Native Hoop Magazine - Medicine of the Wolf

Native Hoop
Magazine
BADONIE PHOTOGRAPHY
Issue 13
TARA ROSE WESTON
TARA_ROSE@LIVE.COM
Table Of Contents
Page 6 Little Money by Corey Flood
Page 8 THE YOUTH THAT CARRIES
FORWARD THE TRADITION NIMKII OSAWAMICK
- “I AM GRATEFUL” Article and photography by Irina
Popova
Page 12 Rachel Honey Falcon/Interviewed
by Celeste Long Elk
Page 14 Coming Home by Corey Flood
Page 16 Medicine of the Wolf
Page 19
Tiana Anpo Win Spotted Thunder
Page 20
NATIVE VOICES AT THE AUTRY
Past Present and Future By Carla-Rae
Page 22
Duane Koyawena / Interviewed
by Celeste Long Elk
Page 24
Healthcare.gov web site works fine,
and real task of health care reform is ahead / MARK
TRAHANT
Page 26 NATIVE AMERICAN INFLUENCE IN
THE CULINARY WORLD TRISH ZAPATA
Page 27 Keya’s First Time Meeting Santa by A.
Kay Oxendine
Page 28 Bring It! By Samantha Chisholm Hatfield
Ph.D
Page 29 Love your Queen by Adam Richardson
Page 30 Diabetes Monthly: January 2014
Opportunity, Health, and Diabetes / Raeanne Madison
Page 32 G r e e t i n g s from Navajo Country!
Page 35 Three Dreams Tyrone Ross Thompson
Page 36 Eight New Authors Join IAIA Writers
Festival
Page 38
This One’s For My People
By Michaela Kee
Page 40 Maya Fulfills Dream of Giving to
Homeless Teens by A. Kay Oxendine
Page 42 Wicapiluta Candalaria / The Future of the
American Indian Movement- In California. Dr. T
Page 45
More Than Statistics By Ruth Hopkins
Page 46
Affluenza, My Ass by John Christian
Hopkins
Page 48
Cheyenne Badonie A Rising Star
By KARA BROWN
Page 54 Leroy Not Afraid - Justice of the Peace
for Bighorn County, Montana by Celest Long Elk
Page
58
HAUDENOSAUNE/CREE
COMEDIAN ~ CHARLIE HILL ~ A Man of
Humor, Courage, Strength, Perseverance
A FORERUNNER By Carla-Rae
Page 60 Freedom by Corey Flood
Page 64 The World Didn’t End in 2012
John Christian Hopkins
Page 67 Bourgeois Thinking by Tyrone
Ross Thompson
Page 68 Nahaan by Gia Bolton
Page 70 Oyate Graffix Written and
interviewed by Celeste Long Elk
Page 72 Senate, House nearing a budget?
Yes, thanks for nothing, but it’s better than the
alternative / MARK TRAHANT
Page 75 At The Pow-wow/ Submitted by
Adam Richardson
Page 76 Irene Bedard: Sleeping Lady,
Waking Giants By Kara Brown
Page 78
STRONG
Toqua Ticeahkie
Page 85 Page 86
Thompson
WARRIORS
By
Tyler Alexander One Horn
Enormous Grace By Tyrone Ross
Page 3
Wow, it is 2014 already!
Well, on behalf of Native Hoop Magazine, we would like to wish you all a Happy New Year.
Hope it is safe and wonderful. Many things have happened this year, we have loved, and lost, we
have honored, and fought for our rights. So many warriors standing up for what is right as on the
cover of December’s issue. Honoring as on the cover of issue 1, and 5. Enjoying our traditions as
on issues of 10, 8, 7, and 3. Awareness as on issues 2, 6 and 11.
We would like to thank every one of our writers for the wonderful writings and amazing
work back in 2013. We have come a long way in just one year. We are excited about 2014. We are
working on providing subscriptions, and print cost that is affordable to everyone. We are also very
excited to announce Nink Magazine, and PWA Magazine will be launched this year as well. We
always want you to know we are very grateful that you, our readers, are here. We would not be able
to do this if it was not for you. Thank you!
We are always looking for new and exciting people. We love to hear about those who have
done amazing things, or made a difference. Sometimes the smallest acts are the ones that mean
the most. So send that in to us and we can help honor them with a story or interview. Native Hoop
Magazine is for the people. It is where you can have a voice in this world. We want to let you know
that we enjoy promoting you (the people).
Thank You
Joleen Brown
Managing Editor
Native Hoop Magazine
REZ
BLING
Dyamelle Castilleja e-mail:
ladiecougar27@gmail.com
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs/
Yakama
Forth Generation cradle board maker.
Page 4
Native Hoop Magazine Team
James Morales – President / Publisher /
EditorKelli Bennett - Vice President / OperationsJoleen Brown - Managing EditorA. Kay Oxendine – Ass. Editor /Writer
Julia Kelly - Business managerCarla-Rae - SpokespersonTia Lone Eagle – Promotions
Megan Remirez – Promotions
Writers:
Corey Flood
Irina Popova
Celeste Long Elk
Sarah LittleRedFeather
Carla-Rae
Mark Trahant
Trish Zapata
Samatha Chisholm Hatfield Ph.D
Adam Richardson
Raeanne Madison
Jovanii Nez
Tyrone Ross Thompson
Michaela Kee
A. Kay Oxendine
Dr. T
Ruth Hopkins
John Christian Hopkins
Kara Brown
Gia Bolton
Adam Richardson
Toqua Ticeahkie
James Morales
Tiana Spotted Thunder
Photographers:
Badonie Photography
Tara Rose Weston
Irina Popova Photography
Tawamiciya Photography
Ryan White
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Page 5
Little Money
by Corey Flood
As I walked out into the cold December morning to begin my day, the smell of wood smoke
hit me unleashing a flood of very loving memories. This wonderful event kick starts a lot of my
mornings; these gifts are from my neighbors burning wood in their fireplaces. I stood outside
meditating and memories of my grandma Ada and her comforting smile came to me. I love the fact
that my mind has all the wealth it has and the ability to retain all of these special times, this always
has me humbled that my life has been blessed in so many ways.
The memory I write about concerns my grandmother Ada Little Money Flood. It`s the
smell of wood smoke that my neighbors gift me with, that begins this wonderful walk through
my memories. I remember so
much about her that I find all
the love that I have and the
immense pride that comes
with these memories, her
cooking fire and the smell of
wood smoke is a tie for me. I
remember her cooking on her
cook stove inside and outside,
no electricity, no indoor
plumbing, and also none of
the comforts to make life so
much easier for all the women
of today. When she would
make coffee on this wood
fire it would make my mouth
water, I have never been able
to recreate this delicious aroma,
I drink a lot of coffee and have tried many different kinds, still none can compare to grandmas.
I remember so many things, but there are some that stand out and have had much meaning
for me. It takes us awhile sometimes to see how very wise these special ones truly were. When
we`re young we think we know the answers to everything, but if we had real eyesight we would
listen more carefully to the ones who have already walked the path we have yet too, we would
realize that we need not trouble ourselves and choose a better road.
My grandmother Ada was born on 11/6/1900; my Great Grandfather was the original “Little
Money.” There are a few versions of where this name originated from. I prefer the one where they
say my Great Grandfather was so generous, never keeping anything for himself, they named him
“Little Money,” true or not considering the way we are as a people, giving the shirt off our backs to
the ones who need it, I could see and believe how he earned this name.
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My grandmother Ada had three sisters and one brother; her parents had 12 children but
only 5 survived, my grandmother passed away 11/26/1984. I have always felt, when she died, a
strong and true Native feel went with her. My father and his remaining brother and sisters are the
only true remaining Little Moneys. This name represents much to me. My grandmother was what
I consider the picture of Sicangu womanhood and native pride. The most important thing she tried
to teach all of us is the absolute evil of alcohol and what comes with it. I used to watch her do all
the many things she did, cook, clean and feed the many that would stop at her and my Grandfather
Bernard Flood Sr. house. In all ways she represented to me what it meant to be Lakota, which she
spoke all her life. Grandma Ada was the grandmother that we all know as Native people, hugging,
kissing and laughing so hard her body shook, always holding a baby, there was a goodness and
kindness and honesty from her and my grandfather’s era that cannot be duplicated today. In all
ways I miss her.
One of the things I miss so much about her is when we would leave to go home from
visiting she would always hug me and always grab my hand, and always put a silver dollar or some
other item that had meaning in it. She would also tell me she loved me and that “I” should come
and stay awhile. I did exactly that later on in my life and have many, many fond memories of that
gift from her and my grandfather. I am not the only one that was given this wonderful gift by her,
the only one from my father’s children, but there were many others of my cousins that also had
these loving experiences.
I grew up knowing her disdain of alcohol and the weakness she saw in it, that’s why
her last name means so very much to me. I have relatives that think that when intoxicated they
represent the Native American People and also this proud name, ‘Little Money” and our family, it
makes me wonder what my grandmother would feel and the absolute hurt she would have felt from
her name being misrepresented in this way. I believe we are given the name that best represents
us and when we try to be something other than ourselves, we fail miserably. I am no stranger to
alcoholism or the many ways this twists our reality and real worth to ourselves and loved ones. The
best gift I have ever given to myself, and to honor my grandparents and parents is to live free from
the chains of alcohol, something man-made and foreign to the life style that the true Lakota knew,
THEN AND NOW.
I think about my grandparents and also the old
ones I remember from my youth, I think about all the
many hardships they faced raising their children without
technology, modern comforts, and sober I might add, I
compare these memories to the ones I know who always tell
you they are proud Sicangu women or men, when they have
a bottle in their hands, I see how very little they compare
to the true ones who are no longer with us. As I write this
I can see my grandmother Ada`s profile sitting in her chair
at the corner of the table, silently looking out her window,
miss you grams. Pilamaya, Grandma, your loving grandson,
Corey.
