Crooked Bough News Round-up

— Indians 101: American Indians and the federal government 150 years ago, 1875

 

at 10/29/24 8:15am

In the United States, relationships with Indian nations are regulated at the federal level by Congress and are administered through the Department of the Interior. Congress is, of course, composed of elected officials who are supposed to represent the people. In 1874, Indians could not be American citizens and, therefore, could not vote. While Congress regulated Indian affairs, it did not represent Indians, nor did it solicit Indian testimony regarding bills which impacted Indians. In 1874, the United States government viewed Indians as living in a state of “barbarism.” Government policies were based on the fantasy that American Indians were nomadic hunters and gatherers and ignored the fact that most Indians at the beginning of the European invasion of North America were farmers. Also ignored were accounts of the early French and Spanish explorers who described Indian cities and the monumental architecture which they constructed. By 1874, the policies of the federal government regarding American Indians were fairly well established. American Indians were seen as barriers to the progress of civilization and policies were developed to place them on reservations. Then as the American hunger for land grew, the reservations were broken up so that “surplus” lands could be given to non-Indians. Historian Alvin M. Josephy, Jr., in his chapter in Legacy: New Perspectives on the Battle of the Little Bighorn, writes that the United States gave Indians three options: “…first, they could abandon everything that constituted their Indianness and turn into whites, accepted as whites by the white population; second, if they refused to adopt that option, they would have to move far away from the whites, out of sight and out of mind, giving up their land and resources and becoming in no way a physical or cultural threat to the whites; and, third, if they refused to become white or move away from them, they would have to be exterminated.” In1874, the Office of Indian Affairs (sometimes referred to as the Indian Office or the Indian Bureau; in the twentieth century it would become the Bureau of Indian Affairs) within the Department of the Interior was managed by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. This position was a political appointment and any experience with actual Indians was not required to be appointed to the position.  In 1874, Edward Parmelee Smith was serving as the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. His work with the American Missionary Association in New York City led to his appointment, as the policy at this time was to assign the administration of Indian reservations to Christian missionary organizations. In his biographical sketch of Smith in The Commissioners of Indian Affairs, 1824-1977, Richard Crawford writes: “Given his background, he strongly endorsed the government’s policy of seeking nominations for Indian agents from the leading religious denominations.” Richard Crawford also writes: “Among the hindrances to Indian progress he considered most serious were the government’s treatment of the tribes as sovereign or independent peoples, cash annuities to Indians stipulated by treaties, tribal ownership of land instead of individual property holdings, an inadequate system of criminal law for Indians and the whites who victimized them, the refusal of hostile Indians to remain on the reservations, and intertribal warfare. Smith supported the growing demand that Indians perform some kind of labor in return for supplies furnished by the government, even to the point of sanctioning the amending or annulling of treaties to effect that change.” Briefly described below are a few of the events relating to American Indians and the American government 150 years ago, in 1874. The War Against the Buffalo On the Great Plains, the desire to exterminate the Indians also included the extermination of the buffalo, which the military saw as the Indians’ commissary. By the end of the century, the buffalo herds had dwindled from millions to just a few hundred. The government viewed the extermination of Indians and buffalo as a way of making the Great Plains safe for the railroads, cattle raising, and farming.  General William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891) led the war against the buffalo. In his book Fierce Patriot: The Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman, Robert O’Connell writes: “To say that Sherman encouraged buffalo hunting completely understates the cases; he declared war on them, orchestrating the killing of roughly five million beasts between 1867 and 1874.” By 1874, the war against the buffalo had reached the point that the extinction of the species was in sight. In 1874, Congress voted overwhelmingly to stop the slaughter of the buffalo on the plains, but the bill was pocket vetoed by President Grant. In his 1929 book The Hunting of the Buffalo, historian E. Douglas Branch reports the incident this way: “Ulysses S. Grant received it and put the document into a pigeonhole for its India ink to become a rich brown before it was seen again. Or perhaps he touched the bill to his lamp, and lighted a cigar with it.” Labor Required In 1874 Congress passed a law which required Indian males between the ages of 18 and 45 to perform labor if they were to draw rations from the government. The law stemmed from Congressional concerns about the cost of the Indian Service. Timber Rights During the nineteenth century, the government policy was to move Indians onto reservations where they would be out of the way of American progress. Natural resources on the reservations such as minerals, timber, and water, however, were to be developed by non-Indians. It was not uncommon for the superintendents of the reservations to sell off resources such as timber with little, if any, consideration of Indian rights to these resources. In 1874, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Indians had only the right of occupancy on reservations and that the government owned the timber on the reservations. Civil Rights In 1874, American Indians were not U.S. citizens, nor could they become U.S. citizens. Therefore, the Secretary of the Interior ruled that the 14th Amendment did not give any land rights – such as homesteading – to civilized Indians (Christian Indians who spoke English) since they had not been citizens when the Amendment had been passed. The Secretary ruled that only an act of Congress could give the benefits of the land laws to Indians. Rights Ignored  In Oregon non-Indian settlers were invading and squatting on traditional Nez Perce lands in the Wallowa Valley. Concerned about this situation, President Grant had established a reservation for the Nez Perce in the Wallowa Valley by Executive Order in 1873. The following year, the Office of Indian Affairs notified the American settlers in the area that it had no intention of enforcing President Grant’s 1873 Executive Order which prohibited American settlement in the Wallowa Valley. The Office of Indian Affairs did not, however, inform the Nez Perce that the Executive Order was not going to be enforced. This set the stage for conflict in the area. Concerned about the volatility of the area, the non-treaty Nez Perce bands held a council at Camas Prairie near present-day Grangeville, Idaho. Those in attendance included Joseph, Ollokot, White Bird, Looking Glass, Red Owl, and Toohoolhoolzote. Toohoolhoolzote was regarded by the Americans as a hostile Dreamer medicine man. Three important Nez Perce warriors – Rainbow, Five Wounds, and Grizzly Bear Ferocious -- were also asked to speak to the issue of going to war against the Americans. The council decided against war. More 19th century American Indian histories Indians 101: American Indian religions 150 years ago, 1874 Indians 101: American Indian wars, conflicts, and battles 150 years ago, 1874 Indians 101: Sioux Indians and Black Hills gold 150 years ago, 1874 Indians 101: American Indian Reservations 150 years ago, 1874 Indians 101: American Indians in Oklahoma 150 years ago, 1874 Indians 101: American Indians and Christianity 150 years ago, 1874 Indians 101: American Indians and the federal government 150 years ago, 1873 Indians 101: American Indians and the Army 150 years ago, 1873

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, History, Indians101, NativeAmericanNetroots] [Link to media]

— Guy Seeking to Run Elections in AZ Arrested for Assault on Native Americans

 

at 10/26/24 12:52pm

A Republican candidate for an important elections job in Arizona was arrested for allegedly assaulting two Native Americans in a road rage incident. Timothy Jordan, who is one of the leaders of a gang of Trumpers seeking to take over the county, was earlier involved in incidents during early voting on an Apache reservation.  In addition to the assault charge, Jordan was being investigated for having a gun on school property. Navajo County is the size of Vermont, a 50-mile-wide strip of land stretching from the Utah state line to the Black River in central Arizona. The northern and southern portion of the county are part of the Navajo, Hopi and Apache reservations, with a section in the middle home to non-Natives, some of whom are rednecks.  The Show Low police said no documents on the situation could be made available until Monday morning.   Jordan is challenging Democrat Mike Sample for the job of County Recorder. The job of running elections has often fallen to the Recorder in Arizona. As the keeper of property ownership lists, the Recorder was a likely person to make up voting lists in the old days. They have kept the job despite the elimination of property ownership as a qualification to voting.  With Apache County and Coconino County, Navajo County is home to the Natives who gave Biden victory in Arizona in 2020. Republicans are working hard to keep Natives from voting.  Jonathan Nez, former president of the Navajo Nation, is running for the U.S. House in District 2, which includes many of Arizona’s Natives.  Some MAGA loyalists will continue to support Jordan, but other Republicans see him as an embarrassing violent idiot with no qualifications for the job.  If you would like to support Nez, please donate. 

[Author: EricAZ] [Category: Arizona, ElectionIntegrity, Recommended, VoterSuppression, ViolentAttach, NativesAttacked] [Link to media]

— Medicaid, Medicare to cover Traditional Indian Healing. /Code Talker John Kinsel Sr 1917-2024.

 

at 10/22/24 3:30pm

Earlier this month the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a two-year pilot program to cover traditional Native American healing practices such as sweat lodges, talking circles, smudging, traditional foods, and others which address physical and mental health. The program will be available in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Oregon. A drumming circle at a Native-led recovery treatment program in San Francisco. According to a letter sent from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the program will be in effect from 16 October 2024 through 31 December 2026. In California, which is home to the largest Native American population in the US, Indian Health Service providers will be able to request reimbursement for their services beginning January 2025. Screenshot from a letter sent from CMS to the director of California's Medicaid program, Medi-Cal. A report from the National Council of Urban Indian Health, which discusses the impressive results of numerous studies regarding the efficacy of traditional Native American healing practices, is available as a free download here. You can read a recent press release by NCUIH containing information on each state's participation and pertinent links regarding coverage here. Medicine wheel diagram from the National Council of Urban Indian Health.                                            ••• John Kinsel Sr, Navajo Code Talker 1917-2024. One of the last remaining Navajo Code Talkers, John Kinsel Sr, has passed away aged 107. According to a statement by his son Ronald Kinsel, his father died peacefully in his sleep early on the morning of Saturday 18 October. John Kinsel Sr was born in Cove, Arizona in 1917, and attended Fort Defiance Boarding School at the age of six. Mr Kinsel enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1942, serving with the 9th Marine Regiment and the 3rd Marine Division in the Pacific, including the Battle of Iwo Jima. Following the end of World War II he returned to Lukachukai, Arizona, where he lived for the rest of his life. He is remembered as a hero, a living symbol of Navajo cultural pride, and as a pillar of his community. The United States owes him, and every Code Talker, a debt of gratitude which we can never fully repay. (Though we should certainly try). Tribute to Navajo Code Talkers by artist Doug Hyde, 1989. This beautiful and impressive bronze stands in downtown Phoenix. One of my very favorite outdoor bronze statues.                                      ••••••• Thank you for reading. This is an open thread, all topics are welcome.

