NEWS FROM Nearly 70 people arrested during Advocates hope W.E. wild rice case Tom Jones’ Strong Unrelenting A NATIVE Line 3 protest at Gov’s Residence will boost ‘rights of nature’ Spirits Exhibit opens AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE 40 YEARS OF SERVING THE NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY WWW.THECIRCLENEWS.ORG [email protected] Like us on Facebook! Follow Us on Twitter page 4 page 12 page 15 Facebook.com/TheCircleNews @TheCircleNews FREE SEPTEMBER 2021 • VOLUME 42, ISSUE 9 FREE New Native Theatre is Native-centered theater Delta variant is surging in Minnesota. Tribes not immune. BY LEE EGERSTROM eral, given long-time health dis- parities, even though the Native population has the greatest per- nfections, hospitaliza- centage of people getting vacci- tions and deaths from nated. I COVID-19 and its more Native vulnerability comes in contagious delta variant are part because no one in surging again in Minnesota Minnesota lives in an isolated even as vaccination rates vacuum, completely removed increase. Health experts warn from interaction with people the state’s Native population who may be infected and isn’t immune. spreading the disease. Students are returning to As August came to a close, schools and a COVID out- riders who had attended the break already has 290 students Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in quarantined from Albert Lea South Dakota were heading schools. School officials, local home along I-90 through government leaders, retailers Albert Lea and other southern From left to right: Raymond Niu, Alicia Garcia, Christina Woods, Yvette Nolan, Lyz Jaakola, Alicia Smith, and and others are all wrestling with Minnesota cities and counties. Joshua Simpson. (Photo by Rebekah Crisanta de Ybarra.) mask mandates and other pre- The rally was proven to be a BY BRAD HAGEN cautionary measures as the major COVID-19 spreader a coronavirus pandemic picked year ago, and was again sus- up speed during August. or the majority of United States his- Yazzie cited the theatre system itself as a con- pected to be one this year at the The University of Minnesota tory, narratives involving the tributing factor for why there was a lack of time of this writing. system and the even larger Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island Indigenous people participating in theatre. What’s more, an even larger F Minnesota State system of uni- have been controlled and created by non- “We have these amazing dancers and singers, crowd of people attended the versities and community col- Indigenous people, especially those found on and all these folks who could have done the- just-concluded Minnesota State leges have mask mandates in stage and the big screen. As a result, there has atre, but there just wasn’t a mechanism for Fair in the Twin Cities. place for the start of the new been a great deal of misrepresentation and a them to get into theatre that made them feel Television reports showed mask school year. Most private col- proliferation of stereotypes when it comes to safe, because I think if theatre was safe and use was scarce. Minnesota leges and universities do as well, who we are and what is important to us. Think inviting, how come Native people weren’t Health Department officials and most large Minnesota “What Made the Red Man Red” from Peter actively involved in those hundreds of theatres? may be a week or two away school districts had announced Pan; Think the “Indian Princess” stereotype The whole structure of white American theatre from learning if this became plans for masks and other pro- from Pocahontas; Think the tear rolling down is steeped in white supremacy, which you can another so-called “super tocols for the start of classes. Iron Eyes Cody’s cheek in that anti-littering understand why Native people are kind of like, spreader.” Aggressive efforts by commercial. This is the legacy we’re up against, no thanks. Other large groupings of peo- Minnesota tribes and Native though luckily there are organizations like New “Here in the US, if you see something on a ple are gathering for high community organizations to Native Theatre who are providing a platform predominantly white institution stage, most, school, college and professional promote vaccinations will help for Natives to tell their own stories. if not all the time, that was curated and chosen sports events. These, too, have mitigate the impact of the new New Native Theatre (NNT) was founded in by that white institution. And it’s a really dif- the potential of spreading delta variant in Minnesota, said 2009 by playwright Rhiana Yazzie (Navajo) in ferent experience when a white curator is pick- COVID and especially the Dr. Mary Owen, director of the response to a lack of Native-centered theater ing Native work, because they’re picking it for delta variant that World Health Center of American Indian and in Minneapolis. Having moved to Minneapolis their white audiences, whereas Native theatre Organization (WHO) and Minority Health (CAIMH) for in 2006 on the Jerome Fellowship (a national companies have this kind of mission to center National Centers for Decease University of Minnesota playwriting award), Yazzie wanted to work with Native artists and audiences. The things we do Control and Prevention (CDC) Medical School at University the local Native theatre company. “There’s over at NNT are always focused on the Native audi- scientists know to be especially of Minnesota Duluth. 