Page 7
THE YOUTH THAT CARRIES FORWARD THE TRADITION
NIMKII OSAWAMICK - “I AM GRATEFUL”
Article and photography by Irina Popova
One of those powwows, you know, mid-winter, still cold outside (at least in Canada), yet
spring is around the corner. Up on arrival you are glad to meet friends and family. After many
long months of waiting, everybody is eager to get together and dance as hard as they can to dust
off their moccasins.
I first met Nimkii in March 2012 at Georgian College in Ontario. Since then, our paths
have crossed many times on the powwow trail and he never stops surprising me with the many
talents he possesses. I have seen him dancing chicken and Fancy dances, I have heard him
singing with Charging Horse drum group and at hand drum competitions as well as performing
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very expressive hoop dances. His Anishinaabe name is Nimkii-nini, which means Thunder Man.
His family, Osawamick, is Odawa from Wikwemikong Unceded First Nation, Manitoulin Island.
He is Wolf clan and as he said, he has “existed on the Earth for 22 years”.
Nimkii has been dancing since the age of 3. At 10, his mom has put him in a fancy dance
category and took him to his first competition powwow. Many doors were opened after that. He
has traveled all over the country, meeting friends and inspiring dancers. Through the years his
dancing has been escalating. After joining Nozhem Theatre at Trend University (Ontario) he
became interested in performing arts. There he did his first motion theatre, learned choreography,
monologue and all the behind the scenes work that takes place. As his skills were improving
and he became more confident, Nimkii started his own business organization - DNA STAGE:
Dedicated Native Awareness. He focuses on his work as a facilitator, dancer, performer, singer and
videographer. Using his ability to easily communicate, he wants to help people and communities in
a unique and powerful way to connect to their culture, see the positive energy and beauty and keep
close to the grass roots.
I visited Wikwemikong (Wiky)
powwow in 2012 and 2013. Both
years I stayed in a tipi at his Aunt
Martina’s ZAAWMIKNAANG Native
Crafts and Outdoor Eatery and I had
my Indian tacos and wild rice salads
at his mom’s Osawamick Family
Tradition diner. I didn’t know they
were all family until this year, when
his mom, Liz, came to me, pointed and
said: “Can you shoot that chicken?”
Well, not exactly, but she asked me to
photograph her son who was dancing
at the chicken dance special. Small
world indeed.
Nimkii once told me: “My
mom put me into dance because I had
too much energy”. I smiled and remembered one of the highlights at Wiky powwow - “Iron man”
Fancy dance competition. With over 25 songs, over an hour of vertiginous, fiery, non-stop dancing,
it was a celebration of the dancers’ spirit and stamina. As it was his home, Nimkii participated at
the night’s event but didn’t compete. I believe he could have won.
Nimkii is a skilful hoop dancer. Trained by the Odjig family, his style of story-telling is
colorful and animated. You can easily recognize animals, birds, horse riding and my favorite –
beating the drum.
I asked Nimkii why he dances. He was humbled in his reply: “The reason is for my mother
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and family, without them I wouldn’t be here today. Every time I dance, I pray for everyone, every
living thing. I give thanks to the Creator for giving me the ability to dance, hear, feel, touch and
being able to express myself no words can really explain. I am grateful. I also dance for the ones
who can’t dance or don’t have the courage to. I hope that I can inspire someone out there to pursue
his or her dreams. I can say the dance itself has looked after me in so many different ways, it has
taken me to places I have never been before, it puts food in my tummy, cloths on my back and
introduced me to so many new friends and family. Dance is a prayer, a form of healing for you
and others around you. When I dance, it takes me into a place where I have no worries about life
and the problems we all struggle with, I’m captured in the moment, it overcomes all my emotions,
and then I remember why I am here. I give thanks to all our relations for showing us Mino
Bimadiziwin, the good life.”
No matter if he dances chicken, Fancy of hoops, his style is unique and fresh and his
enthusiasm and love of his culture are contagious. With a smile and charm he represents the youth
that proudly carries forward the traditions never to be forgotten.
P.S. Just before to submit the article I spoke with a young lady who is going through rough
time. I read to her Nimkii’s words why he dances. For few minutes she was silent and then she
softly whispered “Thank you”
For more information on Irina and her work visit www.IrinaPopova.ca or her Facebook page www.
facebook.com/IrinaPopovaPhotography
Page 11
Rachel Honey Falcon
Interviewed by Celeste Long Elk
“If you live in a place where you’re not always having
your identity called into question, you don’t need to worry about
wondering who you are. You can simply be yourself.” –Vine
Deloria
Hello! My name is Rachael Falcon. I was born in
Winnebago, Nebraska. I’m an enrolled member of the Winnebago
Tribe of Nebraska. I’m half Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) and half
Umonhon (Omaha). I grew up on the Santee Sioux Reservation in
Nebraska and Lawrence, Kansas. I recently moved to Black River
Falls, Wisconsin earlier this year.
I’ve been married for 8 years and have three daughters. My oldest
is Mia 8, Hannah 6, and Summer Sky is 3.
We spend our family time going to pow-wows. My husband,
Tony sings with his family drum Wazi Jaci (Ho-chunk for “People
of the Pines”). My daughters and I dance Ho-Chunk traditional Applique. When I’m not dancing
you can usually find me beading, finger-weaving, and doing leather work for the girls and I regalia.
I’m professional photographer for Native Hoop Magazine. I was also in the first RezDog Calendar
0f 2003.
The Winnebago Veteran’s Pow-Wow this past July was the 147th annual homecoming
celebration. It is the oldest continuous powwow in Indian country. Held every third weekend in
July, the celebration commemorates the return of Chief Little Priest and the Fort Omaha Scouts,
Company A.
I was a flight attendant for ten years. I was based in New York City and Atlanta. I was
qualified to fly as an Onboard Leader, which meant I flew as lead flight attendant on my domestic
routes. Also, I was in the International Reserve program, which meant I was “on-call” to work
International flights. I worked flights to Shannon and Dublin, Ireland; Brussels, Belgium; Stuttgart,
Germany; Madrid, Spain; Montreal, Canada; Caracas, Venezuela; Mexico City; Narita, Japan;
and London, England. I also was qualified to work charter flights and one of my favorite trips was
flying the San Francisco Giants to Atlanta to play the Braves in a playoff game. During the flight
we got to talking to a few players. They gave us tickets and invited us to attend their game the
next night against the Braves. We gladly accepted and sat next to the wives, family and friends of
Giants right behind home plate! It was great experience and the best part was the Giants beating the
Braves. I’ve been a Giants fan ever since!
Aviation and flying has always been a fascination of mine since I was young. When I would
go on vacations with my parents, flying would be the best part. I knew then that I wanted to be a
pilot. I applied for Delta Airlines, a major airline. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the job on the first
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interview, even with two and half years of flying. I applied again six months later. This time I was
more confident and more prepared. That was when I was offered a flight attendant position with
Delta Airlines. I had to attend and passed initial flight attendant training for five and half weeks in
Atlanta, Georgia and a few days later and had to report to my new base in New York City.
My family and friends were very supportive and excited for me as I was about my flying career.
With their support I knew I was doing the right thing.
Being a N.A., my employer was looking to diversify their workforce by hiring me. It was
an advantage for me in the recruitment process, providing me an opportunity to become a flight
attendant.
Being N.A. did not prove to be an obstacle, it was an advantage. When I flew, my other crew
members were curious about my ethnicity and when I shared that I was Native American they
became very interested in what tribe I was. Some shared their family history of having a Native
American relative long ago. Others felt really bad about what the government had done to the
Indians and had the same feelings that we as Native Americans had toward the government.
It was a very positive to be a woman and N.A.
There is no limitation to what you want as a career. I would love to promote the aviation
industry to native children and expand their horizons. Accepting this interview has been an
opportunity to share my experiences and maybe help anyone who ever wanted to be in the aviation
industry. To get where you want to go, you work hard, pursue your goals, and do not give up after
the first try.
Spending time on the Winnebago and Santee Reservations, I know that there is racism
towards Indians, especially in the surrounding towns. Being an Indian has only been positive,
though, since it gave me an opportunity to travel the world.
I have attended Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, KS. I have received my
associate’s degree in Liberal Arts and now a senior in the American Indian Studies program.
Wanting to be a pilot inspired me to start my higher education. Currently I’ve put my career
on hold. I’m very happy at home spending time with my husband and being able raise my three
children and watch them grow.
I would be happy to help anyone who would like to know more or how to apply to be a flight
attendant. I can be reached on
deltaflygirl@facebook.com.
Hope is wishing something
would happen. Faith is believing
something will happen. Courage
is making something happen.
-unknown
Page 13
Coming Home
by Corey Flood
I am sitting here in my father’s kitchen thinking about all the things I have denied myself
by living so far away from the Rosebud Reservation, and the land of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate..
I have finally come home after an extended stay taking a break from completing my college degree,
and living in Nebraska, the last place I wanted to be for so long. I don’t know how to properly
explain the joy I am experiencing as I sit here waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. My father
has always been someone I have enjoyed spending time with. The conversations we have and the
many laughs are invaluable to me. I have missed the NDN humor that cannot be denied, and the
peacefulness of being back home, a place I have always felt so comfortable and peaceful in. I have
decided to take a coffee break from life and the many discomfits that come along with it. I needed
this time to refuel before spring classes begin, and a place to find myself again.