[Author: A Pagan in Arizona] [Category: CoffeeHour, Community, IndigenousPeoples, Medicaid, Medicare, NativeAmerican, OpenThread, StreetProphets, TraditionalHealing, NavajoCodeTalker] [Link to media]

— Indians 101: The Blackfoot Confederacy "War" in Montana, 1864-1865

 

at 10/22/24 8:15am

Contrary to popular mythology, all Indian tribes are not the same. They have different languages, different ceremonies and social customs, and different histories. From time to time, different tribes would come together to form loose confederacies. One of these is the Blackfoot Confederacy on the Northern Plains of what is now the state of Montana and the Canadian province of Alberta. In the nineteenth century, the Blackfoot Confederacy was primarily made up of three tribes with a similar cultural heritage: (1) Pikuni (also called Piegan or Peigan), (2) Kainah (also called Blood), and (3) Siksika (also called Northern Blackfoot). While these three tribes shared the same language, and many of the same ceremonies, they were politically independent. In the book Prayer to the Great Mystery: The Uncollected Writings and Photography of Edward S. Curtis, photographer Edward Curtis (1868- 1952) is quoted as reporting: “The Piegan, the Bloods, and the Blackfeet are so closely related that they have been designated collectively as Blackfeet.” In an article in the Western Historical Quarterly, Theodore Binnema reports on the Blackfoot Confederacy: “Because the Piegans, Bloods, and Siksikas spoke a common language, acknowledged a common history and ethnicity, and share many common interests, they tended to approach their neighbors similarly, but they were not a political unit.” In the nineteenth century, the homelands of the Blackfoot Confederacy were arbitrary divided into lands governed by Canada and lands governed by the United States. In 1864, Blackfoot Confederacy lands in the United States were placed in the Territory of Montana. The Organic Act which created the Territory declared that the rights of person and property of the Indian were not to be impaired. In general, the Americans living in the new territory ignored any potential rights of the aboriginal inhabitants and viewed them as unwanted intruders. One of the first acts of the newly formed Montana Territorial Assembly was to pass a resolution calling for the expropriation of Indian lands. In 1865, in response to an attack by a Blood war party led by Calf Shirt in which ten woodcutters were killed, the governor attempted to organize a militia to chastise the Indians. However, the Blood had already crossed the border into Canada and the militia was disbanded without seeing any action. Some of those who had volunteered for the militia had done so because they wanted to kill Indians. In 1866, violent Indian-hater John Morgan, who had led the unsuccessful militia group in an attempt to kill Indians, invited four Blackfoot Indians to his home under the pretense of giving them some whiskey. They were met by a group of his friends who hung three of them and shot the fourth as he was trying to escape. While there was no law enforcement response to the murders or any call for justice, there was Indian retaliation. A group of Kainai (Blood) raided a horse herd in the Sun River Valley and captured all of the horses and mules from a wagon train headed to Fort Benton. Chief Bull Head led a group of Northern Blackfoot warriors in an attack on the government farm at Sun River. They killed one employee and burned the buildings. John Morgan and his family took refuge with the Jesuits at Saint Peter’s Mission. In the meantime, the raiders killed his livestock, captured his horses, and then followed his trail to the mission. At the mission, the Blackfoot warriors slaughtered the cattle herd and killed the young herder. As a result of this attack, the Jesuits gave up on trying to pacify the Blackfoot: they closed the mission and moved back to the Flathead Reservation west of the Rocky Mountains. As a result of the Indian attacks, an unorganized band of non-Indians (described by some historians as “ruffians” but which may have included some prominent Montanans) attacked a small Blackfoot band near Fort Benton. They killed one Indian. The next day, they attacked another band, killed six Indians and scalped them. They then returned to Fort Benton where they conducted a so-called scalp dance in the street. The so-called Blackfoot Confederacy “War” of 1864-1865, didn’t really end as conflicts between the tribes and the Americans who invaded their homelands continued throughout much of the century. More nineteenth-century American Indian histories Indians 201: The Cayuse Indian War Indians 201: The Bannock Indian War Indians 101: The Sioux in Canada Indians 101: Utah's Walker War Indians 201: The war against the Yavapai Indians 101: The Tlingit Rebellion of 1802-1806 Indians 301: The Puget Sound War Indians 101: The 1874 Red River War in Texas

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, History, Indians101, Montana, NativeAmericanNetroots, BlackfootIndians] [Link to media]

— Missing And Murdered Indigenous Relatives: Salish artist Aspen Decker (museum exhibition)

 

at 10/17/24 8:15am

In the United State, American Indians, both on the reservations and in urban areas, have higher rates of assault, rape, abduction, and murder. Indian women in particular are more likely to go missing (four times that national average) and to be murdered (ten times the national average) than any other group. The Missoula Art Museum (MAM) in Missoula, Montana hosted a special exhibition, We Stand With You: Contemporary Artists Honor The Families Of The Missing And Murdered Indigenous Relatives Crisis, guest curated by Rachel Allen (Nimiipuu [Nez Perce]). According to MAM: “MAM is situated on the traditional, ancestral territories of the Séliš and Ql̓ispé peoples. Exhibitions like this are one of the ways that the museum honors and recognizes this relationship.” One of the works in the special exhibition was Look for our Indigenous Women made by Salish artist Aspen Decker in 2024. Aspen Decker is an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. She has an M.A. in Linguistics from the University of Montana and teaches Salish language. Mixed media on canvas. Note: these photographs were taken on August 22, 2024. More American Indian art Indians 101: Flathead Indian history through ledger art (museum exhibition) Indians 101: The art of Terran Last Gun (museum exhibition) Indians 101: Modern Blackfoot ledger art (museum tour) Indians 101: Glass art by Marcus Amerman (museum tour) Indians 101: Contemporary Indian animal art (museum tour) Indians 101: Sioux ceremonies by artist Oscar Howe (museum tour) Indians 101: American Indian modern art by Oscar Howe (museum tour) Indians 101: The Povungnituk Print Shop (Art Diary)

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, Art, Indians101, Montana, Photography, MissoulaArtMuseum, SalishIndians, AspenDecker] [Link to media]

— Indians 101: The 1836 American Indian Liberation Army

 

at 10/15/24 8:15am

In the early 1800s, the Métis began to develop their own identity as a distinct people. The Métis are the children of the fur trade. To facilitate trade with First Nations people, European fur traders—mostly French and Scottish—married Native women. George Simpson of the Hudson’s Bay Company reported: “Connubial alliances are the best security we can have of the goodwill of the Natives. I have therefore recommended the Gentlemen to form connections with the principal Families immediately on their arrival.” The children of these unions, the Métis, often worked for the fur trading companies—Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) and the North West Company (the Nor’westers)—or as independent contractors supplying goods and services to the companies. Culturally the Métis were a blend of European and Native cultures. With regard to the impact of the merger on trade, Theodore Binnema, in an article in the Western Historical Quarterly, writes: “With competition reduced, the HBC closed posts, reduced the range of trade goods offered to Indians, and drove a harder bargain.” It also meant reduced employment opportunities in the fur trade. This economic insecurity would lead to some interesting plans for economic and political revival. One of these was developed by General Dickson (also known as Montezuma II), the Métis son of the British fur trader Col. Robert Dickson. His basic plan was to lead an expedition west across the Great Lakes and to the Red River area of Saskatchewan, gathering supporters as he traveled. Then, the army would turn south, capture and plunder Santa Fe (which was then a part of Mexico), and finally journey west where they would capture California. In California, the plan was to establish an Indian government (or perhaps an Indian monarchy. Dickson is a little unclear on this). In California, the new government would prohibit all without Indian blood from owning land. This was the idea that General Dickson  promoted in Montreal and other cities in Eastern Canada. In 1836 the Indian Liberation Army came into existence to carry out Dickson’s plan. Those most receptive to General Dickson’s message were the Canadian Métis (primarily the sons of Scots fur traders and their Indian wives) and the Cherokee who had been forced from the homelands in the American southwest. A number of Métis sons of North West Company and Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading partners soon joined the expedition:   John George McKenzie, the Métis son of Sir Alexander MacKenzie, was known to have a grudge against the Hudson’s Bay Company and probably saw the expedition to the Red River as a way of getting revenge against the company. McKenzie persuaded his stepbrother Charles McBean to join the effort. John McLoughlin, Jr. was the son of Chief Factor John McLoughlin. He had studied medicine in Paris and at McGill University in Canada. He was known for his extravagant living which often caused quarrels with his uncle Simon Fraser. He had applied to enter the Hudson’s Bay Company but had been refused by Governor Simpson. Alexander Roderick McLeod, Jr. was the son of one of the Chief Traders of the North West Company. When the Indian Liberation Army left Buffalo, New York, it had about 60 members. When they reached Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, nearly a month later, there were only 20 members left. Desertion and sickness had taken its toll. One of the major losses to the party at this time was that of John George McKenzie, who had become sick. At Sault Ste. Marie the newspaper took notice of the small band of “pirates of the lake.” Hudson’s Bay Company Chief Trader William Nourse became concerned as the expedition did not have a sanction to pass through Company territory. In addition, there was the concern that the Indian Liberation Army might create unrest among the Métis. After investigating, Nourse concluded that the expedition would probably “go up in smoke” and concluded that they were harmless. When the “Army” reached the Red River area of Saskatchewan there were only 11 members left. General Dickson vanished to the south. The Hudson’s Bay Company, concerned that John McLoughlin, Jr. might cause problems, hired him as a clerk and surgeon. He then joined his father and brother in British Columbia. A few years later he was murdered by the men of his post. Governor Simpson presumed that he had brought the murder upon himself by his misconduct. Alexander Roderick McLeod, Jr. was also hired by the Hudson’s Bay Company as an apprentice clerk. His Company career was soon cut short because of sexual misconduct. He left Canada, living for a while in Minnesota, and later joined the Union Army during the Civil War. He died of disease during the War. Charles McBean returned to live with his father in eastern Canada. John George McKenzie, who had left the “Army” at Sault Ste. Marie, soon died of his illness. More nineteenth-century American Indian histories Indians 201: Smallpox on the Upper Missouri in 1837 Indians 201: The 1827 Winnebago Uprising Indians 101: Chief Leschi's trial Indians 301: A Yavapai messiah Indians 201: The murder of Walla Walla chief Peopeo Moxmox Indians 101: Hanging Indians, slaughtering horses Indians 101: American Indians and the 1893 World Columbian Exposition Indians 101: The fur trade in Washington Note: Indians 201/301 is a revision/expansion of an earlier essay.

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: FurTrade, History, AmerricanIndians, HudsonsBayCompany, Indians201, NorthWestCompany, NativeAmericanIndianNetroots, IndianLiberationArmy, JohnGeorgeMcKenzie, JohnMcLoughlin, AlexanderRoderickMcLeod] [Link to media]

— Biden Admin Creates New National Marine Sanctuary!!

 

at 10/14/24 5:05pm

  Biden Administration announces a new National Marine Sanctuary that is also the first to be led by Indigenous people. More than 4,500 square miles of ocean will soon be protected by the federal government off the Central California coast. The Biden administration is creating a new national marine sanctuary, which will be the third largest in the U.S. The sanctuary is also the first to be led by Indigenous people. It was nominated by members of the Northern Chumash Tribe, who drove the effort for more than decade to protect the rugged coastline that is their historical homeland. Going forward, the new Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will be managed in partnership with tribes and Indigenous groups in the area, who will advise the federal government. It marks a growing movement under the Biden administration to give tribes a say over the lands and waters that were taken from them.  www.npr.org/… Way to knock it out of the Park on Indigenous People’s Day!  Secretary of Interior Haaland, Biden, Harris, Walz.. So many good reasons to celebrate this amazing team of leaders. The new sanctuary is home to a diverse marine ecosystem, where dense kelp forests support a broad array of life from sea otters to migrating whales. For Walker, the area is also home to many sacred sites dating back thousands of years, like the rocky cliffs known as Point Conception. “It’s where we spiritually believe that all people leave this world into the next life,” she says. “They take their journey – whatever faith you are, whatever spirituality you have – and that area will be fully and forever protected. For my father, our ancestors, elders who have passed – I think they would be the most excited about that.”

