Thursday, July 7, 2011

                            Metis Nation...Wolf Spirit newsletter
                                                 July 2011
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Fourth of July weekend is here and I hope you are keeping safe as you celebrate.  Please supervise fireworks and keep them away from people as you light them.  Above all....do not drink and drive!!! 
Eat plenty, sit back and relax.  Enjoy the holiday!!!  Winter will be here sooner than you think!!! ;>) 
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NEWS:    
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Santa Clara Pueblo declares emergency as fire slams reservation
Friday, July 1, 2011

Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico declared an emergency on Thursday as the growing Las Conchas Fire hit the reservation.

The fire has already burned 6,000 acres on the reservation, including sacred sites, gathering areas and forest resources. Tribal leaders are worried that crews are focusing too much on protecting Los Alamos National Laboratory and communities near the facility.

“We are devastated to witness the destruction of our precious homeland,” Gov. Walter Dasheno said in a statement, according to news reports.

"This is a fire like we've never seen before," Dasheno told the Associated Press.

The fire has burned over 100,000 acres, making it the largest in state history. The Cerro Grande Fire also caused major damage to the reservation.

“This is the fourth fire that has impacted our homelands and all of them have begun outside our reservation. Santa Clara alone cannot bear the extreme costs to help Mother Nature restore herself,” Dasheno said in the statement.
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Bill John Baker 'certified' as winner of Cherokee Nation chief race
Friday, July 1, 2011

The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma has certified Bill John Baker as the winner of the principal chief's race.
The tribe's election commission conducted a recount of the ballots. Baker defeated incumbent Chad Smith by 266 votes.

“I truly want to thank everyone for praying, for supporting me, who made calls and knocked on doors,” Baker said after the election commission certified the results, The Tulsa World reported. “Now it’s about the business of running the nation.”

The certified results vary from the "unofficial" and "official" tallies that were released earlier this week. The unofficial count put Baker ahead by 11 votes while the official count gave Smith the win by 7 votes.

“Tonight’s recount totals are perplexing," Smith said in a statement. "The No. 1 question is how did I lose 262 votes while my opponent gained 11. We have not gotten an explanation from the Election Commission about these vanishing votes.”

Smith apparently intends to mount an appeal.
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Man punished for murdering brother of former Yaqui chairwoman
Friday, July 1, 2011

An Arizona man faces was sentenced to 17 1/2 years for murdering the brother of the former chairwoman of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe

Gerardo Benito Ramirez, 21, pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder charge. He admitted he shot and killed Gilbert Frias, 32, on New Year's Day in 2007.

Federal prosecutors said Ramirez fired into a crowd after a party. He apparently didn't target Frias.

Herminia Frias was serving as chairwoman of the tribe at the time of the incident. She was the first woman to lead the tribe.
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A Precedent for Native Americans' Religious Freedom in Washington Prisons
By Gabriel S. Galanda
published Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at 4:09 PM

***Recently, the Washington Department of Corrections and Native American advocates negotiated a solution to a state gaffe that violated the rights of Native Americans to practice their religion in prison.***

Washington state has never been capable of grasping Indian religion or spirituality. The Boldt litigation now continues toward its fifth decade. The state Department of Transportation graving yard fiasco at Tse-Whit-zen Village in Port Angeles is a not-too-distant memory. Counties still prosecute Indians for hunting in ancestral areas.

Nontribal society and government are innately unable to understand, let alone accept, Indian spiritual practices and sacred places. They just don't or can't get it.

Thankfully, this story did not end there or also result in state-tribal dispute. Instead, trust and faith prevailed.
From DOC headquarters, a religious programs manager outlawed tribal sacred medicines, including tobacco, sage, sweetgrass and lavender. He barred fry bread and salmon, preventing the prisoners from traditionally breaking four-day fasts during Change of Seasons rituals. He scaled back Sunday sweat-lodge ceremonies — akin to canceling Catholic masses. He altered what an inmate could store in his sacred items shoebox, causing feather fans and beadwork to be disrespected by corrections officers.

Consequently, the attitude of officers toward native prisoners also changed to passive aggression, if not outright disdain — resulting in confrontation during tribal ceremonies and the desecration of sweat-lodge grounds.

A year later, the DOC has restored traditional tribal medicines, foods, patrimony and ceremonies, and related protections, though attitudinal change in each state prison is still needed for incarcerated Indians to worship without discrimination or repercussion.

On June 9, Corrections Secretary Eldon Vail signed various Indian religious-freedom reforms into agency policy — and law — before Gov. Chris Gregoire and tribal leaders. That coincided with the agency's partnership with United Indians of All Tribes Foundation to facilitate tribal religious services statewide.

Remarkably, the state not only corrected its gaffe, but also embraced the notion of Indian self-determination as a solution.