They say you can’t go back home to the home you remembered, I am back home and it is
exactly like I had left it. Today my father, uncle and I went for a long ride, we visited relatives
and ate to the point of bursting at each house, we watched eagles flying through the air, and also
watched the tribal buffalo herd grazing, all of these events just like I remembered. I am 51 years
old as I write this. I have been away from home for far too long. There were many times when I
would daydream about being here, it is nice to sit here writing in a place that I belong in.
I have lived away from the reservation for the last 30 some years, I would come home for
powwows, and the numerous funerals, wakes and reunions that take place, and each time when I
had to pack up and say goodbye to my loved ones it always felt like a part of me was missing. It
has always been that way for me; no matter where I go I always have this home in my heart and
soul.
I want to think Joleen Brown from the Native Hoop family for the many conversations we
shared about her moving, and the new beginnings she is experiencing. I thought about my own life
while listening to her explain her new surroundings and the bravery it took her to try something
new and different, it motivated me to do this, to follow my heart and dreams the exact same way
she has followed hers. It never ever amazes me the strength and wisdom our women have, their
ways of looking at things and also their ways of motivating us men to be more, want more and also
to accomplish more. Joleen Brown to me is a shining example of the warrior women that live on..
Pilamaya, Joleen..
I look at my father, Collins Richard Flood; my father is 83 years old. I look at him when he
isn’t looking and remember the many phone conversations we had when I was away, the things we
shared about the many old ones who have passed, and how many of my favorite memories were
a part of the ones who traveled to our loving Creator, and how many memories I had missed out
on with them because I had chosen to do different things with my life away from the reservation.
I gained tremendously from being away, I had great jobs, school was a blast, met many, many
awesome people, but the biggest thing that I missed was our people and their ways. I believe things
happen for a reason, and I trust that my creator has a plan in all this. The last year of my
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mother’s life- Peggy Jo Flood- I received the greatest gift of all by taking care of her, cooking for
her, cleaning for her, and getting the beautiful gift of knowing my mother better than I would have
dreamt possible, and in turn she was able to know me.
My father isn’t the 6 foot, 210 pound man of 30 anymore, he is 83 and now it is my time
to know my father like I was privileged to know my mom, my dad is still an imposing warrior
with immense wisdom and loving ways. I am so glad I am here with him in his kitchen listening
to him play with his little dog Sammy. I think of the day he handed me his pipe for the first time,
and how I felt because I had seen this same pipe many times feeling the power from it, the beauty
of the stem and the bowl he carved himself at Pipestone. I remember him and I as a young man of
18 sitting outside, and being given the knowledge of how to conduct myself while in the presence
of sacred items, and the value of these sacred instruments for us as a people, the reason we have
survived all we have, because of the power in these types of pipes and the belief that comes with it.
I went through a rough patch a couple months ago that in turn has brought me back to my
roots, a place to regroup to gather strength and think about my real goals, what it is that is driving
me, and what I truly want from a life, a life that I had been so far away from. It doesn’t matter
where we are, doesn’t matter how old or young, when away the pull of the land and the love of our
people brings us back when we are truly ready. It’s like I said about Joleen Brown and the thanks
I feel for all she shared with me, and the wisdom of her words and her mentality. I had wondered
what to do to find peace and serenity, and I have found it
by listening to the bravery of one of our beautiful warrior
women of the Hoop. The Cheyenne Nation had a true
saying in “All is not lost until our women’s hearts are on the
ground.”
As I end this the smell of burning sweet grass is in
the air, sweet grass I grew while away, in the aroma of the
sacred plant, a welcome home- a greeting I eagerly accept.
Mitakuye Oyasin… Corey Flood.
THERE IS NO DEATH
ONLY A CHANGE OF WORLDS
~ CHIEF SEATTLE ~
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Tiana Anpo Win Spotted Thunder was gifted with the Lakota name,
"Tasiyagmuka Ho Waste Win," at age 9 which means, "Good Voice Meadowlark Woman."
This name predicted her destiny as a singer and composer of music. Being raised on the Pine Ridge
Indian Reservation, she has strived to present herself and her singing with pride and honor. She is
active in her traditions and culture and displays many of the Lakota Values. She composes songs of
various genres of her native culture and beyond.
My debut solo album, "Sunrise to Sunset," has been nominated for "Best Hand Drum CD"
at the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards for 2013. Also, I have been graciously asked to
perform a song at the Ohshkii Awards Night, which is the first night of the APCMAs. I wanted
to share my experience because it is something that I have only dreamed of since I first heard of
the awards. I grew up thinking only small thoughts, and having small goals, but also having big
dreams. As I became older, I started to realize how things are more and more possible of achieving.
With the help of many friends and relatives, teachers, children, role models, and my fiance, Miyo
One Arrow, I came up with the courage to put my dreams into action. As an Oglala Lakota woman
who grew up on the Pine Ridge reservation, it seems that many talented people with potential end
up being "OK" with living in a small way and in a small world, never wondering what is beyond
what they know and live. I took the chance of wanting to know the world, the world of Native
American music, and that is the world of pow-wows, hand games, spiritualities of many cultures,
and round dances. After gaining much knowledge of these things, I felt I could compose my own
songs and record a CD. Upon its release, I did not know how far it would travel, but after traveling
all around the US and Canada for pow-wows, and online promotion, I have sold over 1200 copies
of Sunrise to Sunset both online and physical copies combined, and was awarded this nomination.
For these things, I am truly grateful. I love and appreciate being a singer, musician, role model,
and most importantly, a Lakota, because these things make up who I truly am. I would be lost if I
were born any other way. This is my way of saying "pilamaya" (thank you) to everyone who has
supported me throughout my musical journey Photo above courtesy of Tyson Anderson
Album cover for "Sunrise to Sunset" copyright Tiana Spotted Thunder
NATIVE VOICES AT THE AUTRY
Past Present and Future
by Carla-Rae
I want you to know all there is to know about Native Voices at the Autry from an informational
standpoint, because, where Native Voices began, how it has grown, and where it is today is amazing
and wonderful. The information is something you should know, in order to access the professionalism
of this theatre company and how YOU can become involved through volunteer support and funding.
As a performer, who has had the privilege of working with this amazing group of people. I
must include my viewpoint. It is my hope, that both of these perspectives will give you a vantage
point through which you will not only KNOW about Native Voices at the Autry, but additionally you
FEEL the close knit community that has been created through this company.
As I see it, Jean Bruce Scott Founder Producing Executive Director of Native Voices and
Randy Reinholtz (Choctaw), its Founding Producing Artistic Director understand and employ the
importance of “artistic safety” for the playwrights, performers and the behind the scenes production
miracle workers . “Artistic safety” includes support and nurturing extended to all of us who call
Native Voices our theatre home and those just being introduced to Native Voices. Native Voices at
the Autry has come to be known for its quality, professionalism, and compelling story telling. Talent
support and encouragement coupled with professional know how have been the hallmark of Native
Voices since its inception.
From its beginning in 1993 with a FIRST CALL FOR NEW SCRIPTS to PRESENT with 20142015 season being Native Voices 20th ANNIVERSARY YEAR, there is always something exciting
happening with Native Voices. Recently I had the privilege of speaking with Randy Reinholtz for
this article. I asked Randy, “How has Native Voices at the Autry helped to bring awareness of our
culture to the performing art world?” and ”What does the future of Native Voices look like?’ Randy
shared,
“On one hand, The potential and realization of tribal people and tribal leaders in the portrayal
of art and culture in popular society can be as influential in how popular society sees native people
as all the academic and historical perspectives. By employing culture and art, we can shape the
perspective of the actual culture. We are a small community of native people. It is about how we
can employ the arts to help shape popular opinion about the community. It is powerful. In this we
are moving past the image of the wronged people to an image of a special and unique people who
have gifts and insights to offer.” “This is Native Voices 20 year anniversary. We have grown over
the years a talent pool to 20-25 writers and over 200 professional actors and at least that many more
talent with training. Yet our talent pool needs more directors and producers who can help take us to
the next level in growing us to capacity as a standing theatre company or helping us to be a catalyst
to partner with other companies to help them with the cultural integrity of their productions. The
next level is going to require us to grow our producing pool and grow the people who want to invest
in Native American culture. Whether at the Autry, other culturalist, or arts institutions, there are
many different ways this can happen. That is the future.”
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Native Voices at the Autry Facts:
Native Voices at the Autry is the country’s only Equity theatre company dedicated exclusively
to developing and producing new works by Native American, Alaska Native, and First Nations
playwrights. The company has been hailed by critics as “a virtual Who’s Who of American Indian
theatre artists,” “a hotbed for contemporary Native theatre,” “deeply compelling,” and “a powerful
and eloquent voice.” Native Voices, which provides a supportive, collaborative setting for Native
theatre artists from across North America, was founded in 1993 and became the resident theater
company at the Autry National Center in 1999. It is widely respected in both the Native American and
theatre communities for its breakthrough plays and diverse programming, which highlight unique
points of view within the more than 500 Native American nations in North America. Deeply committed
to developing new works by beginning, emerging, and established Native playwrights and seeing
them fully realized, Native Voices has produced twenty-four critically acclaimed new plays, including
15 world premieres; 10 playwrights
retreats; 20 new play festivals; 2
short play festivals and more than
180 workshops and public staged
readings of new plays. Native Voices
is led by Founder/Producing Artistic
Director Randy Reinholz (Choctaw)
and Founder/Producing Executive
Director Jean Bruce Scott. The
theatre maintains successful longterm relationships with New York’s
Public Theater, Native American
Public Telecommunications (NAPT),
Washington’s Kennedy Center, the
National Museum of the American
Indian, The Alaska Native Heritage
Center, Montana Rep, Perseverance
Theatre, and La Jolla Playhouse.