[Author: akmk] [Category: Californiacoast, Harris, IndigenousPeoplesDay, JoeBiden, NationalMarineSanctuary, Walz, Haaland] [Link to media]

— Arizona-2: Want Supercharged Tribal Nations Turnout? The Key is Supporting Jonathan Nez!

 

at 10/14/24 2:56pm

What kind of candidate is Jonathan Nez? He’s one focused on improving the lives of the people of Arizona’s 2nd district! Congressional candidate Jonathan Nez did the impossible Thursday evening: He completed a half-hour-long televised interview about issues facing Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District with scarce reference to political party, hot-button issues, or his opponent, incumbent Rep. Eli Crane. Nez, a former Navajo Nation president and a Democrat, repeatedly sidestepped opportunities to directly criticize Crane, R-Ariz., who is seeking a second term in office. Crane was invited to debate Nez but declined to participate. Instead, Nez spent his primetime interview discussing, in a level of detail unusual for the political climate, ground-level issues such as infrastructure, wildfire management, and water security that he worked on while leading one of the country’s largest Native American tribes. "We deserve a representative that will get the needed resources back into our communities," Nez said. "I have a proven record of bringing resources into the area … over these 18 years of public service. "That fight will continue." His rhetoric drew a stark contrast with Crane, a former Navy SEAL who takes pride in his scorched-earth style in office and willingness to antagonize even those in his own party. In public appearances, Crane is more likely to rail against the “uniparty” D.C. establishment, warn of a “crisis” at the U.S.-Mexico border, or take aim at Republicans who he feels are too quick to compromise with Democrats. This race has primarily gone under the radar because the district leans toward the GOP. However, Rep. Eli Crane is an extremist similar to others I have already covered and his antics have put the district back in play. We would all like for MVP Harris to win Arizona once again. Supercharged voting from the tribal nations is key to securing another victory. The indigenous people of Arizona will notice if we aren’t supporting Nez wholeheartedly. The district includes 12 Indian reservations including the Hualapai, Havasupai, Hopi, Navajo, San Carlos Apache, and White Mountain Apache peoples. 22% of the district's citizens are Native American. The question is whether or not improved tribal nations’ turnout is enough for Jonathan Nez to flip this vast Northeastern Arizona district. Like reading election-themed articles? I am continuing a massive series of them each Sunday, Wednesday and Friday morning! Make sure to follow #SaveTheMajority and the group Save the Majority so you don’t miss important races down the ballot! Rep. Eli Crane is part of what I am calling the #MAGADozen. These Republicans in GOP-leaning swing districts are full-throated MAGA supporters and can be beaten. Jonathan Nez is one of the challengers I am fundraising for. DONATE TO THESE 15 CANDIDATES TO DEFEAT THE #MAGADOZEN! Jonathan Nez for Arizona-2 Campaign Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | DONATE | Volunteer What’s the Big Idea? THIS HOUSE RACE IS RATED AS LIKELY REPUBLICAN, with an R+6 PVI County results for AZ-02 in 2022. What is usually labeled as the 1st district in Arizona has been a swing seat for a very long time. The seat used to hold what were called Pinto Democrats, which were a group of ranchers and miners that voted reflexively Democratic despite being very conservative in outlook. The Pinto Democrats used to control the party back when it was more common to be a Republican in the state. The modern version of this district came about after the 2000 Census, when it became a Republican-leaning swing seat held by Rep. Rick Renzi. Corruption issues dogged Renzi throughout his tenure, and he retired in 2008 rather than face Ann Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick held this district for one term (2008-2010) before losing to the execrable Paul Gosar in the 2010 red wave. Arizona added a district after the 2010 Census, and Gosar hopped to the new district which was in the northwestern corner of the state. This allowed Kirkpatrick to claim the 1st district once more. Even as Romney was narrowly carrying the district, Kirkpatrick won it again. She carried it until she ran for Senate in 2016, and Tom O’Halleran took over. He consistently had tough races as both Trump (in 2016) and Biden (in 2020) narrowly carried the old district. The independent redistricting commission in Arizona skewed this district in reapportionment after the 2020 Census. It went from a district Biden won narrowly to one that Trump would have won 53.2% to 45.3%. This doomed Rep. O’Halleran, as Navy SEAL Eli Crane stomped the incumbent 53.9% to 46.1%. That’s very similar to the margin Trump would’ve won by under the current lines. 323k voters in total voted to oust O’Halleran in 2022, while 365k voted in 2020 to keep him. That’s not much of a drop-off for a midterm election. It’s also part of why I am skeptical of our chances in this district. Here’s where this 2nd district race will be won. Tribal Nations: This district contains the largest collection of indigenous tribal lands found anywhere in the nation, and it is critical that every vote possible on the reservations is found and turned out. The Navajo, Apache, Hopi, and other nations had unprecedented turnout in 2020, but that won’t be enough to flip this district unless even more show up to vote. Flagstaff and Sedona: These small cities are the largest in northern Arizona, and it is critical that every outdoorsman, New Age believer, and the students and professors at Northern Arizona University are found and vote for Nez. This part of the country is beautiful and also votes blue, but it has to come out in ways that it hasn’t before if Nez is to win. Here’s where we need to keep the margins down, or we lose. Prescott: Republicans have the largest metro area in the district in Prescott. I’m not lying when I say that this area is MAGA Republican in nature. A combination of cranks and retirees from California live in this valley, and Nez is completely alien to them.  Pinto Democrat country: Places like Show Low and Payson used to be the backbone of the Pinto Democratic coalition once upon a time. The areas surrounding these small cities are now heavily favoring the GOP. Nez will have to scrounge for votes in these areas to offset the lean of the district elsewhere. Pinal County: Pinal County is another part of this diverse district (larger than most states!) that tends to vote Republican. Nez needs gangbusters turnout from Maricopa, while cutting down the margins in places like Coolidge, Florence, and Gold Canyon. Jonathan Nez: From President to Congressman? Nez lost re-election as President of the Diné Nation but hopes to win a tough seat in AZ-02.  J onathan Nez was born in Tuba City, Arizona in 1975. He attended Northland Pioneer College and transferred to Northern Arizona University. He majored in political science for his bachelor’s degree. He also has a master’s in public administration from NAU. Early in his career, Nez served as vice president of the Navajo Nation's Shonto chapter. He also served as a delegate to the Navajo Nation Council, where he represented the Oljato, Ts'ah Bii' Kin, Navajo Mountain, and Shonto chapters. He was elected Vice President of Navajo Nation in 2015. Nez ran for the President of Navajo Nation in 2018. He won over a former President and was the youngest ever elected at the time. His tenure was focused on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite a horrible death rate for the Navajo Nation, Nez was able to get vaccination rates amongst his constituents to a level much higher than Arizona. He lost in 2022 because of the lack of infrastructure projects and the pace of tribal government. Jonathan Nez has been active in national politics as well. He was an early supporter of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. He was one of the keynote speakers for the virtual 2020 Democratic National Convention. He was also one of the electors for Joe Biden during the 2020 election. Nez is running as the antithesis of Rep. Eli Crane and everything he stands for. Instead of voting against everything, Nez will bring home the bacon for his rural district. Many tribal and rural communities still lack running water and electricity. Nez will push for funds for infrastructure and for affordable housing so that Arizona’s 2nd district can catch up to the rest of the state economically. In another instance, Nez wants to expand voting access - especially on the reservations where voting is often difficult. As a reminder, indigenous peoples weren’t allowed to vote until 1924 and many are still under voter suppression today. He will support the John Lewis VRA and the For the People Act to correct these problems. Nez is also running strongly on abortion rights. He sees it as an issue of individual sovereignty and that the government cannot tell people what to do about their bodies. He’s also running with an abortion rights amendment on the ballot so the issue is especially salient in his election campaign. Rep. Eli Crane believes that climate change is a hoax to take away the rights of citizens. Jonathan Nez knows that the climate crisis is real and has taken concrete actions to mitigate it. He switched the Navajo Nation from a reliance on coal power to generating electricity from solar power. He has worked to obtain the share of water promised to tribal nations in early treaties and water law cases. Nez will be at the forefront of any climate crisis legislation. Jonathan Nez is the real deal. His experiences as a politician in the Navajo Nation will translate well into successful legislating in Congress.  Rep. Eli Crane: Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs Rep. Eli Crane is another far-right politician that believes in conspiracy theories and other craziness. Rep. Eli Crane was born in Tucson, Arizona in 1980 and raised in Yuma. He attended Arizona Western College and the University of Arizona with the intent of majoring in sociology. However, Crane dropped out of college one week after the 9/11 attack to join the US Navy. Crane served in the Navy from 2001 to 2014 as a Navy SEAL. He specialized in Underwater Demolition and also passed the SEAL Qualification Training. He was deployed five times during his stint in the US Navy. Once he left the Navy, Crane co-founded Bottle Breacher, a company that makes bottle openers out of .50 caliber cartridge casings. Crane pitched this company on Shark Tank and successfully received investments from Mark Cuban and Kevin O’Leary. Crane sold the company in 2022 to run for Congress. Crane went through a contentious primary where far-right State Sen. Wendy Rogers and Donald Trump both endorsed him over his competition. Crane won his primary with 36% of the vote, won over incumbent Democratic Rep. Tom O’Halleran, and immediately joined the House Freedom Caucus upon joining Congress. Crane has been a troublemaker ever since the very first votes in Congress. He was a holdout on every one of the 15 votes to elect former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Crane would eventually vote “present” on the 15th vote and thus allow McCarthy to claim the gavel. Crane was also one of the 8 members of the GOP to vote to vacate the Speaker chair and oust McCarthy. Crane is one of the most vociferous election deniers in the state of Arizona. He consistently promotes the conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was stolen by “massive amounts of fraud”. He called for the Arizona legislature to decertify Biden’s win and even for the Attorney General to investigate alleged instances of voter fraud. He has furthered the conspiracy to 2024, likening poll watchers to SEAL Team 6 snipers to intimidate voters in the name of combatting imaginary fraud. This is not the only conspiracy theory Crane has endorsed. He insists that the Trump assassination attempts are an inside job and the bipartisan investigation into these attempts is a compromised sham. He suggested there was a second shooter at the first Trump assassination attempt and this “fact” should be explored. He is running his own investigation into the attempts and the GOP seems ready and willing to indulge him. Crane is possibly racist as well. In a debate on the National Defense Authorization Act, Crane insisted that the military ban DEI initiatives because that military was never meant to be inclusive. He went on to say “My amendment has nothing to do with whether or not colored people or Black people or anybody can serve”. Crane claims he misspoke but it would have to be a part of his vocabulary to come out in the first place. Crane is in a band of far-right Republicans that sometimes prevent even the worst of GOP messaging bills from coming to the floor. It is rare for the rules of debate to be voted down in Congress but it has happened frequently in the 118th Congress. Most important measures have had to pass under suspension of the rules (requires 2/3rds of the vote) thanks to people like Crane gumming up the works. As one might expect, Crane is poor on the issues as well. Crane is a zealot when it comes to anti-abortion votes and he sponsored the Life at Conception Act. In July 2022 he proclaimed: Roe v Wade was a mistake...This moment also reinforces the need for Republicans to be fearless fighters for our core convictions. Overturning Roe would not have been possible had President Trump and courageous Senators not been aggressive in confirming three Supreme Court Justices in his first term. Yet Crane was strangely silent when the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the draconian 1864 abortion ban. Crane is all-in when it comes to “election integrity”. He pushed for the sham SAVE Act which allegedly would stop undocumented immigrants from voting but which is already illegal. He calls for the end of mail-in balloting in Arizona which has been a popular means of voting for decades.  Crane unsurprisingly is a member of the pro-Putin caucus in the House of Representatives as well. He has voted for a moratorium to all aid to Ukraine and consistently votes against more funding for that conflict. He parrots the Kremlin talking points of funding Ukraine “projects weakness and leaves us vulnerable to foreign adversaries, all while running the risk of escalation with a nuclear adversary.”  Rep. Eli Crane is out there even when compared to many of the nutcases found in the GOP caucus. It is imperative that this legislative terrorist not gain serious power in the halls of Congress. How Can You Help? As you might expect with a district on the edge of being competitive, there is a fundraising disparity. However, Jonathan Nez has been chipping away at it over the past couple of quarters. If I get Q3 numbers for either candidate, I will post them but know that Crane had about 3 times as much money as Nez after the Q2 fundraising period. This reliable source says Nez will have a quarter above $1M in Q3 and perhaps even more than $2M! There’s going to be no outside independent expenditures on this race. There are more tempting targets elsewhere for the national Democrats and the national GOP has lots more seats to defend. If this seat falls there will be a robust majority for the Democratic Party. That means Nez and Crane will have to fight for this district without outside support. One of the most important ways you can help in this district is through a donation to NE AZ Democrats. This indigenous-powered group has been putting in the difficult work of getting tribal nations organized and voting. Not only will this help Jonathan Nez but it will help Rep. Ruben Gallego win the Senate seat and MVP Harris win the state running for President. For more information, read the Daily Kos diary by NEAZNativeDemocrats about their wonderful work.  There are still more ways of helping flip this district. A virtual phone banking session to support Jonathan Nez happens every Wednesday from 6-8PM MST (Arizona doesn’t follow daylight savings time - except for the Navajo reservation). There are some events in Flagstaff, Sedona, and Prescott for the AZ Dems. Just zoom into the portion of the map closest to your location and see what is there! Jonathan Nez has a wealth of experience on his side when it comes to governance. The Navajo Nation is the largest tribal nation in America and Nez received a baptism by fire when managing the COVID-19 pandemic. He is contesting the 35th most vulnerable seat held by the GOP. That is a challenge in terms of actually winning but Nez has faced tougher challenges already. Rep. Eli Crane is yet another legislative terrorist sitting in a seat that shouldn't be competitive. He spends his time throwing sand in the gears of the legislative process instead of actually representing his constituents. His penchant for spouting off insane conspiracy theories should be disqualifying. Eli Crane is what is wrong with the Republican Party and must be rejected soundly by the voters. Crane has an obvious advantage in District 2, where there is a 30,000 Republican voter advantage. After the district was redrawn, Republicans gained the edge, clearing the way for Crane to win over three-term Democratic Rep. Tom O'Halleran. If you want MVP Harris to win the state of Arizona, supporting Jonathan Nez for Arizona’s 2nd district is an important piece of that puzzle. The question is whether supercharged tribal nations' turnout is enough to keep this state in Democratic hands. Jonathan Nez for Arizona-2 Campaign Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | DONATE | Volunteer Here is the Defeat the MAGA Dozen Fund on ActBlue! These 15 incumbent members of the GOP are MAGA Republicans residing in swing districts. The challengers are all strong and can win in these tougher districts. Please donate and then share a link to this site on your social media! #MAGADozen