The unexpected turnaround began, quite surprisingly, with an apology. Last summer after eight tribes wrote the governor decrying the discriminatory practices, Vail met with tribal leaders. Instead of blaming the state budget crisis or mincing First Amendment law, he simply said he was sorry. He and his agency made a mistake. He promised to fix that mistake.

Vail's unequivocal apology and commitment were pivotal. How often do state Cabinet-level officials simply admit wrong and pledge to make things right? And how often do they do so in regard to tribal religion or spiritual practices? His mea culpa set the tone for genuine reform.

To make right, the DOC worked with and deferred to tribal advocates on the reforms, and the agency's embrace of Indian self-determination is profound, if not unprecedented.

Nez Percé Indian law professor Doug Nash provided historical perspective at a recent Seattle University Law School forum. In 40 years of representing Northwest tribes, frequently against state government, he could not recall another situation in which tribal and state leaders resolved their differences with an apology followed by a concerted joint effort to fix the situation — in other words, not via federal or state court litigation catalyzed by discord.

Indeed, while state and tribal officials increasingly negotiate resolution to regulatory and economic disagreements, they often remain diametrically opposed when tribes defend against the state's interference with traditional practices or sacred lands. Yet what prevailed here was faith toward the other; and on the part of the state, faith in the authenticity of the religious and spiritual beliefs espoused by Northwest tribal people.
So this story goes: The state erred. A courageous state leader apologized. Tribal leaders accepted his apology. They took each other on faith and rectified the situation. History was made. A precedent was set.

The circle, as tribal folks say, is complete.
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San Manuel tribe aids Montana Indian flood victims
10:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Submitted to The Press-Enterprise

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has made a $200,000 charitable contribution to the American Red Cross  of Montana for its ongoing relief efforts to assist American Indian communities that have been directly affected by late spring flooding along the Little Bighorn and Missouri Rivers.

Initially, damage affecting the Crow Indian Reservation grew to include the Fort Belknap Indian Community and Rocky Boy and Fort Peck Indian Reservations. In response, the American Red Cross of Montana was called to action to provide emergency relief through shelter operations, mass care and feeding. They remain ready to assist all who need help in the coming weeks.

San Manuel's contribution is intended to support recovery and cleanup efforts, which continue to be hampered by a limited availability of funds and the potential for more flooding as winter snows melt.

In the near term, funds will be used to secure ongoing shelter and the necessities of daily living for families displaced from homes.

"San Manuel recognizes that our brothers and sisters in Montana are facing a difficult period of recovery and want them to know that we stand by them through this process," said San Manuel Chairman James C. Ramos. "We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with the American Red Cross. They have the capability, organization and expertise to mobilize quickly and effectively when disasters strike anywhere in the world."

Within the last week, Red Cross focus has shifted to damage assessment and cleanup in rural areas, with 301 people qualifying for client assistance owing to insurmountable damage to homes.

Also during this time, the Red Cross has distributed 2,544 cleanup and family kits to aid those able to restore homes to livability.

SHELTER AND FOOD

But the need for ongoing support remains, with hundreds of reservation homes badly damaged or destroyed by flooding, and many residents still displaced.

Over the course of a five-week period, the American Red Cross of Montana lists 3,111 night stays for families and individuals affected by flooding. Also during this time, the organization counted 16,797 meals and 30,511 snacks served to help those in need of assistance meet basic needs.

"At one point during the operation, we had 330 Crow people in our care under one roof, and were the largest Red Cross shelter in the national system during a year of nationwide storm devastation," said Rod Kopp, CEO of the American Red Cross of Montana. "We did, and still do, take that responsibility seriously and pledge to help people get back on the road of recovery and a renewed quality of life."

San Manuel has a long history of working with the American Red Cross following natural disasters and emergencies in California and beyond.

San Manuel has provided funds to the American Red Cross Inland Empire chapter to support southern California  communities swept with wildfires in 2003 and 2007 and recently with floods near its San Bernardino area reservation in late 2010.

In the same year, San Manuel contributed $1.7 million to the Red Cross Haitian earthquake relief and $320,000 to the organization to assist tribes in Nebraska , South Dakota and Arizona with their emergency relief efforts in response to 2010 winter storms.

Residents in need of assistance are asked to call the American Red Cross at 1-800-ARC-MONT.

Submitted by San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.
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The New York Times
June 28, 2011

Mining and the CanyonThe Obama administration has extended for six months a 2009 moratorium on new uranium mining claims on one million acres around the Grand Canyon. This is good news; even better is the promise from Ken Salazar, the interior secretary, that he will soon recommend a 20-year ban on new claims in the region. That is the maximum allowed under the 1872 mining law.

With uranium prices rising, the number of mining claims have jumped sharply over the last few years. There have been about 3,500 claims in the Grand Canyon-area alone.

If developed, they would generate toxic wastes that would threaten the Colorado River — the source of drinking water for roughly 27 million people — the aquifer and the Grand Canyon ecosystem in general.
Mr. Salazar said he could not cancel valid existing claims, but there is likely to be little actual mining. The decision to “withdraw” the land from future claims creates new regulatory hurdles for existing claimants, who must demonstrate, among other things, that they had discovered actual mineral deposits before the 2009 moratorium. Only a handful have been able to do so.