Native Voices at the Autry is a member
of Actors’ Equity Association, LA
Stage Alliance, and the Dramatists
Guild, and is a Constituent Theatre
of Theatre Communications Group
(TCG), the national organization for
the American theatre.
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Duane Koyawena
Interviewed by Celeste Long Elk
"BEAUTY IS ALL AROUND, LIFE IS ALL AROUND. WE SHOULD RESPECT IT. LIVE STRONG.
IF STRUGGLES COME UP WE NEED TO LOOK WITHIN, WITH AN OPEN HEART AND
MIND, TO ASK FOR HELP. STRUGGLES CAN BE OVERCOME WITH PERSEVERANCE AND
HARD WORK. I'M NOT PERFECT AND WILL NEVER BE, BUT I PRAY, DO MY BEST, HELP
WHEN I CAN, AND LIVE LIFE IN GRATITUDE. HONGVIT QATUUNII"
My name is Duane Koyawena I am 32 years old. Currently living in Flagstaff, AZ. Grew up
in Albuquerque, NM. Did all of my schooling there. Was born in Fairbanks, Alaska. Father was in
Air Force.
I am a self taught artist. Been doing art since childhood. I was born in Ft. Wainwright, AK
to an Air Force father, Lloyd Koyawena (Hopi), and my mother, Carol Keevama (Hopi/Tewa). I
am Qalwugwa (Sun Forehead) clan from Sipaulovi Village in Second Mesa, AZ and of Tewa from
San Juan Pueblo, NM. I have two older sisters. I grew up in Albuquerque, NM and graduated high
school in 1999. I briefly studied liberal arts at community college before moving to Flagstaff, AZ in
2002.
I have definitely put a struggle in "struggling artist" by having had a serious addiction to
alcohol for most of my youth. My art is highly influenced by my father who was also an artist
in his own right. Sadly, my father lost his life to alcoholism. The devastating loss of my father
ironically influenced my own destructive path with alcohol. It was during this dark period that I
felt my art was impure. That all changed in 2008 when I finally began my road to sobriety and
reestablished with my Hopi way of life.
By embracing my traditional teachings and culture, my art is pure again. Drawing/painting
inspiration from my past, my sobriety, my family, and most importantly, my Hopi identity. I am
better able to affect positive energy to help myself and others live a balanced and happy life.
Today, I compliment my artwork with desire to help others. I am currently working for the
Behavioral Health department at the Flagstaff Medical Center. It is through this position that I am
able to give back. Striving to live one day at a time for myself and my daughter, I do my best to
surround myself with beauty - one pencil or brush stroke at a time.
My inspirations would have to be my father. He himself was a great artist. I got all my talent through him. I did not go to any kind of art school. My father and I had the same struggles in life
so as successful as I am today with my art, I feel like he is shinning with me in my art and new
walk in life. Another inspiration is my 3 yr. old daughter. She loves what she knows about Hopi
and Katsinas. She enjoys seeing what I create and it really reminds me how I was at a young age
with my father. Also other inspirations are artists before me, and artists today. Not just Hopi Artists
but artists from all over. I get a big drive when I view others art.
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I began when I was a kid and watching all the art my father did. As a young Hopi boy I was
always drawing Katsinas. As I got older in school my art started getting better and better. I went
through a rough battle with alcohol in my 20's and really didn't have no desire to do anything with
my talent other than for selfish reasons. The money. I knew I had the talent but again, was not
motivated. When I sobered up I began to clear and my art became pure. Started a new direction as a
Hopi and walk in life. For quite some time a lot of friends and family encouraged me to get my art
out but lacked confidence in my work. Didn’t think it was good enough. But when the Hopi show
here in Flagstaff at the Northern Arizona Museum came in 2013 I showed and a lot really took off.
Today my art is being sent throughout the US and has been recognized overseas. I am currently
working on a big piece that I hope will impact the Hopi Art scene. I hope to have completed at the
beginning of next year. I remember in the beginning of trying to get my workout and now today
I’m very busy doing art and maintaining a full time position where I work.
Steve Jobs says that you can not connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect
the dots looking back after all you been through. That being said, I had no direction when I was
in my addiction trying to make art to make money to feed my addiction. Today looking back I can
see how I used the Hopi art for all the wrong reasons. As I do art work today I understand what
everything means, where it came from. I’ve come to understand the meaning of Hopi Life and it
is a life of Peace and well being. A lot of my energy goes into creating a good piece. It also helps
my daughter to understand the way of life. Today I connect the dots where I’m at with my art and
learned from my mistakes.
Hopi Art always has meaning. Had this conversation with a fellow artist during my last show
in early September of this year. Hopi art all revolves around germination towards life. Clouds,
moisture, crops, peace and happiness, good spirit. Hopi songs are the same way. Our Hopi Gods we
pray to, to help in providing good life.
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Healthcare.gov web site works fine, and real task
of health care reform is ahead
MARK TRAHANT
The healthcare.gov web site is working. I spent some time on it this weekend and it was easy
to navigate, pages popped up when they should, and I quickly found answers.
All of this is good news because it will make it easier for folks to fill out the forms and see
what’s possible under the Affordable Care Act. If you want insurance to begin on January 1, 2014,
then you need to fill these forms out this month. The deadline is December 23.
But for American Indians and Alaska Natives this process is both confusing and damning.
It’s confusing because it’s a form that requires financial information, a lot like a tax return, so it
means rounding up some documents. The damning part? I’ll get to that shortly. First let’s explore
the healthcare.gov process.
For American Indians and Alaska Natives: The most important form is “Appendix B.” This
is the paperwork that secures a lifetime exemption from the insurance mandate. Lifetime is a pretty
good deal. So paperwork or not, this is worth doing this month (or you can also file this with your
tax returns in April).
There is help to fill out these forms. Go to the Indian Health Service or a local urban or tribal
clinic. Find someone there who has been trained. You should get answers, because, as IHS acting
director Yvette Roubideaux wrote recently, “I don’t know is not an acceptable answer.”
One of the best things I read this weekend was an item in Montana’s Char-Koosta News
with a schedule of community meetings on the Affordable Care Act. Yes! This should be happening
across Indian Country.
There needs to be information, not just cheer leading, about what this law means and how it
might change the Indian health system. (This is the main reason for my five-part video series with
Page 24
Vision Maker Media .) The law will shake up the Indian health system dramatically, opening up
new funding sources, as well as presenting new challenges.
The problem is that so much of the discourse has been cast in absolute terms. Democrats
need to recognize that this law, like the web site, is not perfect. It’s just one step -- and a
complicated one at that. And Republicans would better serve the country if they would stop crying
repeal and look for constructive additions or subtractions.
Then it’s the same in Indian Country.
I often hear from people who say that Obamacare should not apply. American Indians and
Alaska Natives have a treaty right to health care and therefore insurance is not needed. I agree. But
then what? It’s a hard fact that Congress is not going to fund the Indian health system as it should.
So the only two options are to use this law to expand resources or to watch the Indian health
system decline every year as funding shrinks.
There are real problems with this law -- and that’s what we should focus on.
Indian Country has a huge stake in the expansion of Medicaid. This is money that will
directly improve the Indian health system. It’s funding that does not require appropriation from
Congress. But states need to make the decision to opt in -- and too many are saying no. Indian
Country needs to make sure that the legislators and governors know what this means to their
constituents who rely on the Indian health system. (I still think the ultimate solution is to label
Indian Country as a 51st state for Medicaid purposes.)
Another concern of mine is that in some cases, individuals will have to purchase the
insurance, paying real money, to get a tax credit down the road. On paper that looks like an easy
call. But to a family that’s looking at a long list of monthly bills, then one for insurance, even if it’s
“free” later is one that might be skipped.
Or, how do tribes pay for insurance as employers for part-time or seasonal employees? It’s a
new expense that might not work in a budget environment that is already under pressure because of
shrinking federal contracts. Tribes will have do one of three things: Hire fewer people, pay a fine,
or come up with the money to buy insurance.
The healthcare.gov web site may work perfect today. But there still is a lot of fine tuning
ahead when it comes to the Affordable Care Act. Especially for Indian Country.
Mark Trahant is the 20th Atwood Chair at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He is a journalist,
speaker and Twitter poet and is a member of The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. Join the discussion on
Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/TrahantReports
Page 25
NATIVE AMERICAN INFLUENCE IN THE CULINARY WORLD
by TRISH ZAPATA
Native American people and the
food they hunted,gathered and grew
have not only impacted American
food today but also influenced
cuisines worldwide. Depending on the
geographical location of indigenous
peoples of the Americas, certain styles
of Native American cuisines emerged
to evolve into some of the most popular
food we continue to eat today.
Native American people are
responsible for the discovery of some
of the worlds most important food
staples such as maize ( corn), beans,
and squash. They introduced tomatoes
which the Europeans initially considered
poisonous and a variety of peppers
as well as sassafras. From potatoes to
cocoa ( chocolate ), cinnamon, many
types of berries and a large variety of
other major food products used today.
Native Americans definitely
deserve more acknowledgement and appreciation for their impact and contribution to the cuisines
of not only the Americas but the world. As a chef of thirty years I felt my Native American brethren
needed to be acknowledges for who without their contributions to the culinary world, we would
not be able to enjoy some of the most popular foods eaten today.
TRISH ZAPATA
© 2013
HAPPY NEW
YEAR
2014
Page 26
Keya’s First Time Meeting Santa by A. Kay Oxendine
Photo submitted by mother, Katy Isennock
Keya was not joyful upon her first visit meeting Santa Claus. Her reaction is pricless.
