A Letter from the Publisher
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Vol. 2, Issue 55 August 26, 2015 1 INDIAN COUNTRY TODAY A Letter from the Publisher Shekóli. There is no dispute: Mainstream American culture of Indian country’s brightest lights and change all those has issues when it comes to Indians. On TV, it is rare to misguided, ingrained perceptions. see a Native character, let alone a sitcom, depicting a con- temporary Indian family. On-air hosts for national variety The most critical reason behind the genesis of the special digi- and news shows have become remarkably diverse in recent tal edition of The Fifty Faces of Indian Country 2015 (which years, with one exception: no Indians. All too often, Na- is attached to this week’s newsletter) has to do with the future tives are presented as relics, or depicted as stereotypes and as much as the present. Simply put, our young people deserve mascots. Looking at arrays of mainstream websites or maga- to learn about the individual and collective achievements of zines, one would think the First Peoples of Turtle Island Natives presented in a visual, dramatic way. Indian kids need have all but vanished. to see people like themselves and role models that they can aspire to be—lawyers, doctors, artists, business leaders, models Thankfully, the reality is that some of the most successful, tal- and musicians. Here, then, is a showcase where Indian strength and ented and visionary people and communities today are Indig- beauty is not overlooked or shunned. By honoring these worthy indi- enous. Middle America just hasn’t realized it yet. While Jacoby viduals, we hope to celebrate our audience, and future stars of 50 Faces Ellsbury, Adam Beach and Rickie Fowler are household names, as well. few Americans stop and think about their heritage. The coun- try watches as Suzan Shown Harjo is awarded the Presidential NΛ ki� wa, Medal of Freedom, and savors the memories associated with singer and songwriter Buffy St. Marie’s “Up Where We Belong.” Yet the word “Indian” still conjures up associations with casinos or headdresses or worse. Thus the need to bring together some Ray Halbritter Table of Contents 2 COMMENTARY 11 WEEK IN PHOTOS 4 NEWS 12 WEB, EVENTS, LETTER 6 A DUGOUT GREETS MYSTIC 8 TRIBES HIT BACK ON 13 CARTOON, ALERTS PROPOSED PLANT-PICKING RULE 14 hOW DID I MISS THAT H HEALT 9 TEN MINUTES WITH D 15 pOW WOWS ANFOR PRITZKER S 11 10 CLASSIFIEDS 16 BIG PICTURE OURTESY OF OURTESY C IndianCountryTodayMediaNetwork.com August 26, 2015 2 COMMENTARY Saving Ourselves From Americans who died from alcohol were use, we cause a rippling effect of hurt Addiction younger than 50 years old, and that seven within—for those who love us and for Larry Spotted Crow Mann (Nipmuc), percent were younger than 20. the people who will be the victims of our who is working with the Massachusetts Alcohol and drugs have given us teen next blackout. Department of Public Health to combat suicide, birth defects, the breakup of Booze and drugs constitute “unnatu- substance addiction, urges Natives to re- families, violence in the home and com- ral selection” when you consider how ject alcohol and drugs for their own sake munity and high incarceration rates. This vibrant our purpose here can ultimately and that of their progeny: not-so-sobering list goes on and on. be. Much like saying no to Native mas- There are many reasons why people cots and the misappropriation of Native A 2008 report from the Centers for turn to these substances. They include culture, let us stop the misappropriation Disease Control and Prevention found the illusion of the escape from pain or of our souls to these substances. There that 11.7 percent of deaths among Native reality, the “separateness” that we try to is no simple answer to this dilemma. Americans and Alaska Natives between overcome, and the need to “fit in.” This However, with more people engaged to 2001 and 2005 were alcohol-related— is where alcohol and drugs does its best deal with this crisis, the better chance we compared with 3.3 percent for the coun- lying—under the pretense to “connect” have to save our next generation. http:// try. It also found that 66 percent of Native or “free” us from something. When we bit.ly/1KfvvKt 0 Money And Soul Are Not money and soul. There’s nothing wrong together to establish centers for envi- Mutually Exclusive with a healthy tribal income from the ronmental education, field training, and Jon Magnuson, a former Peace Corps casino industry—as long as a significant the promotion of Native seed harvest- volunteer and director of the collabora- portion of that income can be set aside ing and butterfly/bee protection. Those tive, five-tribe Zaagkii Project, asserts by tribes to fight intrusions of irrespon- efforts are intentionally framed by cer- that Natives can profit both financially sible mining companies, short-term emony and Native traditional spiritual and culturally with commercial initiatives forest harvesting practices, and profit- teachings. that stay true to their roots: driven corporate polluters. With a prior- The test is real. Harvesting wild rice, ity of protecting the sanctity of natural processing maple sugar, and growing gin- The economic prosperity resulting resources on treaty lands, American In- seng holds extraordinary and untapped from the gaming industry legal agree- dian peoples will recover and claim their potential revenue for tribe-based econo- ments among tribes, states and the fed- rightful place as original custodians and mies. If such intentional investments can eral government has been historic. But defenders of our land, our air and water. be sustained, they will certainly outlast tribal efforts to protect traditional spiri- Here, in a remote part of Northern and—with the selected promise of global tual and cultural values will increasingly Michigan, the heart of such a vision is markets—one day outpace revenues from become the real battleground. emerging in a collaborative effort by blackjack tables and slot machines. http:// This should not be a choice between five tribes. Communities are working bit.ly/1NnpYI7 0 When Reservations Are In would be no full-bloods left living on the There could also be a greater opportunity The Blood reservations—thus destroying a culture. to teach others who had not lived on the Micah Armstrong (Blackfoot) bewails This seems like a reasonable argument reservations—or who had not been raised the tribe-on-tribe arguments being fought to many. But it can pose a problem for in that culture—how to continue to use over blood quantum standards and reser- those who have lived on the reservation the traditions and trades that had been vation property rights: with their families, even if they have less passed down from generation to gen- than the minimum blood quantum for eration. Many also think that by allowing Many tribal councils do not offer a being fully enrolled. Just because they only those with a minimum blood-quan- way for those who are lineal descendants weren’t enrolled by the government’s tum level to be, or stay enrolled, in the of a tribe to live on reservations and to standards, that doesn’t always mean they tribe, one day there would be no one left legally own land there. This causes many are disconnected from their cultures or alive on the reservations to take care of people to be torn between two options. their people’s languages. the land, culture or traditions. One side claims that by abolishing On the other hand, many people be- One thing is for sure: It’s hard for a the certificate of blood standards, and lieve that by allowing lineal descendants family to own land if there is no more by creating a way for lineal descendants to join their tribe, there would be less family to pass it down to. http://bit. to join the tribe, down the road there disconnection among family members. ly/1ILvbTH 0 IndianCountryTodayMediaNetwork.com August 26, 2015 GAME-CHANGING INNOVATION. Technologies unveiled. Services and products to be bought. Insight to be gained. Connections to be made. But only one place in the world to find them all together. AT G2E. PRESENTED BY INTRODUCING SEPT 29 - OCT 1, 2015 INTRODUCING THE INTEGRATED RESORT EXPERIENCE AT G2E, SANDS EXPO CENTER FEATURING END-TO-END CASINO RESORT SOLUTIONS, INCLUDING SLOTS AND SKILL-BASED GAMES, CMS AND P.O.S. 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The tribe’s buy-in cost will be decided upon approval of the “Don’t sign it,” said Begaye. He called the EPA’s distribu- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the export project, reported tion of Standard Form 95 “insensitive and minimizing” for the Billings Gazette.