There have been the usual complaints from mining lobbyists and their Congressional allies. Representative Jeff Flake, a Republican from Arizona, has threatened to use the interior appropriations bill to block Mr. Salazar’s plan. The moratorium will have little effect on the country’s uranium supply, most of which comes from Wyoming and New Mexico.

It will protect a treasured national park and the drinking water for millions of people.
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Wrongful death case against Pueblo casino heads to state court
Thursday, June 30, 2011

Santa Ana Pueblo in New Mexico will have to answer to a wrongful death lawsuit in state court.

The tribe served liquor to two patrons at the Santa Ana Star Casino who became intoxicated and were killed in a single-car accident. Their family says the tribe is liable and the New Mexico Supreme Court agreed that the Class III gaming compact allows jurisdiction in state court.

"“It’s the first time this issue came up in the context of a dramshop claim against a casino," plaintiff’s attorney David Plotsky told The Albuquerque Journal.

The Oklahoma courts have allowed similar lawsuits against tribal casinos. A similar case in Connecticut was settled before trial. 
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Elderly woman killed in Wagner apartment fire
Posted: Jun 28, 2011                                                                                                                               
By Jake Iversen
 
Woman Killed in Apartment Fire

 The charred remnants are the visible reminders of the fire that claimed the life of Magdalene Bohn who friends and family called "Hoppa."

"The tribe and those in the housing authority our hearts go out to the family it's a very unfortunate thing that happened." Said Glenford Sully the tribal housing authority's Executive Director.

Officials say the fire started sometime after Eight o'clock last night.

A neighbor in the adjoining apartment was able to get out before the fire spread, but unfortunately Hoppa was not.

Firefighters discovered Hoppa's body inside her home after they got the fire under control.

Sully says Hoppa's family is coping but the loss is going to be felt throughout the community.

"The person that passed away was an elder and our elders are getting down to where we don't have many of them left so this will be tough." Said Sully.

Witnesses we spoke with say they only saw smoke coming from the building and inspectors believe that most of the fire was contained to the bedroom and at this time no cause has been determined.

"At this point it's an ongoing investigation the Fire Marshall and ATF are in there right now and we don't know anything at this point on a cause." Said Sully.

The family did not want to speak on camera but told us that Hoppa was well loved in the community and will be missed.

A memorial wake services will be held Thursday and Friday at the Yankton Sioux Tribe gym in Wagner.

A private funeral service and burial will be held at a later date.
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Charges filed over fatal shooting of Navajo Nation police officer
Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Federal and tribal charges have been filed in connection with the fatal shooting of a Navajo Nation police officer.

Johnson Bigman, 25, and Tyson Bigman, 21, are brothers. They pleaded not guilty in tribal court to charges of disorderly conduct, homicide, accomplice to aggravated assault and criminal nuisance for the death of Sergeant Darrell Curley.

Separately, their father, Victor Bigman, 48, has been charged in federal court with first-degree murder. He is alleged to have shot and killed Curley.

The incident began when the brothers were intoxicated and fighting, according to the tribe. Their mother called the police and Curley responded, along with another officer.

The brothers resisted arrest, according to the tribe. That's when their father allegedly got involved in the altercation and when Curley was shot.

The incident took place late Saturday night in Kaibeto, Arizona.
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White House announces new section for Indian Country issues
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The White House has created a new section on its website to promote Indian issues within the Obama administration.

The section is called Winning the Future: President Obama and the Native American Community. Right now, it features posts and video from White House staff and other federal agencies.

"At a recent White House listening session, tribal leaders asked for a centralized list of offices within the federal government that were responsible for serving Indian Country and upholding the federal trust responsibility," Charles Galbraith, a member of the Navajo Nation who serves as associate director in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement. "Accordingly, the new White House webpage contains a Resources Tab designed to be a toolkit for tribal leaders that brings together over 25 different agencies and departments into one, navigable location."
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"Each day, whatever I am doing, I am always praying and thinking of God." 
                           -- Thomas Yellowtail, CROW 

Have you ever tried going through your day and carrying on a conversation with the Creator? Many of our Elders live in prayer. They talk to the Creator like the Creator is their best friend. It is easiest to do this if we pray in the morning and ask the Great Spirit to direct our thinking. When the Creator is involved in guiding our lives, we will have less stress, anxiety, and tension. Maybe this is something we would like to try today. "Oh, Creator, look at the Sun, how beautiful you have made it. Oh, look at this child, isn't she just beautiful! Well, Creator, I'm not sure how I should do this task, what do you think? This person is starting to irritate me; I need your help to redirect my thinking. Thanks for returning me to a peaceful mind." Remember, the Creator also has a sense of humor. 