Keya is from the Lakota tribe.
Page 27
Bring It!
by Samantha Chisholm Hatfield Ph.D
I'd been seeing the bird which I was traditionally taught, brings change; change in all forms.
That animal, even the inanimate representation of it, initiates a fearful reaction. Everywhere I
turned around, there it sat, staring directly at me. On shelves, in stores, on the television. Initially
I ignored it. I told myself it was for others, and I was just a witness. Then, I cursed it: “that stupid
thing . . . “. I denied it; I scrolled down past posts with it, I deleted pictures, I changed the station.
And finally, one day last week when shopping, my little one pointed it out. I paused, and physically
picked up the item in its inanimate form, causing me to catch my breath. I looked directly at it.
“Bring it!” I said out loud. My little one’s expression turned quizzical as he witnessed me talking
to an inanimate object that brought fear. An object which is not allowed in our home. The animal’s
name is not even allowed in the house, and I squelch the little one when it is unknowingly uttered.
Tradition. Knowledge. Beliefs. They are deeply ingrained.
Change is difficult. It is not something that is welcomed by most, and even those who
welcome it wish to harness the amount of change that occurs. As if organizing and controlling
change can happen simultaneously.
I saw an old friend this morning. It was awkward, and stilted. I initially felt hurt, and
confused. The invitation for having coffee was extended, but lacked heartfelt warmth that had been
there so many times prior. I wondered what I had done, why the coolness had replaced the bright
warmth of genuine sincerity, and then I remembered the bird.
Things change, and sometimes people along the walk change, too. My life has been on a
specific path for some time; a path which was told to me years ago by prominent Elders. I strive to
conform with others' paths, and fail repeatedly. I oft forget my path is the one I need to be on, the
one which must be followed. One which is not a path of conformity to others. It is a life which is not always mine to choose, a life which is constructed to fit an agenda
which I was told was laid out for me; others’ expectations will never suffice, and it is not what
Creator intended. I struggle with this. I cling to those I love, and the “landings” where I reside for
brief periods of time before moving on further in my journey. I must remind myself that those who
fall away need to be let go with love and reverence, and that perhaps my path will come around
again to meet theirs. It is a difficult lesson for me; one that I repeat often.
Change happens in all forms, and it is a way to grant our lives with maturity, and respect. It
offers opportunities to grow, to learn, to expand, and to exercise compassion. I look forward to the
new year, and cannot help but reflect as well. The path ahead sometimes looms larger than I can
fathom, and yet the path I have walked thus far was called "impossible". And yet, here I am, and
here I will be. We must continually remind ourselves that the "impossible" is only a word. Other's
expectations and perceptions, do not mold us; only Creator holds that power. The year ahead holds
the door open to new possibilities, as does each sunrise. It is our decision to invite the possibility
in, and allow ourselves to rise to the level of success. We must go where we are shown, we all walk
Page 28
our own path.
"So bring it" has become a motto in our home. We welcome the opportunities, even as fear
accompanies it. Moving through the fear is part of the journey. So be it. Bring it. Bring the change,
and allow its presence to teach, to guide, to break down so that things can be rebuilt - stronger,
better, kinder, more Red. Bring the change we wish to honor, in the way Creator intended. Bring it.
Love Your Queen
Adam Richardson, December 21, 2013
Love your queen like the summer breeze,
That cools you off when it’s been hot.
Each wish he speaks of, must you heed,
To, each t cross, and each i, dot.
Be the same man with whom she fail,
In love on that breezy summer night.
Know your queen, and know her very well,
To, when things go wrong, make them right.
Protect her when it isn’t safe,
But when it is safe, let her roam.
Maintain your keeping of the faith,
And trust her to come right back home.
Let your queen win each argument,
Even if you know that you are right.
She’ll remember you were a heaven sent,
And love you with even more might.
But take for granted, not, your mate,
And don’t think you have her in a bag,
For right when your head starts to inflate,
She’ll make it bust some kind of bad.
And when your son reaches the right age,
Don’t just tell him of birds and bees.
But teach him in that crucial stage,
To love his queen like the summer breeze.
Page 29
Diabetes Monthly: January 2014
Opportunity, Health, and Diabetes
by Raeanne Madison
If you’re a person living with Diabetes, the start of a new year can be the perfect time to
recharge your mind, spirit, and make a commitment to your health. In the Anishinaabeg Aki, the
territory known as the Great Lakes Region, we know this time of year as Gichi Manidoo Giizi
-- the Great Spirit Moon. We used the Winter Solstice as a chance to look inward, to reflect on
the opportunities and challenges we faced, and to look ahead to the new year and new moon with
gratitude, humility, and love. What a perfect opportunity to form positive relationships with all the
world has to offer!
In last month’s Diabetes Monthly column, I hope you learned about the basics of Diabetes in
technical-medical terms. Now let’s focus on the real stuff: taking care of yourself. Regular self-care
is the number one way you can live a healthy, long, and fulfilling life with Diabetes. Tell yourself
that it is possible to feel great, emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. It may seem
daunting at first. You have a lot to do every day, every year. There are so many appointments to
keep, medicines to take, and questions to ask. Let’s be honest: Diabetes is hard. The good news is,
as Indian people we have the whole world - spiritual, and earthly - to help us through our journeys!
Let’s return to the teachings of the Medicine Wheel and remind ourselves about how this tool can
help us achieve greatness in mind, body, and spirit. As you read about each aspect of the Medicine
Wheel, take a moment to think about where you want to go this year. If you care to, write down
how you will care for yourself and your Diabetes. Write down what resources you need, what
obstacles you need to face, and how your loved ones can help you. Be honest with yourself. Honor
yourself and your journey.
Spiritual
Spiritual health takes many forms. For some people, it may take the form of daily
meditation, prayer, ceremony, or just staying connected to the land and water around them.
Spiritual health requires us to honor the many medicines we have been gifted with -- and to be
grateful for the knowledge our ancestors give us. Find what works for you. Strive to give thanks
every day, and don’t be afraid to ask for help from the Creator, from your medical team, from your
family. To keep yourself spiritually healthy, it’s okay to ask for help and guidance! How will you
work to keep your spirit alive and well even in the face of a chronic disease like Diabetes?
Emotional
Emotional health has to do with our relationships to our loved ones, our community, our
place of work, the land, and even our enemies. You can view Diabetes as a being that you have
a relationship with. How will you keep this relationship healthy, respectful, humble? In doing
educational work across the Great Lakes Region, I have found that many people with Diabetes are
afraid to reach out to their families for help. Indian people are strong, and resilient, and it requires
a great deal of vulnerability to disclose our status and even to ask for help. Make this the year that
you forget how afraid you are. Reach your hand out to find someone else in the circle. They will
help guide you on your path, and you will help them. This is the way we have always done things.
In the circle, no one is more important than anyone else -- we are all equal. Remember that you
Page 30
are important! You do deserve the best care possible, and your relationships are important! Tell
yourself that every night.
Mental
People with Diabetes suffer from higher rates of Depression than people without Diabetes.
No one really knows exactly why this is true, but it is. I have a feeling that many people with
Diabetes feel the daily strain of this disease and it can weaken the spirit. Many people view
Diabetes as something to fight against. Think about the advertisements all around you. “Fight your
Diabetes!” “Fight for your health!” These messages promote a violent world view where you are a
conqueror and your body is to be conquered. If we are constantly trained to fight our own bodies,
no wonder our mental health is broken! It’s time to resist that colonized way of thinking about
Diabetes. Stop fighting, and start healing. Start working with your body instead of against it. You
deserve the best! You deserve peace.
Physical
Chances are you’ve heard a million things about taking care of your physical health if you
have Diabetes. You know that Diabetes can lead to many health problems if you don’t have the
right medicines, the right food, the right routines… With all this talk about “doing the right thing,”
it is easy to forget our own humanity, our own spirits. This year, remember your own humanity.
Respect your body because it is yours -- not because someone tells you to do the right thing.
You are the expert! You know that you need to check your blood sugar every day, keep your feet
protected and clean, and eat a balanced diet that makes you happy. Make a commitment to doing
that! What will help you remember to check your blood sugar? What will help you get motivated
to exercise? What do you need to eat healthier? Take this time to write down what you need to be
more physically healthy.
What does the new year mean to you? What do you hope to accomplish? And what do you
need to help you on your journey? Reflect on those questions. As always, feel welcome to share
your thoughts and ideas with me by emailing allmyrelationsdc@gmail.com.
Until next time, walk in beauty.
Raeanne Madison is a Crane Clan Ojibwa
woman who lives and works as a Health
Educator in the Detroit metro region. She can be
reached by e-mail at allmyrelationsdc@gmail.
com
Page 31
Greetings from Navajo Country!
My name is Jovanii Nez and I am writing to you today to introduce myself and my cause.
Let me start off by saying that I am a National and Inter-National award-winning Performing Artist,
Motivational Speaker, Youth Advocate, Muralist, and Humanitarian Activist. I have spent most
of my life donating my Divine given talents in aid of numerous causes and inspiring thousands of
youth and adults worldwide by living my life as an example of a true role-model and mentor.
In addition to my life's work and mission, I now have another trying journey before me; a
mission to save the life of my son Jovanii Dream Nez II.
Lil Jovanii was born with one of the rarest conditions known to medical science - Caudal
Regression Syndrome. With this condition there are numerous conditions associated with it, but
the most immediate life-threatening condition Lil Jovanii is suffering; is that he was born with only
one partial underdeveloped multi-cystic kidney.