[Author: bilboteach] [Category: Arizona, AZ-02, Democrats, Election, Elections, House, NativeVote, Republicans, 2024election, 2024, Election2024, EliCrane, JonathanNez, FlipOurHouse, SaveTheMajority, MAGADozen] [Link to media]

— Indigenous People's Day is today

 

at 10/14/24 2:25pm

Micah Stasis wearing a mask with the words "Make America Native Again", looks on during the National Day of Mourning, on Thanksgiving day, November 25, 2021 in Plymouth, Massachusetts dk images library  The European colonization of the Americas that began in 1492 resulted in a precipitous decline in the size of the Native American population because of newly introduced diseases, including weaponized diseases and biological warfare by European colonizers,[5][6][7][8][9] wars, ethnic cleansing, and enslavement. Numerous historians have classified the elements of colonization as comprising genocide. Indigenous Peoples' Day[a] is a holiday in the United States that celebrates and honors Indigenous American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures.[1] It is celebrated across the United States on the second Monday in October, and is an official city and state holiday in various localities. It began as a counter-celebration held on the same day as the U.S. federal holiday of Columbus Day, which honors Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. Some people do not observe Columbus Day at all, citing the lasting harm Indigenous tribes suffered because of Columbus's contributions to the European colonization of the Americas en.m.wikipedia.org/...'_Day_(United_States) Native Americans, sometimes called American Indians, First Americans, or Indigenous Americans, are the Indigenous peoples of the land that the United States of America is located on. At its core, it includes peoples indigenous to the lower 48 states plus Alaska; it may additionally include any Americans whose origins lie in any of the Indigenous peoples of North or South America. The United States Census Bureau publishes data about "American Indians and Alaska Natives", which it defines as anyone "having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment."[3] The census does not, however, enumerate "Native Americans" as such, noting that the latter term can encompass a broader set of groups, e.g. Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islander Americans, which it tabulates separately en.m.wikipedia.org/... Also called First People's Day or Native American Day Observed by Various states and municipalities in the Americas on the second Monday in October, in lieu of Columbus Day YouTube Video The roots of the holiday can be traced back to discussions and propositions regarding instituting it as a replacement for Columbus Day that took place in 1977 during The International NGO Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas in Geneva, Switzerland.[3] In 2021, Joe Biden formally commemorated the holiday with a presidential proclamation, becoming the first U.S. president to do so, and presidential proclamations have also been issued in 2022 and 2023.[4][5][6][7] Indigenous Peoples’ Day is not a recognized holiday under U.S. Federal Law. Numerous efforts in North America have honored Native American people as part of Columbus Day, or by designating two holidays for the same date.[13] Especially since Native American activism has increased since the 1960s and 1970s, a variety of protests have been staged against celebrating Columbus Day.[32] These have included mock trials of Christopher Columbus in St. Paul, Minnesota,[33] and protests and disruptions of Columbus Day parades in the United States.[34] Indigenous peoples in other nations have also lobbied to have holidays established to recognize their contributions and history. In South America, for instance, Brazil celebrates "National Indigenous Peoples Day" on April 19.[35] In Asia, Taiwan designated August 1 as Indigenous Peoples Day in 2016 under the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen, who announced that the government is committed to promoting the rights of Taiwan's indigenous peoples and enhancing public awareness of their culture and history.[36] In the Philippines, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, as well as various local indigenous towns, designated October 29, 1987, as Indigenous Peoples Day.en.m.wikipedia.org/... YouTube Video Photo of Diné/Navajo rug weaving with the font Native American Netroots

[Author: Angmar] [Category: NativeAmericanNetroots, NativeAmericans, Indigenouscultures] [Link to media]

— An Indian Pony

 

at 10/12/24 2:11pm

Welcome to the Street Prophets Coffee Hour cleverly hidden at the intersection of religion, art, science, food, and politics. This is an open thread where we can share our thoughts and comments about the day. A special exhibit—Reborn Rez Wrecks—at the Missoula (Montana) Art Museum (MAM) featured imaginative sculptures depicting traditional Native culture using found and salvaged metal by Blackfoot artist Jay Laber (1961-2019). According to the museum description:   “A precise craftsman, Laber built large scale sculpture that weighed hundreds of pounds with tight tolerances. He would meticulously sift through hundreds of parts before selecting and inserting exactly the right piece to suggest or describe an essential detail. An expert at considering all the angles that sculpture might be viewed, he made his works appear active, kinetic, and full of energy.” MAM is situated on the traditional, ancestral territories of the Séliš (Salish or “Flathead”) and Qlispé (upper Kalispel or Pend d’Oreille) peoples. MAM is committed to respecting the indigenous stewards of the land it occupies. Their rich cultures are fundamental to artistic life in Montana and to the work of MAM. Pony This piece was created in 2015-2016. While the Spanish colonists in New Mexico brought horses into North America, the diffusion of the horse and its adoption by the Plains Indians began with the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. By the 1730s, the Blackfoot had obtained horses from the Shoshones. The horse quickly became more than a new form of transportation: they became a form of wealth, status, and prestige. Shown above is a detail of the tail. Shown above is a detail of the mane. Open Thread This is an open thread which means that all topics are welcome.

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, Art, CoffeeHour, Community, Montana, Museums, OpenThread, Photography, BlackfootIndians, MissoulaArtMuseum, StreetProphets, JayLaber] [Link to media]

— Indians 101: Warm Springs baskets (museum exhibit)

 

at 10/3/24 8:15am

In 1855 the Warm Springs Reservation was created in Oregon for the Warm Springs and Wasco Tribes. The Sahaptin-speaking Teninos, Wyams (Lower Deschutes), Tukspushes, and Tyighs (Upper Deschutes) made up the Warm Springs Tribe. The Museum at Warm Springs on the Warm Springs Reservation has Warm Springs baskets on display. In his book People of the River: Native Arts of the Oregon Territory, Bill Mercer writes: “Basketry is an art form that reached great heights of creative expression among the people of the Columbia River region. Although baskets served primarily functional purposes, they were nevertheless constructed with great care and decorated with sophisticated designs that lent them an aesthetic status beyond mere utilitarian objects.” In her book Columbia River Basketry: Gift of the Ancestors, Gift of the Earth, Mary Dodds Schlick reports: “Most basketmaking, that essential industry, was carried out in wintertime when food-gathering was over for the year and families could settle into their winter homes.” Shown above is a flat bag which was used for storing roots. Among the baskets made by the Plateau people was a flat storage bag. This bag was insect-resistant, dust-tight, and expandable. It was often used for storing dried roots. Mary Dodds Schlick writes: “The soft sack-like shape flattens for storage and holds great quantities when filled.” Shown above is a cedar bark basket used for gathering chokecherries and berries. Shown above is a basket filled with huckleberries. Mary Dodds Schlick writes: “We associate these baskets with the autumn, for the best-known style was the huckleberry basket—round and tall with sides sloping outward toward a looped edge finish at the rim.” Mary Dodds Schlick also reports: “Sloping sides of the traditional basket distribute the weight of the berries and the mold-resistant roots of the Western red cedar, used to construct the basket, keep the berries fresh.” Huckleberries (Vaccinium membranaceum) were an important berry crop which was collected in August and September for winter consumption. Huckleberries are small to medium sized shrubs which are found in the moister mountain areas, particularly in areas with acidic soils and areas which have been burned by forest fires. Women usually did the gathering of the huckleberries and could gather one or two bucketfuls in a day’s work (about 2-4 liters). Huckleberries were often dried over a slow fire that had been set in a rotten log. This drying created a raisin-like product that could be kept indefinitely. According to anthropologist John Alan Ross, in his chapter in the Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 12: Plateau: “The importance of this berry is seen in various sacred rituals and associated taboos as the first berries collected were blessed and sung over.” More American Indian museum exhibits Indians 101: Flathead Reservation baskets (museum exhibit) Indians 101: Wenatchi baskets (museum exhibit) Indians 101: Some Woodlands Indian baskets (museum exhibit) Indians 101: Indian baskets in the Washington State History Museum (museum tour) Indians 101: Plateau Women's Gathering Bags (Photo Diary) Indians 101: Nisqually and Puyallup baskets (photo diary) Indians 101: Translating Traditional Basketry into Glass (Art Diary) Indians 101: Makah, Southwestern Coast Salish, and Chinook Basket (museum tour)