Grandfather, Grandmother, let me walk in prayer.
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FUNNY’s:

I'll Bet You Can't

The IRS decides to audit Grandpa, and summons him to the IRS office. The IRS auditor was not surprised when Grandpa showed up with his attorney.

The auditor said, "Well, sir, you have an extravagant lifestyle and no full-time employment, which you explain by saying that you win money gambling. I'm not sure the IRS finds that believable."

"I'm a great gambler, and I can prove it," says Grandpa. "How about a demonstration?"

The auditor thinks for a moment and says, "Okay. Go ahead."

Grandpa says, "I'll bet you $1,000 that I can bite my own eye."

The auditor thinks a moment and says, "It's a bet."

Grandpa removes his glass eye and bites it. The auditor's jaw drops.

Grandpa says, "Now, I'll bet you $2,000 that I can bite my other eye."

Now the auditor can tell Grandpa isn't blind, so he takes the bet. Grandpa removes his dentures and bites his good eye. The stunned auditor now realizes he has wagered and lost $3,000, with Grandpa's attorney as a witness. He starts to get nervous.

"Want to go double or nothing?" Grandpa asks. "I'll bet you $6,000 that I can stand on one side of your desk, and pee into that wastebasket on the other side, and never get a drop anywhere in between."

The auditor, twice burned, is cautious now, but he looks carefully and decides there's no way this old guy could possibly manage that stunt, so he agrees again.

Grandpa stands beside the desk and unzips his pants, but although he strains mightily, he can't make the stream reach the wastebasket on the other side. So he pretty much urinates all over the auditor's desk. The auditor leaps with joy, realizing that he has just turned a major loss into a huge win. But Grandpa's attorney moans and puts his head in his hands.

"Are you okay?" the auditor asks.

"Not really," says the attorney. "This morning, when Grandpa told me he'd been summoned for an audit, he bet me $25,000 that he could come in here and pee all over your desk and that you'd be happy about it."
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HOW TO START A FIGHT

One year, I decided to buy my mother-in-law a cemetery plot as
a Christmas gift...

The next year, I didn't buy her a gift.

When she asked me why, I replied,

"Well, you still haven't used the gift I bought you last year!"

And that's how the fight started.....
#          #          #

I took my wife to a restaurant.

The waiter, for some reason, took my order first.

"I'll have the rump steak, rare, please."

He said, "Aren't you worried about the mad cow?"

"Nah, she can order for herself."

And that's when the fight started.....
#          #           #


My wife and I were sitting at a table at her high school
reunion, and she kept staring at a drunken man swigging his
drink as he sat alone at a nearby table.

I asked her, "Do you know him?"
"Yes", she sighed,

"He's my old boyfriend. I understand he took to drinking
right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear he
hasn't been sober since."

"My God!" I said, "Who would think a person could go on
celebrating that long?"

And then the fight started...
#          #          #

Saturday morning I got up early, quietly dressed, made my
lunch, and slipped quietly into the garage. I hooked up the
boat up to the van and proceeded to back out into a torrential
downpour. The wind was blowing 50mph, so I pulled back into the
garage, turned on the radio, and discovered that the weather
would be bad all day.

I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped back
into bed. I cuddled up to my wife's back; now with a different
anticipation, and whispered, "The weather out there is
terrible."

My loving wife of 5 years replied, "And, can you believe my
stupid husband is out fishing in that?"

And that's how the fight started...
#          #          #

My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming
anniversary.

She said, "I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in
about 3 seconds."

I bought her a bathroom scale.

And then the fight started......
#          #          #

After retiring, I went to the Social Security office to apply
for Social Security.

The woman behind the counter asked me for my driver's License to
verify my age.

I looked in my pockets and realized I had left my wallet at
home. I told the woman that I was very sorry, but I would have
to go home and come back later.

The woman said, 'Unbutton your shirt'.

So I opened my shirt revealing my curly silver hair.

She said, 'That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for
me' and she processed my Social Security application.

When I got home, I excitedly told my wife about my experience at
the Social Security office. She said, 'You should have dropped
your pants. You might have gotten disability too.'

And then the fight started...
#          #          #

To  Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity

1..  In  the Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write ' For Marijuana.

2. Order  a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with  a serious face.

3. Specify  That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To  Go'.

4.  Sing Along At  The Opera.

5. Five  Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend
Their Party  Because You have a  headache.

6.  When  Leaving the Zoo, Start Running towards the Parking  lot,
Yelling 'Run  For Your Lives! They're Loose!'

7. Tell  Your Children Over Dinner, 'Due To The  Economy,
We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You  Go.'

And  The Final Way To  Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity
           
8. PICK UP A BOX  OF CONDOMS AT THE PHARMACY,
GO TO THE COUNTER AND ASK WHERE THE  FITTING ROOM  IS.
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SOMETIMES

Sometimes....
when you cry...
no one sees your tears.

Sometimes...
when you are in pain...
no one sees your hurt.