Our family
has lost everything
we owned in these
last few years, from
our home, vehicles,
businesses, to all of
our belongings. As
parents, we would
not leave the side
of our child through
his first year and a
half of his life spent
hospitalized. We
have been struggling
with everything
ever since and are
under so much stress
physically, mentally,
and spiritually.
Page 32
Although I am
hurting more than I
have ever hurt in my
life, I am equally
experiencing the
greatest love I have
ever felt through the
joy my little family
brings to me.
I have spent over two-thirds of my life doing the best that I can to help others in need and
who are in pain. But now I am here for the first time in my life reaching out to others for help. Our
family needs to move Lil Jovanii to California's Los Angeles Children's Hospital for his immediate
care and transplant. Our family has no means to accomplish this without help from others. We will
need to be there for a minimum of one year.
Fortunately through my past as a humanitarian entertainer and activist, I have met a few
wonderful like-minded individuals in the industry. One in particular has reached out to us and is
becoming a thriving force behind helping my family in so many ways. Our family is truly grateful
for the help Shirley Maxwell of Concerts For Humanity, Inc. has been giving us. CFH is a nonprofit organization with a similar mission to our music group Smooth Reign's agenda. CFH is
currently producing it's annual charity fund raiser to take place this coming year in Las Vegas,
NV at the Mandalay Bay Resort. CFH is raising funds for two divisions of the American Red
Cross: Services to Military Families & Disaster Relief Services, and the PATH Beyond Shelter.
Shirley Maxwell is an experienced MSW and has greatly aided our family personally with so many
agencies that our family has to deal with in order to survive. Until Shirley came to our aid, we were
living a nightmare dealing with these agencies ourselves.
Shirley has become Lil Jovanii's Guardian Angel and has joined our mission to save his life.
Through her organization, she has included our music group Smooth Reign as the only Native
American group and debut artists to be highlighted at CFH's event and future world events. She
has also included a fund raising campaign for Lil Jovanii and is pledging to donate a portion of all
proceeds to our cause.
Through Shirley's tremendous display of generosity and personal giving, my family, music
group, and I have vowed to equally support CFH's noble cause. Currently Shirley is seeking
investors and sponsors for CFH's annual event which will reach an estimate 20+ million fans
nationally, and an estimated one billion+ fans inter-nationally. CFH will secure national and international superstars (i.e.,Shakira, Aerosmith, The Eagles, Katie Perry, etc.). With this platform, our
music group has the potential to become the first Native American multi-genre urban act to reach
an audience of this magnitude and to become ambassadors to our great sovereign nations. Through
our music and lifestyle, we will break down many ill-received stereo-types and introduce many
cultures of the world to our true past, present, and future indigenous nature and current issues.
Our family is asking you to please help Lil Jovanii by way of monetary donations or you
can help by supporting CFH; which will greatly support our cause. Donations can be made for as
little as $1 to any greater amount you wish to submit. To immediately help our family with the
most pressing issues, we seek to raise $10,000 to help us stay above water and allow us to be in a
position to provide the care needed for Lil Jovanii so that we may work on the greater fund raising
campaign with a goal of raising the $60,000 we will need for the year we are to be in California for
his surgeries, transplant, and medical expenses not covered by our insurance.
Page 33
I am currently working on a song and video for Lil Jovanii. You can view the video and find
out more about our music group by visiting: www.smoothreign.com
If you would like to make a donation to our family directly, you may send your donations to:
Jovanii Dream Nez
P.O. Box 55
Gallup, NM 87305
(805) 279-0809
jnez835@gmail.com
www.nuvizhn.com
www.smoothreign.com
Or to make donations that are tax-deductable; please visit: www.concertsforhumanity.org for
more information.
CFH is offering a wonderful investment opportunity. If you would like more information on
becoming a sponsor or an investor, you may visit their site at: www.concertsforhumanity.org for
more detailed information; or send an e-mail to: event@concertsforhumanity.org requesting their
investor package information. By phone, you may contact Shirley Maxwell directly at (805) 5069495.
Please share this message with as many friends, family, contacts, social media, or anyone
who may be of interest that your heart leads you to.
Our family sincerely thanks you for your time and consideration more than you could ever know.
Sincerely,
Jovanii Nez
Page 34
Three Dreams
It’s odd to look back at how many dreams
I had of the departed & lately more & more dreams
Are coming back but also the most vivid dreams
Still stand out & there are some I can recall
The ones from ‘Qkillt’, ‘Tenunashut’, & above all
Most of them it took a long while to comprehend
Couldn’t understand a thing a clouded vision that made it difficult to comprehend
If not all of them it was clouded & overcast a color I couldn’t comprehend
That image & color but at the end of one dream of the sister it had lighten
Up as she said it would be okay from her Buick it made me feel enlighten
To a less harsh reality
It was those words that continued humility & accept reality
That was probably one of the toughest losses that shook my reality
The second dream was just last night
I had seen my father smiling bright
With the same clothes as the picture in my room
Draped in all black with the black hat & also in this very same room
Another dream had three departed stating ‘he’s not ready to be here’ I awoke in this room
With sudden confusion as there were other objects in it I can’t really describe
And from four in the morning until seven in the morning I couldn’t hide
This experience & called on my mother & sister to help me endure
I needed time away from this place to seek guidance to endure
The power I couldn’t quite understand but thankful for those who helped me endure
One Love to all Wanapums & Wyampums
From your brother Tyrone Ross Thompson
Page 35
Eight New Authors Join IAIA Writers Festival
SANTA FE, N.M. - December 13, 2013 - An array of new award-winning authors join the
IAIA Writers Festival, a week of free campus readings by graduate students and instructors from
the new MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) January 4-10, 2014.
"We've got a great lineup for the second Writers Festival, with old friends reading new work
and some new faces," said Jon Davis, director of IAIA's MFA in Creative Writing and Santa Fe
Poet Laureate. "This promises to be even more exciting than the very popular first festival."
New writers include:
Ramona Ausubel, novelist and Santa Fe native
Gabrielle Calvocoressi, poet and critic
Santee Frazier, Cherokee poet
Linda Hogan, eminent Chickasaw novelist, poet, and nonfiction author
Joan Kane, Donald Hall Prize-winning Inupiaq poet
Chip Livingston, Creek poet, and fiction and nonfiction author
Chris Merrill, poet, nonfiction writer, and head of the Iowa International Writing Program
Ken White, screenwriter and poet
Davis will also read from his new manuscript, Reply All, and from his most recent book,
Preliminary Report (Copper Canyon Press, 2010).Returning authors include Sherman Alexie
(Spokane/Coeur d'Alene), Sherwin Bitsui (Navajo), Natalie Diaz (Mohave/Pima)and Melissa
Febos.
The Writers Festival is part of IAIA's low residency MFA program in Creative Writing visiting faculty are introduced to graduate students when they are in residence in Santa Fe and
mentor students throughout their coursework. Approved by the Commission on Higher Education
earlier this year, IAIA's graduate program allows students to work and live in their hometowns
while working toward a Creative Writing degree. IAIA's program is unique - it's the only one in the
Page 36
country that focuses on Native American literature and authors.
"For the aspiring Native writer, this is a chance to work with established elders in the
Native writing community," Davis says. "For the non-Native, it's a chance to immerse him or
herself in a vital tradition of American literature. One-fourth of the literature read is authored by
Native writers. These residencies are on Native ground. There will be a sense of ownership and
community."
All readings start at 6 p.m. at the IAIA campus at 83 Avan Nu Po Road, and are free and
open to the public. RSVPs are required for the Sherman Alexie reading.
For more information about the IAIA Writers Festival, please visit www.iaia.edu/iaia-news/
events/iaia-writers-festival/. For authors' biographies, please go to www.iaia.edu/iaia-news/events/
iaia-writers-festival/writers/. For more information about the Institute's MFA Creative Writing
Program, go to www.iaia.edu/academics/mfa-in-creative-writing/.
###
About IAIA
For more than 50 years, the Institute of American Indian Arts has played a leading role in
the direction and shape of Native expression. As it has grown and evolved into an internationally
acclaimed college, museum and community and tribal support resource through the Center for
Lifelong Education, IAIA's dedication to the study and advancement of Native arts and cultures is
matched only by its commitment to student achievement and the preservation and progress of the
communities they represent. Learn more about our achievements and mission at www.iaia.edu.
NATIVE AMERICAN
PROVERB: REGARD
HEAVEN AS YOUR
FATHER, EARTH AS
YOUR MOTHER, AND
ALL THINGS AS YOUR
BROTHERS AND
SISTERS.
~ UNKNOWEN ~
Page 37
This One’s For My People
by Michaela Kee
This article was supposed to be submitted last month, but being busier than a worker bee
serving my family, students, community as a mom,
daughter, preschool teacher, coach and graduate student
on the at home, school, on the court and late nights
doing research and readings, I was unable to meet the
deadline. Ten years ago I would have never thought
that I’d be living in Many Farms (of all places right?)
raising my daughter; being a teacher, with two seasons
of volleyball coaching under my belt, becoming a
published writer while pursuing a Master’s Degree. When
you’re young, you dream big dreams and claim you’ll
never come back to the rez to work, raise your family
or even find a partner who is the same tribe member,
but sometimes, that’s exactly what happens. Life will
happen, we will experience great triumphs and our hearts
may break several times, but how you react and handle
the experiences will make you stronger or in a state of
hopelessness.
Our
First Nations
8 Year old Bahazhoni in traditional
People coast
Navajo clothes.
to coast have
endured many faces of genocide from outsiders who
refused to accept the indigenous ways of livelihood.