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, Art, Indians101, Museums, NativeAmericanNetroots, Oregon, Photography, Baskets, WarmSpringsIndians, MuseumatWarmSprings, WarmSpringsReservation] [Link to media]

— Indians 201: American Indians and New Sweden

 

at 10/1/24 8:15am

During the seventeenth century, European countries established permanent colonies in North America. While the Europeans, and, later, the European histories, viewed the Americas as a vacant wildness sparsely inhabited by nomadic Indians who lived like animals, the reality was that North America, particularly the eastern area, had been densely inhabited by American Indian farmers. In his book Laboring in the Fields of the Lord: Spanish Missions and Southeastern Indians, archaeologist Jerald Milanich describes the reasons for the European expansion: “The driving force behind these initiatives was a desire for wealth: precious stones or metals, fertile lands suitable for productive plantations, human populations to be sold into slavery, and animals and plants that could be hunted or harvested and exported.” While today’s histories tell of the Spanish, English, French, and Dutch colonies in seventeenth-century North America, the Swedish attempts to expand their empire into the region are seldom described. In the seventeenth century, Sweden was one of the great European powers. The Swedish Empire included Finland, Estonia, and parts of Russia, Poland, Germany, Norway, and Latvia. The New Sweden Company (also known as the Swedish South Company) had been founded in 1626 to create an agricultural (primarily tobacco) and fur-trading colony somewhere between Florida and Newfoundland which could bypass the French, English, and Dutch colonial efforts. The Company included Swedish, Dutch, and German stockholders. In late1637, the first Swedish colonial expedition sailed from the port of Gothenburg. The expedition had been organized by Clas Larsson Fleming (1592-1644), a Swedish admiral from Finland, and was led by Peter Minuit (ca. 1580-1638), the former governor of New Netherland. In 1638 two Swedish ships, the Fogel Grip and the Kalmar Nyckel, landed in what would later become Delaware. In his book The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America, Russell Shorto describes the scene this way: “Outfitted in battle armor, with the blue-and-yellow flag of Sweden flying from the mainmast of his ship, the Kalmar Nychel, and looking for all the world like some latter-day medieval knight set to conquer, Peter Minuit was returning to North America—a German native of French extraction and recent Dutch ties, proclaiming a colony on behalf of Sweden in the wilderness that would become the state of Delaware.” While the Dutch had vague claims to this territory, it was, in fact, the homeland of the Lenni Lenape (Delaware), an Algonquian-speaking people. Other Algonquian-speaking groups in the region often referred to the Lenni Lenape as Grandfather because they considered the Lenni Lenape territory as the original homeland of all Algonquians. Immediately upon landing, Minuit called a council with the chiefs of the Lenni Lenape (Delaware) and Susquehannock, gathering them in the cabin of his flag ship. He persuaded them to sign a deed assigning ownership of the land over to the Swedes. Russell Shorto reports: “The point was not, of course, to satisfy tribal notions of land ownership, nor did the Swedish government care much about executing legal transactions with natives.” Minuit’s concerns were not really about tribal ownership of the area. Rather, Minuit was concerned about possible Dutch claims to the land and wanted to forestall any legal argument with them. The Swedes purchased lands on the west side of the river—an area which would later become the states of Delaware and Maryland, and a portion of Pennsylvania which would become Philadelphia. The expedition constructed Fort Christina (named for the twelve-year-old Swedish Queen) and garrisoned it with 25 men. Minuit then returned to Sweden where he hoped to put together another expedition, one with colonists as well as soldiers. Eventually 600 Swedes and Finns, together with a few Dutch and Germans who were in Swedish service, settled in New Sweden. The Finns were mostly Forest Finns from central Sweden. The colonists established farms and small settlements along both sides of the Delaware River. Peter Minuit became the first governor of the new colony. Following Minuit’s death, Johan Bjornsson Printz (1592-1663) was appointed governor (1643 to 1653). The New Sweden Company expanded its territory along the river from Fort Christina, establishing Fort Nya Elfsborg on the east bank of the Delaware River and Fort Nya Gothenborg on Tinicum Island.  The Swedish colony initially prospered. During the time of the Swedish colony, the Susquehannocks, an Iroquoian-speaking people not affiliated with the Iroquois League of Five Nations, were living in what is now Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The Susquehannocks were in conflict with both the Iroquois League of Five Nations and the English colonists. In 1643, the Susquehannocks, under threat of conquest by the colonists in Maryland, obtained advice and firearms, including artillery, from New Sweden. Maryland sent two expeditions against the Susquehannock. The first expedition encountered the Susquehannock, but the Indians simply “melted away” as the firing began. The second Maryland expedition was routed by Susquehannock warriors using firearms obtained from New Sweden. The Susquehannock captured two cannons and 15 prisoners. In 1655, the Dutch took control of the Swedish colonies and New Sweden vanished into history. The Finns, who had been brought in by the Swedes as laborers, were offered incentives to continue their efforts at clearing the forests. As a result of the change in colonial power, the Susquehannock were forced to make peace with the Mohawk. More seventeenth-century American Indian histories Indians 101: The Dutch and American Indians in the 17th century Indians 101: The Dutch, the Indians, and Fort Orange Indians 101: The French and American Indians in the 17th century Indians 201: American Indians and the establishment of Jamestown Indians 101: Iroquois Indians and the French 400 years ago, 1624 Indians 201: The Pueblo Revolt of 1680 Indians 101: English wars against Indians in the 17th century Indians 101: Virginia and the Indians, 1606 to 1608

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, History, NativeAmericanNetroots, NewSweden, Indians201, MohawkIndians, LenniLenapeIndians, SusquehannockIndians] [Link to media]

— Ancient America: A very brief overview of Adena burials (500 BCE - 100 BCE)

 

at 9/29/24 8:15am

About 3,000 years ago, the native people living in the Ohio River valley began building earthen mounds. Archaeologists would later call these people Adena, or more accurately, the Adena Complex. Archaeologists define this cultural complex by its burial mounds, its public structures, and the development of long-distance trade. Adena mounds are found in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Archaeologists have documented more than 500 Adena sites in a geographic area from Ohio to the Atlantic coast. In his book The First North Americans: An Archaeological Journey, Brian Fagan writes: “Adena was a series of mortuary rituals and spiritual beliefs that have come down to us in the form of hundreds of burial mounds in its Ohio heartland alone.” Adena is often defined by its treatment of the dead. In an article in National Geographic, archaeologist George Stuart notes: “The Adena seem to have had an almost obsessive preoccupation with honoring the dead.” In his entry on Adena in The Oxford Companion to Archaeology, William Dancey writes: “As currently defined, Adena consists of a pattern of burial in which the individual is placed in a shallow sealed grave or log tomb, or is simply laid out on the surface and then covered with earth.”  Burial practices provide archaeologists with important information about ancient societies. For example, grave goods—the items buried with the dead—can show social stratification (class distinctions), gender differences, trade networks, and so on. Burials also show changes in religious beliefs and practices over time. The human remains (usually skeletons), provide information about diet and disease, migrations, warfare, life expectancy, and so on. In general, the Adena people disposed of dead bodies in several ways. The simplest was to dig a shallow, elliptical pit which would then be lined with bark. The body would be placed in the pit, the pit covered with bark, and a mound of dirt heaped on top of it. Over time, more bodies and more dirt would be added resulting in a fairly large burial mound. Burial mounds rarely exceeded 17 feet (5 meters) in height, and most are less than 10 feet (3 meters). There are two mounds—Grave Creek Mound in West Virginia and the Miamisburg Mound in Ohio—which reached 65 feet in height (20 meters) and were used over generations. In some cases, instead of putting the entire corpse in the pit, the mourners would place a bundle of bones in the pit. This practice suggests that the body had been exposed on an open platform until the flesh decayed. The bones would then be removed and buried. In his book Ancient North America: The Archaeology of a Continent, Brian Fagan reports: “In some cases, only a few parts of the body were buried in the mound, as if the corpse had been dissected before burial.” When most Adena people died, their remains were cremated, and the cremains buried in the floor of a house. Some people, however, were buried in log tombs. The log tombs appear to have evolved during the Late Adena Period. In his book The First North Americans: An Archaeological Journey, Brian Fagan writes: “The most impressive tombs, however, were built with large logs lining the sides and floor, and making up the roof. The mourners often sprinkled the dead with powdered red ocher, sometimes with yellow ocher, graphite, or manganese dioxide in small amounts.” About the formation of the burial mounds, William Webb and Charles Snow, in their 1945 book The Adena People, write: “Log tomb burials and deposit of cremated remains frequently took place on the floor of a house. On the house floor a small earth mound was built over the burial; the house was then burned and a larger mound erected over it.” William Webb and Charles Snow also write: “Adena burials show abundant evidence that the individuals accorded log tomb burial in mounds constituted a selected minority of the population, with the remainder, the majority, probably being cremated. The basis of selection is unknown, but such evidence suggests a complex society wherein those selected for log tomb burial represent an honored group, perhaps members of the ruling or chieftain class.” It should be noted that Adena burial practices varied both geographically and temporally. Over time, new practices, such as the log tombs, emerged. During the first half of the twentieth century archaeologists did not have accurate dating methods--such as radiocarbon analysis-- available, so determining temporal patterns were based on things like stratigraphy. As the archaeological record expanded and with more accurate dating, the interpretation of Adena burials has changed. More recent works do not see Adena society as stratified or as having social classes. Regarding the social organization of the Adena people, William Dancey writes: “Most likely there was no permanent social hierarchy; leaders may have come forth when needed, but their role did not become institutionalized.” In his book Ancient North America: The Archaeology of a Continent, Brian Fagan writes: “There are few signs of any social distinction between individuals, as if society was still basically egalitarian.” The log tombs were not necessarily the final resting place for all eternity. William Dancey reports: “The initial graves in the earliest of Adena burial mounds were sealed subsurface pits. This practice gave way to above-ground, reusable tombs that housed the dead until someone else came along, at which time the previous occupant was bundled up and reinterred in another part of the mound area.” In Adena, some bodies were cremated while others were not. In his 1953 report Exploration of an Adena Mound at Natrium, West Virginia, Ralph Solecki offers one possible explanation: “The cremated remains may represent communal deposits of the dead while the other burials may have been accorded the honor of separate internment.” Adena graves, like graves in other parts of the world, contained grave goods and for this reason many graves have been looted to obtain objects for personal collections or to sell to others. Adena graves often contained stone tools and other stone artifacts, stone smoking pipes, and metal, usually copper, artifacts. In the 1948 excavation of the Natrium Mound (46 Mr-2) in West Virginia, the archaeologists uncovered 51 polished stone artifacts, 66 rough stone artifacts, 263 chipped stone artifacts, and 709 copper artifacts. Analysis of the copper beads from the Natrium Mound found that the beads had been worked using a hot method, disproving the common assumption that American Indians had only worked copper cold. Concerning Adena grave goods, Stuart Fiedel, in his book Prehistory of the Americas, reports: “Late Adena grave goods sometimes included stone tablets, engraved with highly stylized representations of buzzards and other birds of prey. These tablets may have been used to prepare red ochre for ceremonial use, or to sharpen bone awls, perhaps for tattooing.” In many graves, the bodies appear to have been covered with a red ochre powder. Ralph Solecki writes: “The importance of red ochre to the cultural complex is attested by the finding of recoverable quantities of this mineral in a little less than one-third of the features.” In his book Ancient North America: The Archaeology of a Continent, Brian Fagan writes: “At first Adena mourners buried the dead with mostly utilitarian objects, artifacts such as flint blades, drills, scrapers, stone axes and adzes, also simple bone tools. These appear to have been the personal possessions of the deceased. The dead wore strings of small copper beads, shells, including some large marine gastropods, and occasionally bone.” Brian Fagan also reports: “The most distinctive grave artifacts were tubular pipes, fabricated from clay-stone, or very fine-grained silicate in a straight or cigar-shaped tube with a blocked end.” While the Adena people made a distinguishable pottery, James Griffin, in his chapter in The Adena People, writes: “The Adena people, with a very few possible exceptions, did not place pottery vessels with their dead.” Overall, what do the Adena burials tell us? First, the continual enlargement of the burial mounds show that funerary rites were an important part of Adena culture. While the Adena people did have some agriculture, they did not have cities or large settlements that are associated with this type of monumental architecture in other parts of the world. Stuart Fiedel writes: “The Adena mound-builders apparently gathered periodically for funeral ceremonies and construction, but for most of the year the population was widely dispersed in small temporary villages.” During the Adena era, flourishing from about 500 BCE to about 100 BCE, there were similar burial practices over a relatively large area. There is no evidence of Adena being a single politically unified people, but the burial mounds show that they shared some common religious practices and beliefs. One possible interpretation of the Adena burial mounds, and it is only a hypothesis at this point, is that one of the unifying practices was a form of ancestor veneration or worship. More Ancient America Ancient America: A very short overview of the Fort Ancient tradition Ancient America: Linking people to the cosmos in ancient Ohio Ancient America: A very short overview of the prehistory of the Grand Canyon Ancient America: Avonlea, the early bow hunters Ancient America: Paleoindian stone tools in Washington's Plateau area Ancient America: Astronomy Ancient America: A very brief overview of stone quarries