Sometimes...
when you are worried...
no one sees your stress.
Sometimes..
when you are happy...
no one sees your smile.
*
*
*
*
*
*
But FART !! just ONE friggin' time.....
And everybody knows!!

Gotcha!!  You thought this was going to be one of those heart-touching stories....!!!
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I finally figured out why I have this belly. As I was washing my hair in the shower this morning, I took time to read my shampoo bottle. I am in shock! The shampoo I use in the shower that runs down my entire body says "for extra volume and body!" Seriously, why have I not noticed this before? Tomorrow I am going to start using "Dawn" dish soap! It says right on the bottle, "dissolves fat that is otherwise difficult to remove". It pays to read the warning labels my friends!

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It is time to stand together. The Time has come to see we are all one family. Time to come together in peace. As Chief Arvol Looking Horse says, " "Each of us is put here in this time and this place to personally decide the future of humankind. Did you think you were put here for something less?"
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RECIPES:

ANNIE'S DILLY BEANS

Items Needed:
Seal-able canning jars: 1 1/2 pint
INGREDIENTS:
String beans
Garlic
Whole dried chili peppers
Celery seed
Fresh dill (flowering tops preferably)
White distilled vinegar
Salt
Water

Directions:
1. Into each jar, place 1 clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 whole red chili pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of celery seed, and a flowering dill top. Then fill the jar with beans standing on end, stuffing them as tightly as you can into the jar.
2. For each jar you have filled, measure 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water. Boil the vinegar-water mixture, then pour it into the jars over the beans and spices, to 1/2 inch from the top of the jar.
3. Seal the jars and place them in a large pot of boiling water for a 10-minute heat processing. Allow 6 weeks for the flavors to meld, then open jars and savor! Store for years without refrigeration.
Canning jars are made from soda-lime glass, and were once in "Ball Blue", green, milk glass, black and amber so as to prevent light from diminishing the nutritional value and freshness. Avid collectors have been known to spend as much as $30,000. for an antique jar!
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Eat This Sauce to Lower LDL Cholesterol
By RealAge

To lower your LDL, dribble this sauce on pasta, hot sandwiches, and warm flatbreads: marinara.

In a study, adults who had high cholesterol but were otherwise healthy were able to lower their LDL levels simply by eating lycopene-rich tomato products every day.

You Say Tomato
In the study, both men and women consumed at least 25 milligrams of lycopene every day for several weeks. That's about as much lycopene as you'd find in a mere half-cup serving of tomato sauce. By the end of the study period, most people had knocked their LDL levels down about 10 percent -- which is the kind of improvement you'd expect to see in someone taking a statin medication for a similar amount of time.

Researchers think that lycopene reduces cholesterol in a couple of different ways -- both by inhibiting the production of LDL and by breaking down this artery-clogging blood fat.

Lovin' Lycopene

Lycopene also helps protect LDL against oxidation. And that's a very good thing, because oxidized LDL spells trouble for blood vessels. When LDL oxidizes, it causes arterial inflammation -- red, unhealthy tissue in the artery where blood-flow-blocking plaques can more easily form. LDL also impairs the release of nitric oxide, a chemical that helps blood vessels relax. To get the beneficial amount of lycopene recommended in the study, you can add more tomato sauce to your day or enjoy a cup of tomato soup or tomato juice daily
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Cracklin Bread
Ethnic, Native American

Yield:  1 batch

2 C cornmeal
1 cup cracklins (fried pork skin)
1 t salt
hot water

Add enough hot water to make into dough and thick enought to shape into small loaves.  Break cracklins into small pieces and add to dough.  Bake in 350* oven for 45 minutes to an hour.
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Brown Bread
Ethnic, Native American

Yield: 1 batch

2 cup flour
1/2 ts baking powder
1 ts salt
milk (enough to mix)

Mix all ingredients.  Divide the dough into parts and shape each into round pone about the size of your skillet and 1/8th of an inch thick.  Fry the bread in about 1/4 inch hot cooking oil until golden brown on each side.  Cut into wedges and serve hot.  Delicious with butter, jams or other sweet spreads.
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"We must have respect and understanding for women and all female life on this Earth which bears the sacred gift of life."
                          -- Traditional Circle of Elders. ONONDAGA


At a gathering of Native Elders we were told that many men of today had lost their ability to look at the Woman in a sacred way. They said we were only looking at Her in a physical sense and had lost the ability to look at Her sacredness. They said the Woman has a powerful position in the Unseen World. She has the special ability to bring forth life. They told us to start showing Her respect and to look upon her in a sacred manner. We must start this today.

Grandfather, show me how to see in a sacred way.
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Combine Indigenous and general public voter blocks. Walk together in support of change. Vote unanimously for freedom."
- Leonard Peltier

Hello my friends and relations,

I always try to come to you full of good spirit and vigor. But I cannot lie. There are days when the ugliness of my situation weighs me down. I swear I never thought this could happen. I never believed law enforcement and the government of this country would go so far for so long to keep their dirty laundry hidden away.

