it in for a landing, Gardner. adults, middle-aged adults, our few unvaccinated elders, and subject to editing for grammar, length, and malicious/ Well, Anishinaabeg, we have another kind of “Delta those with weakened immune systems. They might get the libelous content. The Editor makes the sole decision of Dawn” right now. The COVID-19 Delta variant, also known Delta variant and get very sick with it. Also, we know, from what is published in the AT and will not assume any as B.1.617.2, first recognized in India, is now on Turtle the history books, that the 1918 influenza—a different viral responsibility for unsolicited material nor will the AT Island shores and also accelerating to become the dominant germ but still a pandemic germ—"went away” in the sum - guarantee publication upon submission. Deadlines are form of SARS CoV-2 in the United Kingdom. Again, so mer and came back with a vengeance in the fall. That may strictly enforced! Deadline dates are printed on Page 2 what? be what COVID-19 does, due to the Delta variant. in each issue. The Alpha variant, first recognized as the Kent variant, OK, tired of this variant…stuff? Me, too. All of us are. The AT is distributed at no charge to all postal B.1.1.7, in the U.K. was found to be 60% more infectious— Is it some kind of government conspiracy to make us all patrons living on White Earth Reservation and by mail and somewhat more fatal; especially for younger, unvacci - infertile, or to implant microchips in our muscles? No, it to White Earth Reservation members (who request the nated middle-aged and elder, and immune-system-weakened isn’t. It’s a real-deal public-health-threat pandemic. What newspaper) living within the United States. One per people—than the previous COVID strain first recognized in can we do about Delta Dawn? household. The cost of a newspaper subscription is $12 China. In a few months, it took over in the U.K. and then As an I.H.S. doctor friend of mine used to say years ago, per year for non-members (including descendants) liv - around the world including the USA. Right now, the Alpha “Easy, peasy…” The answers are simple: ing off the reservation. The AT can be read online for variant is the dominant variant in the USA and in our • Our Gaa-waabaabiganikaag elders have a better than no cost at www.whiteearth.com. Minnesota area. But the Delta variant has been found to be 90% vaccination rate. Owa! Miigwech! about 60% more infectious than the Alpha variant —and • Our children and teens are just at the start of autho - For more information call 218-983-3285 Ext. somewhat more fatal than the Alpha variant; especially for rized vaccine availability. Parents, get your kid or teen vac - 5903, email: [email protected], fax: 218-983- younger, unvaccinated middle-aged and elder, and immune- cinated this summer, daga--please. 3641, or write to: system-weakened people. • Young adult and early-middle-age adult vaccinations Anishinaabeg Today Does that pattern sound familiar? It should. Alpha on White Earth lands are lagging. Get vaccinated young PO Box 418 started it, and now Delta continues it. 100% plus 60% more adults and middle-aged adults. Do it for the people, if not for White Earth, MN 56591 equals 160%, or 1.6 times more infectious. 1.6 X 1.6 equals yourself. 2.56 or about 2.6 times more infectious. The Delta Dawn • People with weakened immune systems may need a Member of the third COVID vaccine shot, relatively soon after the two-shot v some are about to experience will be about 2.6 times more Native American Journalist Association v infectious, easier to catch, than the SARS CoV-2 sub-strain Minnesota Newspaper Association of 6 months ago, that did a lot of damage and caused a lot of See Delta Page 29 WER Business Committee Very few people know about the history of Indian boarding schools Michael Fairbanks Chairman By Evelyn Bellanger, Elder if we were to seriously consider robbing someone and even Pine Point, Minn. greater discomfort if we were to actually do it. Why? Most Leonard Alan Roy of us think of ourselves as descent people and descent people Secretary-Treasurer Uncovering the children buried in Canada at the do not rob others. This discomfort is call cognitive disso - Raymond Auginaush Sr. Residential Schools has been told in stories by the survivors nance: Cognitive – having to do with thinking, Dissonance: District I Representative for generations of what was happening. It has finally come meaning discord. Humans do not particularly like this dis - to light for most nations to witness the atrocities’ our native comfort, so whenever it occurs, we almost immediately try Kathy Goodwin people have endured. to resolve it. And we can resolve it one of two ways. On District II Representative The United States has had 376 Boarding Schools locat - way is to own up to the negative act and address the harm ed across the country where more gravesites will be uncov - caused by it. The other way is to justify the negative act Cheryl “Annie” Jackson ered and soon come to light. They are called Residential rather than admit any wrongdoing. They deserved it, a typ - District III Representative Schools in Canada. Started by Gen. Pratt at Carlisle, Pa., ical justification. In egregious negative acts such as wars of Editor with his motto, “Save the man, and kill the Indian,” had aggression, enslavement, genocide, the perpetrators have to taken Apache prisoners earlier and later started housing chil - go so far as to dehumanize and, in many cases, demonize dren at an old Army barracks in Carlisle in 1879. their victims. Gary W. Padrta Many have asked, how could this have happened? The The difference between the actions of the Europeans destruction of native people started happening before the and their beliefs about themselves, (Good Christians) was so Future Issues * Boarding Schools. Bartolome De Las Casas wrote about the great and the cognitive dissonance so painful that they were destruction of native people as early as 1500, just after 1492. obligated to go to great lengths in order to survive their own Deadline Issue Date They would cut off the hands of natives if they didn’t bring horrific behavior. Chattel slavery and genocide of the Native a handful of gold, throw them in pits and fed them to dogs.