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, Archaeology, AncientAmerica, Adena] [Link to media]

— California Tribes to Testify Against Sites Reservoir Water Right on September 30

 

at 9/27/24 2:53pm

Testimony to focus on Inundation of Sacred Sites, Cultural Impacts, Water Quality and Salmon Impacts Sacramento, California - On Monday, Sept. 30, representatives of California Tribes will present testimony before the California State Water Resources Control Board opposing the Sites Authority’s application for a new water rights permit to withdraw up to 15 million acre-feet per year from the Sacramento River. Representatives from the Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, along with multiple Tribal attorneys and experts, will testify. “Tribes will testify to address significant concerns regarding the proposed reservoir’s impacts,” according to a press advisory from Save California Salmon and Friends of the River. “They will highlight the lack of meaningful Tribal consultation on the project and advise that the reservoir would flood Tribal cultural resources, Native American graves and sacred sites, and further degrade water quality and salmon runs, harming an important Indigenous food source and traditional lifeway systems.” “They will also discuss how the new reservoir threatens Tribal water and fishing rights and would build new diversion pumps to take fresh water from the Sacramento River and release warm, polluted water into the Bay Delta. These discharges of polluted water have the potential to adversely adversely impact downstream Tribal lands and water quality, along with the drinking water for over 25 million Californians, and the health of local ecosystems,” the group stated. In addition to the testimony, Tribes, fishermen, scientists, and environmental interests will be giving opening statements in their case against the water right. “Sites Reservoir is a proposed 14,000 acre private reservoir in the lower Sacramento River/Upper Bay Delta near Maxwell, California,” according to the group. “The project is being led by the Sites Project Authority. It would become one of the largest reservoirs in California and would be designed to mainly deliver costly water to Southern California and South of the Delta agricultural interests.” “California has promised over $816 million in taxpayer money to the project and has streamlined public process laws to allow quick approval of the proposed reservoir. Opponents of the reservoir advise that Sacramento River water is already over allocated by five times its available flow and that the reservoir will add to climate change emissions,” they stated. “In recent weeks, Tribal and environmental representatives and scientists cross examined the Sites Reservoir representatives. After Native American Tribes testify on Monday other Sites opponents will make their case. These opponents include fisheries experts, fishing industry representatives, climate change and water quality experts, economists and public trust advocates who will testify to the adverse impacts from the proposed reservoir. The hearing is set to continue throughout the month of October,” they concluded. Tune in at the SWRCB Administrative Hearings Office Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/@swrcbadministrativehearing728 

[Author: Dan Bacher] [Category: California, Delta, e, Environment, NativeAmerican, SacramentoRiver, Salmon, TaxPayerMoney, WinnememWintuTribe, Maxwell, winterrunChinooksalmon, sitesreservoir, ShingleSpringsBandofMiwokIndians, SitesProjectAuthority, CachilDeheBandofWintunIndians] [Link to media]

— Indians 101: Northwest Coast Orcas and People (museum exhibits)

 

at 9/26/24 8:15am

The First Nations of the Northwest Coast have a way of life which is oriented toward the sea. As a part of a special exhibition, Orcas: Our Shared Future, in the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland, Oregon had an exhibit on orcas and people. According to OMSI: “If you come from a culture that considers Killer Whales family, it’s easy to understand all ways orcas are like humans. Science is only now catching up to what Indigenous peoples have known since time immemorial. Orcas speak many languages; they have powerful emotional connections and deep respect for their family members. Indigenous peoples have known all along that if whales are like people, then they should be respected as we respect our human neighbours.” Shown above is Killerwhale Fin. Date unknown. Detail from: Killerwhale Fin Shown above is Double-Finned Killer Whale crest figure, Haida, made before 1892. Another view of Double-Finned Killer Whale crest figure Detail from Double-Finned Killer Whale crest figure Detail from Double-Finned Killer Whale crest figure Shown above is Whale Fin by Nuu-chah-nulth artist Tim Paul, 1997 According to OMSI: “Tim Paul seamlessly presents the interconnections of all living beings in the seas, lands and sky. Killer Whale becomes man who becomes  Raven. The Nuu-chah-nulth word for orca, Kakaw in, translates to a fin on one’s back and recalls an origin story of the first man who shed his fins and walked out of the sea.” Another view of Whale Fin Another view of Whale Fin Another view of Whale Fin Detail from Whale Fin According to OMSI: “In these artworks, animals and humans intertwine, carry, ride and transform. Often, argillite sculptures and screen prints illustrate climactic moments in coastal stories.” Shown above is Scana with the Woman by Haida artist Freda Diesing, 1980. Detail from Scana with the Woman Detail from Scana with the Woman Shown above is Clo-Oose Vision by Nuu-chah-nulth artist Art Thompson, 1978. Detail from Clo-Oose Vision Detail from Clo-Oose Vision Detail from Clo-Oose Vision Detail from Clo-Oose Vision Shown above are argillite model totem poles. Shown above is a Haida model pole with Man, Killer Whale and Beaver. Date unknown. Shown above is a 1936 Haida model pole with Woman, Killer Whale and Beaver. Shown above is a Haida model pole with Raven, Woman, Killer Whale and Sea Lion. Date unknown. Shown above is a Haida Pipe with Frog, Eagle, Woman and Killer Whale. Date unknown. Note: These photographs were taken on November 5, 2023. More about Northwest Coast First Nations Indians 101: Killer Whale Potlatch Feast Bowl (museum exhibit) Indians 101: Northwest Coast Killer Whale crests (museum exhibit) Indians 101: Honour for Killer Whales (museum exhibit) Indians 101: Carved screen with Haida stories (museum exhibition) Indians 101: Northwest Coast Masks (Photo Diary) Indians 101: Northwest Coast House Panels (Photo Diary) Indians 101: Tlingit clan hats (photo diary) Indians 101: Chilkat Dancing Blankets (photo diary)

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, Indians101, Museums, Orcas, Oregon, Photography, OregonMuseumofScienceandIndustry, NorthwestCoastFirstNations] [Link to media]