Over the years, you my dedicated friends and believers have kept a vision of justice alive. That really is something special. Because of you, we have learned of hidden evidence, coerced testimony, and outright lies by the FBI and prosecutors. Because of you we have been able to uncover thousands of documents the government wanted to stay secret. And yet they have been able to squirrel away thousands more pages of their biggest secrets about me, about the theft of Indian land, their motives behind murder, and their operations to silence people like me. I am living proof that my case is about squashing Indian rights and Indian sovereignty, otherwise why would I be serving a sentence so much longer than what is normal for my so-called conviction?

Those that believe in law and order should be the loudest voices calling for my release! The fact is the day I walk free is the day they are forced to deal with my innocence, and they are so very afraid of doing just that!

No matter what they say, the dirty little secret underneath all of this is America’s fear and loathing of Indian people. In over five hundred years, they have not yet learned how to deal honorably with us.

The burden is great sometimes, but the encouragement I get from you helps me to keep my faith that freedom will one day come my way. No matter what happens, on the day I draw my last breath I will be proud to have taken my place alongside my ancestors, knowing I did all I could do, and gave all I could for my people. For those FBI agents and prosecutors in my case, their last moments will include shame.

So remember all of you my friends and relations, this case is about much more than me. If you believe in truth, justice, honor, freedom, all of what is supposed to make America great, then help me open the door to my release. If you believe in Indian sovereignty, join my cause and in doing so help yourself. Take your place in the struggle and do all you can to eradicate injustice.

Thank you for your time. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you for your work. Thank you for your love.

Aho! Mitakuye Oyasin!
Doksha,
Leonard Peltier

(To help Leonard Peltier go to: http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/ )
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We can’t afford, now, to have these national borders. We can’t afford to have racism. We can’t afford apartheid. We cannot - it’s one of those luxuries that we can’t have anymore as human beings. We’ve got to think now, in real terms, for that seventh generation. And we’ve got to move in concert. We’ve got to sing the same song. We’ve got to have the same ceremony. We’ve got to get back to spiritual law if we are to survive.             
                                                    -Chief Oren Lyons
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"A young man asked his grandfather why life had to be so difficult sometimes. This is the old man's reply."

"Grandfather says this: 'In life there is sadness as well as joy, losing as well as winning, falling as well as standing, hunger as well as plenty, bad as well as good. I do not say this to make you despair, but to teach you reality that life is a journey sometimes walked in light and sometimes walked in shadow.

"Grandfather says this: 'You did not ask to be born, but you are here. You have weaknesses as well as strengths because in life there are two of everything. Within you is the will to win as well as the willingness to lose, the heart to feel compassion as well as the smallness to be arrogant. Within you is the way to face life as well as the fear to turn away from it.

"Grandfather says this: 'Facing the storms of life, knowing loss, feeling sadness and heartache, and falling into the depths of grief can give you strength. You must stand up in the storms. You must face the wind and the cold and the darkness. When a storm blows it is not trying to knock you down, it is really trying to help you be strong.

"Grandfather says this: 'Being strong means taking one more step towards the top of the hill, no matter how weary you may be. It means letting the tears flow through the grief; it means to keep looking for the answer though the darkness if despair is all around. It means to cling to hope for one more heartbeat, one more sunrise. Each step takes you closer to the top of the hill, closer to the light of the next sunrise, and the promise of a new day.


"Grandfather says this: 'The weakest step toward the top of the hill, toward sunrise, toward hope, is stronger than the fiercest storm."
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PLEASE PRAY FOR:

Chief Strong Horse...health
Tony Cricket...health
Sue from Beacon Falls...health
Bob C...health and healing
Bobbie C...health and strength
Theresa...health and healing
Sarah Spirit...health, healing, wisdom and strength
Delitris...strength, wisdom and healing
Denika...strength, wisdom and healing
Melissa...strength, wisdom and healing
Savanna...strength, wisdom and healing
Leonard P...spiritual strength and healing

Pray for all that are incarcerated that they find peace and a new way.
Pray for wisdom for our Spiritual Leaders so they can help others find their way.
Pray for out troops fighting for our freedom.
Pray for UTAN...to keep us strong and always together.
Pray for all Clan Mothers and Chiefs...to show the right way and to lead with strength and wisdom.
All our ancestors and relations.


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                       CONNECTING WITH OUR NATURE SPIRIT GUIDES
                                         'TURTLE & TORTOISE'
                          Messenger.......Shadow.......Journey.......Lifetime


Mother Earth...Longevity...Protection...Security...Persistence...Endurance...
Support... Contemplation...Awakening To Opportunities...


The 'Turtle' and the 'Tortoise'....symbols of Mother Earth, self-protection through non-violent defense, inner-knowledge and thought, and healing powers.