100 theatre companies in town [Minneapolis], ence first. That’s not to say we don’t want a contagious. “This is critical because and it’s also one of the most vibrant urban non-Native audience, but I’ve found that great In calling for Minnesotans to American Indians have also Native communities in the country, but there work is created when you don’t worry about keep their guard up, Dr. Mark died at higher rates than any wasn’t one. I thought, ‘This is crazy. Just a mile trying to reach non-Native audiences. At the Steffen warned that the other population in the United down the road is the Indian Center. How come end of the day, if the play is a good play, it’ll approved vaccinations won’t States,” she said. there are no Native people doing theatre?’ So be about uncovering the human experience. totally prevent people from get- Owen, a member of the that’s why I started the theatre company.” ting COVID or its variants, but – CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 – Tlingit Nation in Alaska, sees it will prevent serious infections an anecdotal story playing out and greatly reduce hospitaliza- 3 – Opinion: America’s real longest war was 10 – Native Americans in Sports in Minnesota. The state’s tions and deaths. against Indigenous America 11 – Political Matters Native community is more vul- 6 – News Briefs 15 – It Ain’t Easy Being Indian nerable to the pandemic in gen- – CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 – We Are Aging Support services | Housing options | Long-term care planning Medicare & prescription assistance | Caregiver support If you have trouble paying for your Medicare, you may be able to get help. Call Minnesota’s Senior LinkAge Line® to find out more. 800-333-2433 mn.gov/senior-linkage-line The Senior LinkAge Line is a free, statewide service of the Minnesota Board on Aging in partnership with Minnesota’s area agencies on aging. The Senior LinkAge Line helps older Minnesotans and caregivers find answers and connect to the services and support they need. 2 September 2021 The Circle: News from a Native American Perspective http://www.thecirclenews.org OPINION America’s real longest war was against Indigenous Americans Left: An 1899 chromolithograph of US cavalry pursing American Indians. (Wikipedia.com) Above: U.S. cavalry attacking an Indian village. (Wikipedia.com) now the US) to below half a million in the Indian nation or tribe . shall be acknowl- 19th century because of infectious diseases, edged or recognized as an independent conflict with Europeans, wars between nation, tribe or power with whom the tribes, assimilation, migration to Canada United States may contract by treaty….” BY MICHAEL MEUERS The newly declared United States of America wasted no time in antagonizing and Mexico, and declining birth rates. Legal historians have tended to downplay rom the Left (Lawrence the native population. They came into In 1871, Congress ended formal treaty- the significance of the 1871 treaty-making O’Donnell of MSNBC) to immediate conflict with the natives starting making with Indians, obliterating a nearly prohibition, arguing that prior Indian F Right (Wall Street Journal) as early as 1775. 100-year-old diplomatic tradition in which treaties remained in force, that the treaty- Agree Today; The global war on terror The American Indian Wars are the the United States recognized tribes as making system was merely replaced by isn’t ending, nor was it as long as the United States’ most protracted conflict to nations. bilateral agreements approved by both American Indian Wars. date stretching from 1775, at the beginning Although Congress agreed to honor the houses of Congress, and that the independ- I take issue with the characterization that of the American Revolution, all the way approximately 368 Indian treaties that had ent political status of tribal nations the war in Afghanistan is America’s longest until 1924. These conflicts occurred along- been ratified from 1778 to 1868, Congress remained largely unimpaired. war. America’s real longest war was the side and during all of America’s largest stated unequivocally that “henceforth, no conflict against Indigenous Americans, wars, including the Revolution, the War called the American Indian Wars, which of 1812, the Civil War, and World War I. most historians characterize as beginning The conflicts lasted a year shy of 150 years DEPARTMENT OF INDIAN WORK in 1609 and ending in 1924 or 313 years, and were almost constant for most of the mainly over land control.