— Indians 101: American Indian religions 150 years ago, 1874

 

at 9/24/24 8:15am

While some histories portray Indians joyfully becoming Christians, this was not usually what happened. In 1874, the United States government actively promoted Christianity by having Christian missionaries administer the reservations. Conversion, by book or bayonet, was considered necessary. However, in spite of governmental pressure and the threat of being imprisoned, Indian religions continued to be practiced. Many of the traditional religious ceremonies continued, usually being practiced in remote areas where they would not be seen by outsiders. Traditional ceremonies, including the sweat lodge and the vision quest, became invisible. The traditional Indian religions had often borrowed spiritual elements—songs, ceremonies—from other traditions, including Christianity. While the Christian missionaries often took an “all or nothing” approach, Indian people freely borrowed some Christian concepts, modified them to fit their cultural patterns, and incorporated them into their own ceremonies. As with other parts of culture--such as language, material things, and social organization--religion changed, and blended Indigenous/Christian religions arose. These new religions were sometimes pan-Indian as they were practiced in different tribes and were not associated with any particular tribe. In some cases, revitalization movements arose. In his book Our Savage Neighbors: How Indian War Transformed Early America, Peter Silver explains: “A revitalization movement occurs whenever a charismatic leader uses a divinely revealed system of rituals to channel the dissatisfactions that come with cultural change—and its worrisome half-digestion of new ways—toward a reawakening of traditional ideas and customs.” Briefly described below are a few American Indian religious practices of 150 years ago, 1874. Pawnees   The Pawnees are a Caddoan-speaking group who separated from the other Caddoan groups long before the European invasion and began a migration north from their homelands in present-day Texas. They were skilled farmers who lived in earth lodges in permanent villages. Pawnee religion was complex. Carl Waldman, in his book Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, reports: “Their medicine men constituted a whole class of people, like a priesthood. These priests were responsible for many elaborate ceremonies.” In 1874, the Indian agent for the Pawnees declared: “Pawnee medicine men exerted a great deal of influence and retard our work and will prevent any but the best physician from doing what he might to cure their illnesses and improve their sanitary condition.” In 1874, Pitarescaru, one of the most important Pawnee chiefs, died as the result of an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound. Pitarescaru’s songs are still sung at Pawnee events. His songs came from his visions and experience and were composed and sung in the sacred societies to which he belonged. At least a half dozen of his songs continue to survive in the twenty-first century. Earth Lodge Religion The Earth Lodge Religion began in 1871 among the Wintuns and Hill Patwins in California. In their book The Encyclopedia of Native American Religions,Arlene Hirschfelder and Paulette Molin report: “Among the beliefs associated with the religion was the imminent end of the world, the return of the dead, and the punishment of nonbelievers. It was believed that adherents would be protected from the approaching catastrophe in subterranean earth lodges, constructed for that purpose.” In 1874, Bogus Tom, a California Wintu, brought the Earth Lodge religion to the Siletz Reservation in Oregon. There the new religion was called the Warm House religion. Three Warm House Dance houses were built on the reservation. The religion was then carried to the Alsea, Siuslaw, and Coos reservations. Coquille Thompson would later recall: “The old people danced hard, but the young ones didn’t join in much because they didn’t believe. The dance was kept up maybe twenty years, then the old people died off. The dance houses just rotted away.”  Comanche Sun Dance For many Plains Indian tribes, the Sun Dance was their central ceremony and often served as a unifying force to bring together the various hunting bands. Usually held when the tribe came together for the annual summer buffalo hunt, it involved dancing around a pole set inside a specially built dance arbor. While the actual ceremony and the frequency with which it was traditionally conducted varied among the tribes, there are several basic themes that are associated with the Sun Dance: (1) seasonal renewal, growth, and replenishment, and (2) the acquisition of spiritual power. In general, the Sun Dance lodge is a circular open-frame structure with a center pole. The actual structure varies from tribe to tribe, with ridge poles from the frame to the center pole in some tribes, while in other tribes these features are lacking. In many ceremonies, there are sacrifices—most often strips of cloth today—hanging from the center pole. The structure is erected and used only once. With regard to the Sun Dance lodge, religion professor Joseph Epes Brown, in his book The Spiritual Legacy of the American Indian, writes: “The large, circular open frame lodge is ritually constructed in imitation of the world’s creation, with the sacred cottonwood tree at the center as the axis linking sky and earth.” In her chapter on the Sun Dance in the Handbook of North American Indians, JoAllyn Archambault writes: “The Sun Dance was a complex, beautiful, and powerful ceremony that during the nineteenth century was the highlight of the annual summer encampment of almost all the Plains buffalo hunters.” According to Gloria Young, in her chapter on intertribal religious movements in the Handbook of North American Indians: “For most tribes the Sun Dance was an earth-renewal ceremony and a prayer for fertility; however, the ideology of the ceremony varied widely from tribe to tribe.” The Comanche Sun Dance had been borrowed from the Cheyennes. The 1874 Comanche Sun Dance coincided with the emergence of a new medicine man, Eschiti (Coyote Droppings; also spelled Esa-tai). In his book The Last Comanche Chief: The Life and Times of Quanah Parker, Bill Neeley describes him this way: “He wore no buffalo skull cap or ceremonial mask, as did most of the older medicine men, but was attired only in breechclout and moccasins and a wide sash of red cloth around his waist. From his hair protruded a red-tipped hawk’s feather, and from each ear hung a snake rattle.” Eschiti was given strong powers in a vision quest. During his vision Eschiti ascended to the home of the Great Spirit, a place which is far above the Christian Heaven. It was reported that Eschiti was capable of vomiting up all the cartridges which might be needed for any gun; that he could raise the dead; that he was bulletproof and could make others bulletproof; that he could control the weather. His messianic message to the people was that the Great Spirit sent him to deliver them from oppression. At the 1874 Battle of Adobe Walls, however, Eschiti’s medicine failed to work. In his book United States - Comanche Relations: The Reservation Years, historian William T. Hagan writes: “Eschiti attributed the failure of his medicine to a member of the war party violating a taboo by killing a skunk.” With the failure of his medicine, Eschiti faded into obscurity. (See Indians 201: Eschiti, Comanche Medicineman.) More nineteenth-century American Indian histories: Indians 101: American Indian wars, conflicts, and battles 150 years ago, 1874 Indians 101: Sioux Indians and Black Hills gold 150 years ago, 1874 Indians 101: American Indian Reservations 150 years ago, 1874 Indians 101: American Indians in Oklahoma 150 years ago, 1874 Indians 101: American Indians and Christianity 150 years ago, 1874 Indians 101: The 1874 Red River War in Texas Indians 201: The Kickapoo War against Texas Indians 101: American Indians and the 1893 World Columbian Exposition

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, History, Indians101, Religion, SunDance, pawneeindians, ComancheIndians, EarthLodgeReligion, WintunIndians, HillPatwinIndians] [Link to media]

— No King Campaign Reaches Prescott, AZ.

 

at 9/22/24 6:43pm

The No King campaign reached the Barry Goldwater stronghold of Prescott, AZ, on Saturday with the signs now widely distributed in the largest city of Arizona’s 2nd congressional district.  The campaign is beginning to catch on, with Congressional candidate Jonathan Nez mentioning the signs spread across the Arizona portion of the extensive Navajo Nation.  A cardboard cutout of Kamala Harris took time to pose with one of the signs at the Yavapai County Democrats’ annual gala.  As Roadrunner mentions in a separate diary, Nez is one of the top four Democratic House candidates in terms of fundraising.  We need Nez to defeat Eli Crane. Here is why. It is not because Crane was one of the Crazy 8 who threw the entire U.S. House into disfunction just for fun. It is not because Crane opposes reproductive freedom in cases of rape or incest. It’s not because Crane is too lazy to care for $60 million in congressional appropriations for our district, and allows the money to default to Ohio. It’s not because defeating Crane would lift Kamala Harris and Ruben Gallego to victory and give Democrats control of the White House, U.S. Senate and U.S. House.  It’s just because Crane is a lazy incompetent who should be nowhere near government policy. To donate to our No King campaign and the defeat of Crane, please, please visit. We are about to start a radio ad campaign to make voters aware of Crane’s shortcomings.  While the sign in the picture above is being held by a cardboard Kamala, the real Arizona attorney general, Kris Mayes, did actually hold one of our signs at the Yavapai County event. I’m going to ask the real Kamala for a picture with our sign.  I kind of crashed the Yavapai County Dems event. I was in town to put up signs and people mentioned the event was Saturday night. While others were appropriately dressed for a gala, I was the one in a sweaty T-shirt. Several people at the event mentioned they had noticed the signs near their homes and liked them.  I put this sign up in the afternoon and then by chance met the owner of the property last night at a Democratic function. While I was putting up this sign a neighbor came buy and I gave her a sign as well. 

[Author: EricAZ] [Category: Arizona, Harris, KamalaHarris, Prescott, Nez, NoKing] [Link to media]

— House Upset Brewing in AZ as Jonathan Nez is Top 4 in the Nation in August Act Blue Fundraising

 

at 9/22/24 3:11pm

Former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez is turning heads with his impressive fundraising surge in the Q3 of 2024.  To underscore the point, of all US House candidates in the country, Nez collected more August Act Blue contributions ($889K) in August than nearly every other House candidate in the country. Only Eugene Vindman, AOC, and Lauren Boebert’s opponent, Trisha Calvarese, raised more in August on Act Blue. Nez’s campaign is firing on all cylinders in its effort to unseat MAGA extremist and Steve Bannon’s favorite Congressman Eli Crane, and given that this is a single digit red-leaning seat (Trump carried what is now AZ-2 by 7.9 points in 2020, Crane won the district by 7.8 points in 2022), this is the type of race where outstanding fundraising, and having the right candidate can flip the seat. National forecasters are taking notice, as several have moved the race from designations like “Solid or Safe Republican” to competitive ratings, including Inside Elections. With just a week left in the 3Q, Jonathan Nez could use a final push to get over 3 million raised in one quarter (a pace that seems within reach given his strong July and August numbers). As an added bonus, helping Nez’s campaign also helps Ruben Gallego’s Senate race and Kamala Harris in the US presidential race. Forecast models show Arizona to be one of the most competitive swing states in the country, and while less likely to be the tipping point than Pennsylvania, a win in Arizona would be a huge step towards ensuring Donald Trump doesn’t return to the White House. Investing in Nez’s campaign helps up and down the ballot in AZ. As Roadrunner was scrolling through social media one day he noticed that Politics Girl says this race should be a “no brainer”. Being a roadrunner, I have a bird brain by definition, but that’s enough intellectual capacity to understand what a “no brainer” is. Time to jump in on the Jonathan Nez momentum train, because he is kicking ass and taking names in Arizona, and with your help, he can send Eli Crane back to do what he does best which is making bottle openers. You can learn more and DONATE Here… www.jonathannezforaz.com meep meep! 

[Author: Roadrunner65] [Category: Actblue, Arizona, HouseRaces, Rural, 2024election, ushouse, MAGA, EliCrane, AZ2, JonathanNez] [Link to media]

— A Blackfoot Indian Warrior

 

at 9/21/24 2:08pm

Welcome to the Street Prophets Coffee Hour cleverly hidden at the intersection of religion, art, science, food, and politics. This is an open thread where we can share our thoughts and comments about the day. A special exhibit—Reborn Rez Wrecks—at the Missoula (Montana) Art Museum (MAM) featured imaginative sculptures depicting traditional Native culture using found and salvaged metal by Blackfoot artist Jay Laber (1961-2019). According to the museum description:   “A precise craftsman, Laber built large scale sculpture that weighed hundreds of pounds with tight tolerances. He would meticulously sift through hundreds of parts before selecting and inserting exactly the right piece to suggest or describe an essential detail. An expert at considering all the angles that sculpture might be viewed, he made his works appear active, kinetic, and full of energy.” MAM is situated on the traditional, ancestral territories of the Séliš (Salish or “Flathead”) and Qlispé (upper Kalispel or Pend d’Oreille) peoples. MAM is committed to respecting the indigenous stewards of the land it occupies. Their rich cultures are fundamental to artistic life in Montana and to the work of MAM. Sentinel This piece was created in 1999. Warfare on the Northern Plains was common, but it was not usually waged by one tribe against another. Warfare was carried out by small, independent raiding parties rather than by large, organized armies. The motivation for war was personal gain, not tribal patriotism. Through participation in war an individual gained prestige, honor, and even wealth (as counted in horses.) War honors were usually graded on the basis of the amount of courage displayed in winning them. Among the Blackfoot, the highest honors were given to capturing an enemy’s gun. Also ranked high were the capture of a bow, shield, war shirt, war bonnet, or ceremonial pipe. The taking of a scalp ranked below these things. Shown above is a detail of the tail. Detail of the rider’s leg Open Thread This is an open thread which means that all topics are welcome.