The month of November has been established
as Native American Heritage month. Although I
appreciate the thought and the delegation of this month
for Native American Heritage month, I always wonder
“What is wrong with the other 11 months?” It is often
during this month that I see local people from children
to adults decked out in their beautiful turquoise
bracelets and bow guards and leg-wrapped moccasins.
The sighting of our grandmas dressed flawlessly in
their skirts and floral handkerchiefs and our grandpas
with their concho hat bands secured by years of wear
on their hats and turquoise watchbands hugging their
wrists are rarely seen nowadays. With our elders
journeying into the next life, their teachings and way of
life are going with them.
We cannot lose our children to this western
Page 38
© MKee 2013 All Rights Reserved.
© MKee 2013 All Rights Reserved.
Owen, 6 years old, ready for
school in his moccasins.
society. Children of the 21st century are in desperate need of the songs and teachings of our
ancestors like never before while we prepare them for to succeed through the eyes of western
civilization. Two years ago, we had a wonderful Dine’ (Navajo) Language teacher, Mr. Bennie
Begay, at Many Farms Community School, Inc.; he was very effective with the children and adults
at the school. When we attended his class, it was hard for us to leave; the spoken and written
language came to life with the songs, stories, teachings, and humor that was embedded within the
language itself. During the year we attended his class, there was a recurring emphasis on the need
for us, as parents and grandparents to SPEAK our language to our children and to encourage them
to speak in our language. We were given a challenge one day, our challenge was to sit down at
dinner time and speak only Navajo during that time with one another. I will say that it was even a
challenge for me to hold a conversation in Navajo with my family of two and I felt horrible, but
that is a situation that can be changed for the better.
My mom is an amazing woman. Granted, every article I have submitted is about her or she
is in it, but her passion to see her children and grandchildren succeed surpasses all the English
words that can be used. In November,
four of my co-workers and I set out to
Washington D.C. for National Association
for the Education of Young Children’s
National Conference for one week. Prior to
packing for the week, my mom made sure
that I had packed my turquoise, traditional
hair tie for the traditional hairstyle, and keh
ntsah (traditional leg wrapped moccasins).
I reassured her that I had items that would
adorn me and let people know that I am a
Dine’ (Navajo). Prior to this event, I had
not had a chance to wear them and I read on
Twitter on Rock Your Mocs day that “there
were a lot of ‘white and clean’ moccasins”
and it made me chuckle cause it was true.
© MKee 2013 All Rights Reserved.
Keh nts’aah (leg wrapped moccasins)
I was guilty as charged. Day One
all over Washington D.C.
of the conference I woke up early to give
myself some extra time to get the leg
wrappings just right. I grabbed my bag and camera and set out to greet Washington D.C. Western
Navajo Agency style. Instantly, the greeter on the lobby floor said “Good morning” but was
looking at my moccasins. I felt the gazes as I trekked up and down the floors of the convention
center, on the streets as people walked and talked on their phones and even in the glossy floors of
the Smithsonian Museum. Be Indigenous every day, all day.
This one was for my Navajo People and all the beautiful First Nations People near and far.
Page 39
Maya Fulfills Dream of Giving to Homeless Teens
by A. Kay Oxendine
In the October 2013 issue of Native Hoop, I introduced Maya Richardson to you. She is a
Haliwa-Saponi Hoop Dancer, who had a dream of hoop dancing for Hope, and whatever money
she collected, she would give to help homeless teens. On December 21, 2013, Maya presented
a check for $500 to Act Together. In the photos below, Maya is shown presenting the check to
the counselors, and the second picture is of the dance team that joined her for the presentation.
Congrats, Maya! Photos by Barbara Richardson
Page 40
Act Together is a 12 bed facility for youth who have run away, are experiencing a family crisis,
are the victims of abuse or neglect, or become homeless for other reasons. The maximum stay is
normally 15 days, is voluntary and must be earned by an earnest effort to develop solutions using
other Youth Focus and community resources. Referrals can be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The shelter serves approximately 250 youths in a year. For more information, call 336-375-1332
or go to http://www.youthfocus.org/act_together_crisis_care.htm.
Page 41
Wicapiluta Candalaria
The Future of the American Indian Movement, In California
"We came here to pray! I don’t know how you do it, but I sing ,
that is how I pray if you want to pray with me you can..", Wicapiluta Candalaria, 2013
We have all seen that bright shining youngster in our community. You know the one; he is
always smiling and helping elders, singing on the drum, chopping wood for the sweat and never
complaining. Yes, we have all know that young man who grows up knowing things. Indian things.
Things that will help the People. Things the old ones knew. That youngster in San Francisco is
Wicapiluta Candalaria, an Apache/Rumson Oholone California Indian.
Luta is the future of West Coast AIM. He is a multi,faceted activist fighting the struggle on
many fronts. His passions are the People, the Culture, the language, the tradition. He expresses
his passions through art, music, ceremony, political action and education. Wicapiluta is the
embodiment of the Fannonian post-colonial ideal, brilliant, critical thinker and a profoundly
creative traditional man. The quality of Luta's Character is no accident; he was born into the
Movement. The son of very culturally politically active parents, Wicapiluta received his name by
Archie Fire Lame Deer at D.Q. University Sundance while he was in the womb and continues the
work he was born into.
The common denominator amongst all AIM members is that we hold ourselves as traditional
people, embodying to the best of our capacity the values of our ancestors. Wicapiluta is a great
example of that embodiment. Being raised in both the Sundance and California Indian Bear
traditions, Luta continues the cultural practices of his father and family. Those cultural practices
and values are the guiding philosophy for this young mans life as he told me, "Ceremony puts
my life in perspective contextualizing the relationship between the People and the land, the
past and the present, my place in the struggle showing me the future of my work", (W.C.). The
American Indian Movement has a rich story in California from Alcatraz to Point Conception , the
development of DQ University, the Student strikes at San Francisco State which resulted in the
first College of Ethnic Studies in the country. Uncle Chemu and Aunt Teresa Luta's parents were
guiding protagonists in all those actions ensuring that culture and tradition led the way. Number 7
of 8 children, Luta's is the continuum of this wealthy legacy, guiding actions against the Keystone
Pipeline, supporting the Wintum Peoples struggle for the land and ceremony rights, supporting the
family of Andy Lopez, the minor shot by Santa Rosa Police, or the opposing Indian Mascots of
Vallejo High School in Vallejo California, or the saving of sacred sites such as Segora te in Vallejo,
CA. Wicapiluta has been on the front line guiding the way through traditional wisdom as his
parents did. Luta is a warrior and when the warriors call him he goes, led by his Canumpa and the
guiding principles of AIM.
AIM is many things to many people but above all, AIM is a spiritual movement and that
spirit guides us in many ways. For Wicapiluta, this guidance has taken him to many fronts of
the struggle. While most People think the American Indian Movement to be strictly a movement
Page 42
predicated on political action AIM could never be essentialized to such a space. When you
see Luta in action, you realize the complexity of the American Indian Movement. His spiritual
mindfulness gives him a calmness rarely seen in the youth; a calmness that speaks with great
wisdom. He uses his gift to out reach to the youth, to educate them not only to issues confronting
the Oholone People of San Francisco but about the contemporary story of Indian Peoples. It is
not uncommon to see Luta
surrounded by enthusiastic
young folks absorbing every
word he gives to them. Nor
is it uncommon to see Luta
in schools across the state
working with instructors to
make lasting and positive
affects on the curriculum
involving Indian Peoples.
In his work in the schools,
you can clearly see the depth
and range of Wicapiluta's
knowing, his culture, the
story of his People and his
cross-cultural awareness of
other Aboriginal Nations. He
is truly a great resource for
the school system as his depth
and scope of knowledge is
vast, his report with students
is uplifting, empowering and
encouraging.
When one thinks of the
American Indian Movement,
one immediately thinks
of our violent opposition
to our colonization. That
reductive image, however
fails in light of the modern
warriors of the Movement.
The modern warrior in AIM
is a renaissance man: Luta is a renaissance Indian. Humble, complicated,well read, well-cultured,
courageous and creative. One of the many things I have enjoyed about Luta is his creative beauty.
His poetry is moving. Coming from deep in his spirit, it has, like his music, helped him cope with
the pain of losing his father and brother. His music and poetry are very personal expressions
speaking to his life in the Movement. "I find my relatives in my memory and in the strangest
places they speak to me and that is what ends up being my poetry or my music". (W.C.) Currently,
Page 43
Luta is on tour with a few other artists promoting his activist movement spreading consciousness,
edutaining people to the struggles of Native American Indians and the history of our Movement.
You can find him on you tube reciting some of his poetry and laying some of his flow.
Wicapiluta Candalaria is the future of the American Indian Movement, from activism to
art and education, Luta is impacting and affecting his family, his partner and his community.
Walking with integrity to his canumpa, keeping his commitment in making tomorrow a better
place for all Indian People. In speaking to Luta about what he considers to be pressing issues in
Indian country I was pleased to hear the critical eloquent response,"Lateral Oppression". "Lateral
Oppression affects our communities in ways are just starting to understand. Because we suffer from
generational trauma that causes everything from domestic violence to drug and alcohol dependency
in our community, until we begin to examine these spaces in our community we will be carrying
the scars of our past with us with every step. The problem is that these are very difficult issues to
address because they are hidden in the dark spaces of our families, and healing those places is the
hardest thing for us to do. So we carry the trauma with us into every future we make. And our
future is the most pressing issue I see. Our future has to be oppression free. Lateral or other wise,".
After you have spent time with this young man you realize he is listening and not speaking.
He is engaged in change, not passive. He loves his Peoples and our future and that is what you
realize about Wicapitula Candalaria.
Peace to the nations.