The way to distinguish the small difference between the two, is mainly that the Turtle will live on land, as well as in and around water. The Tortoise is primarily a land animal. Both can teach us ancient wisdom and stability.

They come to teach us to always return to the earth that which is equal of what we take, and to work together towards common goals.

Turtle-Tortoise Medicine reminds us of the need to honor the Earth and to show gratefulness, nurturing and protecting the energy that Earth gives to us. Sometimes it's important to slow down our pace, and focus.

Travel your own path in your own time.

Since Turtle & Tortoise live their lives so close and connected to the Earth, they can teach us to be 'grounded'...although being grounded does not mean being stuck in one place. Move cautiously and respectfully to achieve your goals.

If you are sincerely dedicated and focused on something, it's not always important how fast or efficient you are, as eventually you will succeed.

Because of Turtle & Tortoise's ability to live for long periods of time and their slow metabolism, they are associated with longevity and the ability to teach us new perceptions about time and how we relate to it.

They have amazing survival skills and acute hearing, and are very sensitive to vibrations. This Medicine can assist us in awakening our own senses, both physical and spiritual.

The Turtle is fast to escape a threat and moves quickly through the water, whereas Tortoise is more adept at retreating into the safety and strength of it's own shell.

If Turtle or Tortoise comes into your life, ask yourself: Are you not seeing, hearing, or feeling what you should? Are you, or those around you not using proper discrimination?

When Turtle or Tortoise are flipped over, they have the ability to use strong head, neck, and leg muscles to right themselves. Their Medicine can teach us to use our own heads and knowledge to right ourselves when our world seems topsy-turvey or upside-down.

Sometimes they will show up to help us at these difficult times, to lend us guidance and confidence.

Is life becoming too hectic? Do we need to take more time for ourselves? Are we too busy to see what is really going on? Are we going too slow, and perhaps need to pick up the pace a little? Turtle and Tortoise can sometimes help us with the process of making these changes or decisions.

If Turtle-Tortoise has come into your life, it's time to work on connections. Go inside your shell, and come back out when your ideas are ready to be expressed. Take your time about it, as too much, too soon can upset the balance.

As Turtle and Tortoise cannot separate themselves from their shells, neither can we separate ourselves from our actions and interactions here on Earth. We must try to feel and understand our connection to Mother Earth, and the other people and creatures that we share it with.

"Big-Turtle"...(A Wyandot-Huron Legend)

Many years ago the world had two parts. Animals lived in the lower part, which was completely covered in water and had no land or soil. Above was the Sky World, where the sky people lived. The Sky World had lots of soil, with beautiful mountains and valleys. One day a girl from the Sky World went for a long walk and became very tired.

"I'm so tired, I need to rest," she said. She sat down under the spreading branches of an apple tree and quickly fell asleep. Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound like thunder and the ground began to crack. A big hole opened up next to the apple tree.

"What's happening?" screamed the frightened girl. She tried to move but it was too late. She and the tree slid through the hole and tumbled over and over towards the watery world below.

"Help me! Help me!" screamed the girl. Luckily two swans were swimming below and saw the girl tumbling down from the sky. "Come on!" yelled one swan. "Let's catch her before she hits the water." "Okay!" yelled the other. The swans spread their wings together and caught the girl on their soft feather backs. "Whew! That was lucky," said the girl. "But what do I do now? I can't get back up to the Sky World and I can't stay on your backs forever."

"We'll take you to Big Turtle," said the swans. "He knows everything." After hearing what happened, the Big Turtle called all the animals in the water world to a meeting.

 He told them an old story about soil being found deep under the water. "If we can get some of that soil, we can build an island on my back for you to live on," said the Big Turtle.

"Sounds good to me," said the young girl.

The Otter, Beaver and Muskrat started arguing over whom would dive for the soil. "I'll go," said the sleek Otter, brushing his glossy fur. "No! I'll go," said Beaver, slapping the water with his big flat tail. "I'm the best swimmer," said Muskrat "I'll go."

"Aaaachooo!" sneezed the young girl." Guys, guys, would just one of you go. These swan feathers are getting up my nose and making me sneeze."

"Sorry" said the swans.

"That's alright," said the young Sky girl.

Then Toskwaye the little Toad popped up out of the water. "I'll go. I can dive very deep," she said. The other animals started laughing and pointing at Toskwaye. "You! You're too small and ugly to help." Cried the others, laughing.

"Be quiet!" said Big Turtle in a loud, stern voice. "Everyone is equal and everyone will have a chance to try". The sleek Otter smoothed his glossy fur, took a deep breath and slid into the water. He was gone for a long time before he came up gasping for air. "It was too deep," he said. "I couldn't dive that far."

"Now it's my turn," said Beaver. He slapped the water with his tail as he disappeared. After a long time he came to the surface again. "It's too far" he gasped. "No one can dive that deep." Muskrat tried next and failed.

"Aaaachoo!" sneezed the young girl. "This is not looking good."