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: Art, CoffeeHour, Community, Montana, Museums, OpenThread, Photography, BlackfootIndians, MissoulaArtMuseum, StreetProphets, JayLaber] [Link to media]

— Indians 101: Flathead Indian history through ledger art (museum exhibition)

 

at 9/19/24 8:15am

Since time immemorial, American Indian artists have recorded their histories in pictographic form on rock, hides, tipi covers, and other surfaces. During the nineteenth century, American Indian artists began documenting their history using pages of ledger books and other items obtained from the invading settlers. Many contemporary American Indian artists produce ledger art using historic paper—banking book paper, receipts, account books, and so on. An exhibition in the Missoula Art Museum (MAM) in Missoula, Montana features three pieces by Aspen Decker made in 2024 on historic maps which tells some of the history of the Flathead (Salish or Bitterroot Salish) people. Aspen Decker is an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. She has an M.A. in Linguistics from the University of Montana and teaches Salish language. One ledger art piece tells the story of Shining Shirt, a prophet whose visions told of the coming of the Blackrobes—Jesuit missionaries. According to the artist: “However, the Blackrobes ‘Jesuits’ exploited these visions, manipulating them to portray their arrival as a positive event when, in reality, it had detrimental consequences for the Salish people.” According to the artist: “Shining Shirt’s visions were manipulated by the Jesuits to mask their true intentions, and it is crucial that we acknowledge the tribal narrative and not just what has been told to us by the Jesuits.” One ledger art piece, done on a 1914 U.S. map, shows the Salish people camped on a small island in the Clark Fork River. When the river was redirected in the early twentieth century, the island merged with the mainland. According to the artist: “The artwork provides a glimpse of what our spring and summer camp tipis used to look like, primarily being tule tipis. It was often the chiefs and subchiefs who typically decorated their tipis. The tule tipis depicted in the artwork are colored using a local native paint pigment. “ Shown above is a woman using a digging stick to harvest bitterroot. Shown above is a painted tipi. One ledger art piece shows the removal of the Bitterroot Salish from their traditional homelands. In October 1891, armed U.S. soldiers “escorted” the peaceful Flatheads to the Jocko Agency on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Shown above are bitterroot, the symbol of the Salish way of life. According to the artist: “Missoula was once the primary place we dug bitterroot, however, the displacement and subsequent urban development have nearly eradicated the once plentiful native bitterroot from the landscape. We are a people of strength, resilience, and beauty, who are still here to share the stories of our ancestors.” Note: these photographs were taken on March 24, 2024. More American Indian art museum exhibitions Indians 101: Flathead Reservation baskets (museum exhibit) Indians 101: The art of Terran Last Gun (museum exhibition) Indians 101: Modern Blackfoot ledger art (museum tour) Indians 101: Sunflower by Walla Walla artist James Lavadour (museum tour) Indians 101: Caddo artist Raven Halfmoon (museum tour) Indians 101: Glass art by Marcus Amerman (museum tour) Indians 101: Reborn Rez Wrecks (museum tour) Indians 101: The art of Oscar Howe, 1945-1956 (museum exhibition)

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, Art, FlatheadIndians, History, Indians101, Montana, Museums, Photography, MissoulaArtMuseum, AspenDecker] [Link to media]

— Indians 101: American Indians and the federal government 100 years ago, 1924

 

at 9/17/24 8:15am

According to the majority of non-Indian social philosophers, bureaucrats, and politicians of the nineteenth century, American Indians were going to simply disappear. Many history books about Indians stop their histories at the end of the nineteenth century, adding to the illusion that Indians somewhat stopped being Indians when the twentieth century began. In his chapter in Indian Self-Rule: First-Hand Accounts of Indian-White Relations from Roosevelt to Reagan, Roger Buffalohead puts it this way: “When the twentieth century began, most Americans who thought about Indians at all did so in the past tense. Like a photograph, the image of Indian culture was frozen in time.” The reality of the twentieth century was that Indians didn’t disappear but increased in numbers. One hundred years ago, in 1924, it was evident that: (1) Indians weren’t going to disappear; (2) Indians, particularly those on reservations, were economically disadvantaged (their poverty level was extremely high); and (3) the federal government’s American Indian policies developed in the nineteenth century weren’t working for twentieth-century Indians. Within the federal government, Indian affairs were administered by the Indian Office (later known as the Bureau of Indian Affairs) in the Interior Department. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs, a political appointee, was in charge of the Indian Office which administered all Indian reservations, Indian health services, Indian schools, and Indian police. David Miller, in his chapter on the 1921-1925 era in The History of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana, 1800-2000, writes: “Indian affairs had become an administrative problem, increasingly entangled by the technicality of laws and regulations, and a bureaucracy burgeoned to handle it. Machinations around land and its uses continued. The agenda of incorporation managed all aspects of Indian life.” In their book Renegade Tribe: The Palouse Indians and the Invasion of the Inland Pacific Northwest, Clifford Trafzer and Richard Scheuerman write: “American Indian policy was designed for the benefit of whites, not Indians, and was carried out by determined agents far more concerned with their professional duty and the destiny of their nation than they were with Indians. These policies were generally executed by governmental representatives selected more for their political loyalties than their experience in Indian matters.” Briefly described below are some of the events regarding American Indians and the federal government 100 years ago, in 1924. Campaign Against Indian Religions In 1924, American Indian religious ceremonies were considered illegal and an impediment to “civilizing” Indians. In 1924 the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Charles H. Burke, began a renewed campaign against Indian religions and declared Indian ceremonies to be obscene and sadistic. He felt that native religions prevented the full assimilation of Indians into American life. Peyote   The Native American Church arose in the late nineteenth century as a pan-Indian religious movement. It incorporates many Christian elements as well as Indian elements. The Native American Church uses peyote as a sacrament. In their book Native American Almanac: More than 50,000 Years of the Cultures and Histories of Indigenous Peoples, Yvonne Wakim Dennis, Arlene Hirschfelder, and Shannon Rothenberger Flynn write about peyote: “Its substance is not addictive and should not be classified as a narcotic. People eat the bitter, dried top, or ‘button,’ to induce heightened perceptions of sound and color. It enhances concentration and highlights spiritual truths with vivid imagery during ceremonies.” In his book Southwestern Indian Ceremonials, Tom Bahti writes: “Peyote (lophophora williamsii) is a small, turnip-shaped, spineless cactus that grows in the lower Rio Grande valley from southern New Mexico southward to Nayarit, Mexico. It contains nine alkaloid substances, part of which, mainly mescaline, are hallucinogenic in nature; that is, they induce dreams or visions. Reactions to peyote seems to vary with the social situations under which it is used.” In 1924, Senator Charles Curtis, a Kaw Indian from Kansas, introduced a bill to prohibit peyote. It failed to pass. Lost Rights The Supreme Court ruled in 1924 that the Tejon Indians of California lost their claim to their ancestral lands by not filing their claims earlier. In 1924 Congress awarded the Nisqually in Washington $85,000 as compensation for the hunting rights which they had lost, as well as for lost access to streams and lakes. The Federal Power Commission, without the consent of the Mission Indians, granted broad water and power rights to a non-Indian utility operating on the Rincon Reservation in California. In 1914 the Mission Indians had made an agreement with the United States concerning water and power rights, but the Federal Power Commission in 1924 ignored this agreement in assigning rights to the utility. Indian Education The Committee of One Hundred was a federal advisory group composed of scholars, activists, and policy specialists who advised the government on critical American Indian issues. In 1924, the Committee recommended that Indian education be improved with better school facilities, better trained personnel, an increase in the number of students in public schools, and scholarships for high school and college. Pueblo Lands Act The Pueblos are the village agriculturists of New Mexico and Northern Arizona. While the Pueblos are usually lumped together in both the anthropological and historical writings as though they are a single cultural group, they are linguistically and culturally divergent. They do, however, share a few common traits: they are agriculturalists who grow corn, beans, and squash; they built permanent villages with a central plaza; and most have kivas (underground ceremonial centers). Land is an important possession among the Pueblos. In 1924, Congress passed the Pueblo Lands Act which calls for a commission to investigate Pueblo land titles and to provide for legal solutions to non-Indian claims against Pueblo lands. Under the provisions of the Act, New Mexico laws cannot be used to obtain title to Pueblo lands. Transfer of Pueblo land requires the approval of the Secretary of the Interior. Nearly 3,000 claims are filed by non-Indians claiming some right to Pueblo lands. Leasing Indian Lands The Indian Office controlled the leasing of reservation lands for cattle grazing, oil and mineral extraction, timber harvesting, farming, and other uses. In general, leases were intended to economically benefit the non-Indian lease holders rather than the tribes. The U.S. Attorney General issued an opinion in 1924 that the public lands leasing act cannot be applied to executive-order reservations as both Congress and the courts in the past had treated executive-order reservation property rights in the same way as treaty rights. In 1924 Congress passed the Indian Oil Leasing Act which required the auction of oil leases and extended the terms of such leases to ten years providing that the land was producing oil and gas in paying quantities. Cattle Policy In 1912 the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Cato Sells, had directed Indian agents to confiscate individually owned cattle and to form tribal herds on the Northern Plains reservations. Sells felt that greater growth and profit could be realized if the herds were under the management of the Indian Bureau. In 1924 the Indian Bureau abandoned its policy of tribal cattle herds on the Northern Plains reservations. While the Indian Bureau attempted to return the surviving cattle to their original owners, most Indians received nothing as the cattle herds had diminished to almost nothing. Prior to the Indian Bureau policy of tribal herds, the Northern Cheyenne in Montana had a flourishing cattle business. After 12 years of Indian Bureau control, however, the cattle business on the reservation had been nearly destroyed, but the tribe was still held responsible for $130,000 in debts which were incurred while the cattle were under Indian Bureau care. When the Northern Cheyennes had protested the 1912 tribal herd mandate, the Indian agent had threatened lengthy jail terms for anyone who failed to comply with the confiscation order. More twentieth-century American Indian histories Indians 101: The American Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 Indians 101: American Indian reservations 100 years ago, 1924 Indians 101: American Indians in Montana 100 years ago, 1924 Indians 101: American Indians in Oklahoma 100 years ago, 1924 Indians 101: American Indians and the states 100 years ago, 1924 Indians 101: American Indians and the federal government 100 years ago, 1923 Indians 101: The 1915 Ute Indian War Indians 101: the 1923 Posey's War in Utah

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, History, Indians101, MissionIndians, NativeAmericanChurch, NativeAmericanNetroots, Peyote, Religion, PuebloIndians, CheyenneIndians, NisquallyIndians, TejonIndians, RinconReservation, PuebloLandsAct, IndianOilLeasingAct] [Link to media]

As of 10/29/24 6:13pm. Last new 10/29/24 8:43am.