"Now it's my turn," said little Toskwaye the Toad. She took a deep breath and jumped into the water. She was gone a very long time and everyone thought they wouldn't see her again.

Suddenly Otter pointed at the water, shouting, and "Look, look bubbles!" Toskwaye's small, ugly face appeared through the water. She spat a few grains of soil onto the Big Turtle's back, then fell back into the water - dead.

The Turtle ordered the others to rub the soil grains and spread them around on his shell. The grains grew and grew, until a large island was formed - big enough for the girl to live on. It grew into our world, as we know it today. And the descendants of the Sky girl became the Earth's people.

Today, some people say the whole world still rests on Big Turtles back. When he gets tired and changes his position, we have earthquakes.

Toad has not been forgotten either. American native Indians call her "Mashutaha", which means 'Our Grandmother'. No one is allowed to harm her.

                                                   Summer-Blessings,
                                                  'Dancing-Night-Crow'
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In our medicine way, we encourage people to first start working with the healing spirit of Creator, which is the love of God. We believe that everyone is born with the spirit of Creator and that this power is what keeps people alive. We also believe that no matter how much anger or poison people may have in their bodies, Creator loves them so much that they're still living in the circle and they can be healed. That's why we hold all things sacred.

Once people learn to trust in the love of Creator and to communicate with the healing power that comes directly from the Creator, then they're usually ready to start working with an Earth power, such as an animal or plant power. Then they can see clearly that the love they carry is the same love the trees and the animals have inside them; their soul is the same.
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KITCHEN MEDICINE:

~MARIJUANA
AKA: weed, cannibus, pot , dope etc.
RX: smoked dried, added to salads fresh                                                                                
The much debated and scolded Cannabis, marijuana has shown positive effects on cancer, aids and glaucoma. So effective on aids patients from its ability to increase a persons appetite as well as relieving nausea allowing patients to regain weight. Marijuana reportedly helps glaucoma patients by reducing ocular pressure which can cause damage to the eye. It is the most effective treatment for chronic nausea. It is not physically addictive.
*****Warnings: Coughing, asthma, upper respiratory problems, difficulty with short term memory loss, racing heart, agitation, confusion, paranoia, possible psychological dependence.
#          #          #

~MARJORAM
AKA: knotted marjoram
RX: sprinkle dried powdered herb on cold sores or genital herpes, infusion or tincture for its stomach soothing potential

An excellent digestive aid and herpes fighter, this is one of the most confused herbs on the planet. The oregano on your spice rack may be marjoram! All marjoram spices are called oregano but only a few of the fifty kinds are ever called marjoram.
*****Warnings: none
#          #          #

~MINT
AKA: numerous kinds of mint
RX: peppermint oil for wounds, burns etc., infusion of any dried mint for decongestant, tincture

The after dinner mint soothes the stomach. Peppermint produces menthol. Menthol is a key anesthetic (eg. BEN GAY), the vapors are an incredible decongestant, is germicidal and helps morning sickness a great deal. Those wishing to alleviate morning sickness should use only diluted tea concentrations for reasons shown below. Peppermint is a hybrid of spearmint and is the more potent due to the high menthol factor. Spearmint contains Carvone in comparison to menthol. While not nearly as effective, spearmint is much safer.
*****Warnings: on rare occasions the fragrance of mint oil has caused gagging in children. Pure menthol, ingested , is poisonous. A teaspoon can be fatal. Do not ingest peppermint oil or menthol.
#          #          #

~MYRRHA
AKA: balsamodendron
RX: steep powdered herb for mouthwash, infusion, tincture                                            
 Myrrha makes an excellent mouthwash, toothpaste and fights bacteria
*****Warnings: large amounts may have violent laxative action.
#          #          #
~NETTLE
AKA: stinging nettle, common nettle, greater nettle
RX: process plant matter in juicer, infusion, tincture

An effective cure for gout, nettle is also good fiord the symptoms of hay fever, scurvy, PMS, and helps heart patients.
*****Warnings: USE GLOVES when dealing with this plant or you will regret it. nature protects its own. Large doses of nettle tea may cause stomach irritation.
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Without a sacred center, no one knows right from wrong."
                   - Thomas Yellowtail, CROW
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Prison Writings of LEONARD PELTIER

Silence, they say, is the voice of complicity.
But silence is impossible.
Silence screams.
Silence is a message,
Just as doing nothing is an act.

Let who you are ring out and resonate
in every word and every deed.
Yes, become who you are.
There's no sidestepping your own being
or your own responsibility.

What you do is who you are.
You are your own comeuppance.
You become your own message.

You are the message.

--Leonard Peltier
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I guess this is enough for this month. I am off to fix supper.  Be good, stay healthy, and always be wise.
As usual...if you would like to submit something to the newsletter send it to:
shiakoda@att.net

Many Blessings to you and yours.
Shiakoda Autumn Wolf Moon Q.

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