Docta T
Page 44
More Than Statistics
by Ruth Hopkins
Some would say that I'm a statistic: a Native woman who belongs to a group that represents
only 1% of the entire U.S. population- one who’s had 97.9% of their homelands taken from them.
I'm part of the 39% of Reservation Indians who grew up in poverty, the 21% of Native girls who
become moms before age 20, and the 16% of Natives who've attempted suicide before age 24. I am
the 1 in 3 Native women who've experienced sexual assault. I am also one of only approximately
114,000 Oceti Sakowin ('Sioux') left- 1 of 12,000 Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate. According to life
expectancy rates, I passed mid-life years ago.
But there's something they can't account for...the indomitable resilience of my people.
Faith, love, hope- all of these are Creator given, and cannot be quantified. I come from an ancient
people, ones who thrived under a sustainable economy and lived in harmony with the Universe
for millennia, before the invaders came and systematically hunted them down across a frozen
prairie, mowing them down by gunfire, while my ancestors shielded their infants with their bodies.
Statistically they should not have survived- the government certainly tried to exterminate us and
any trace of our culture. It was federal policy.
Well, they failed. We remain, and in the war for hearts and minds and Mother Earth, we will
be victorious.
So with nothing but a dream, a large dose of humility, and a whole lot of hard work, I
became 1 of 65,000 Natives who have a professional degree, and the 1st in my family to do so.
The 2nd female Tribal member to grace our Tribal court judicial bench. But statistics be damned,
because I am alive and healthy here and now, and so are you. We've been given this day. We make
our world. We shape the future. Those who call us conquered are deceivers who believe their own
lies. We are the answer to prayer. Our spirits are not broken and we rise. To hell with your sorry
statistics.
Wisdom comes only
when you stop looking
for it and start living
the life the Creator
intended for you. Hopi
Page 45
Affluenza, My Ass
by John Christian Hopkins
Did you hear the one about the 16-year-old Texas boy who was driving drunk – three times
the normal limit – and kills four people?
He got probation. Not a single day in jail.
Ethan Couch’s defense was a mind-boggling case of “affluenza.” Basically that his family
was so rich that they failed to raise him to know right from wrong.
Do you think a poor black kid from a broken home would get the same leniency if he
claimed he wasn’t raised correctly?
LMAO.
Sometimes the American court system just pisses me off.
Maybe Lady Liberty is blind, but apparently she ain’t deaf. If she hears enough coins
tinkling off her scales, she knows where to stick justice.
And, here, I thought the Trayvon Martin decision was going to be the most outrageous
miscarriage of justice this year.
George Zimmerman pretty much got away with murder there, but he wouldn’t have if he’d
killed the rich white teen in Texas.
America is a divided country, but it’s not between black and white. It’s between those who
have the green and those who don’t.
Affluenza, my ass.
Maybe there’s just something in the water in Texas?
Another case that stinks to high heaven is the Michael Morton affair. You may have heard
about this one; Morton was convicted of killing his wife and spent 25 years in prison before DNA
evidence cleared him.
We all understand that the courts aren’t infallible, and sometimes they will make a mistake.
But there was no mistake in Morton’s case.
The prosecutor deliberately withheld evidence that surely would have changed the jury’s
decision and watched Morton be marched off to prison.
Page 46
When the prosecutor’s malicious actions came to light the judge threw the book at him.
Too bad it was a comic book.
The prosecutor, Ken Anderson, went on to become a judge. For his punishment he lost his
law license – and got slapped with a 10-day jail sentence and $500 fine!
He stole 25 years of an innocent man’s life and gets a 10 day sentence. In what universe is
that justice?
I think when a prosecutor or law enforcement officials deliberately lie or withhold evidence
to win a conviction they should be taken right off the street and plopped into the same cell the
innocent man occupied, and for the exact same number of days the innocent person served.
I guess – if you’re not mega-rich – you better hope you don’t get dragged into the judicial
system.
America, the beautiful. If you want to retain that illusion, you better not peek underneath
Lady Justice’s skirt. You might not like what you find there.
Ah, but maybe there is hope, though. In Canon City, Colo, school officials have allowed
Hunter Yelton, 6, back class and dropped the sexual harassment charge filed against him for kissing
a girl on the hand.
I guess he just wasn’t raised to know any better.
Page 47
Cheyenne Badonie
Page 48
A Rising Star
by KARA BROWN
Cheyenne Badonie is 15 years old and overflowing with talent. At the age of
five, Cheyenne was introduced to powwow dancing by her uncle, Jayme Bad Warrior, a
descendant of Crazy Horse.
Cheyenne describes Navajo powwows as more ceremonial than a social gathering.
Centered mainly around singing and the regalia. Cheyenne felt the push to go for it because
it was something new and she cares very much for her culture.
She has even learned the Navajo language from her traditional grandparents. She
tries to learn as much as she can before her elders pass on.
Cheyenne also models and has a very bright future. Her pictures depict the natural
beauty of all native women and she is a positive role model for young girls everywhere.
Her future plans are to travel the world and eventually start her career in Paris. The
drive and determination this young girl shows, I have no doubt she has a bright future ahead
of her. The biggest hope she has for speaking up and doing this interview is to help other
models because not many Navajos have
this experience to be recognized.
Page 49
Leroy Not Afraid - Justice of the Peace for Bighorn County, Montana
(First Native American elected in Montana’s history)
My philosophy, “If you do not do it at home, don’t do it at all!”
by Celest Long Elk
My name is Leroy Not Afraid, My natural mother is Francine Not Afraid (Crow & Sioux),
and my Natural Father is Willis Sage (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara). I was raised and adopted by
the Late Flora Medicine Horse Not Afraid & Cyril Not Afraid. Maternal Great Grandfather Thomas
“Left hand bear” Medicine Horse from Oglala Lakota, attended Carlyle Indian School and Married
Crow tribal member Maternal Great Grandmother, Julie High Hawk, Daughter of Crow Chief High
Hawk.
Thomas Medicine Horse being fluent in Lakota, Crow, and English became an Interpreter,
for the Crow in Washington D.C. at the turn of the last century to fight the Dawes leasing act. The
act sought to eliminate the Crow Indian Reservation.
Paternal Great Grandfather “Not Afraid”, Horse Doctor & Medicine man
He later became one the first United States (Federal) Indian Police Officers for Crow Agency, MT
(Black Lodge District)
Page 54
I am enrolled member of the Crow Tribe of Indians, Bloodlines of Oglala Sioux, Mandan,
Hidatsa, & Arikara.
Chief Judge-elect for the Crow Nation Judicial Branch, Inauguration set for December 2nd,
2013
My Crow Name, as given to me by the late Alex Birdinground, Sr. is, “High Hawk!” The name
originally belonged to my Maternal Great grandfather who was a chief in the 1800’s. Crow Belief
says, “High Hawk” is a bird that no longer exists, they say the, “High Hawk” could fly higher than
an eagle.
In 2006, Big Horn County, Montana had never had a native judge before. In 1980’s, Windy
boy Vs. Bighorn County, A landmark Federal voting rights case that opened the door for Natives to
be elected to several County & State offices. Those offices have included; State Senate & House
seats, County Commissioners, Sheriff, Clerk & Recorder, County Attorney, District Court clerk,
School Board(s), Etc.. Up until I ran for office, there had never been a Justice of the Peace. I felt,
it was time we were represented in that seat as well. It was time to bring equality and Fundamental
fairness to Justice Court.
Education is a key to everything in life! However, somewhere in our history, “We as Indian
People have construed ourselves to believe that the only education that exists is the education
that is offered by a formal educational institution. We’ve forgotten the importance of learning
our languages, history, and maintaining a connection with our heritage. We somehow have lost
the value of granting a degree of education to our native speakers or storytellers, or grant medical
practitioner licenses to our traditional healers. We fail to realize that it is life experience that gives
value to a person’s potential. Don’t get me wrong, I honor education! I promote it! I proclaim it
to be a key to life. Yet, I disagree when the highly educated, “feel an entitlement to be honored!”
I believe honor is due to those who have given the most. For example, spiritual leaders, military
veterans, Elders, and the Volunteer who asks nothing in return.
National Farmers Union Insurance Company vs. The Crow Tribe of Indians, frequently
referred to as the Sage case --upheld the jurisdiction of tribal courts over non-Indians in civil cases
on Indian reservations across the Country. Established, the exhaustion principle of Tribal court
remedies, and also, where a Tribal Court can determine for itself whether it has Jurisdiction or not.
I was the original plaintiff in the case cited above, I was ten years old when I was hit by a
motorcycle on land owned by non-Indian School district. Looking back, I nearly died that day.
But, it set a chain of events that would impact tribal jurisdiction & Sovereignty for many years to
come. “Even to today!” Professionally, I can say the benefit has impacted my life professionally,
it motivated me to later become a board member and Chairman of the School district, and I
once sued. Now, many years later, I’ve recently been elected the Chief Judge of the Crow
Nation Judicial Branch. I never dreamed in a million years that I would become the Chief Court
Administrator for the Court I fought so hard for years earlier. Wow! You know how they say life
goes full circle? Today, I am a believer.
Page 55
I am so thankful to member of the Crow Nation. I am so blessed to know my language,
culture, and history. Knowing who I am and where I come from attributed to all my successes.
Obstacles? I am a recovering alcoholic! 8 years clean & sober! However, my greatest
personal challenge was being addicted to alcohol & drugs. I was lying in a hospital bed dying from
the disease of alcoholism. I could not quit on my own. I was not a good father or son. I was not
a good community member and I was not walking in wholeness. Yet, on September 19, 2005, I
entered a treatment facility and my journey into recovery began. It has not been easy, but with a
12- step program of recovery, a power greater than me, and a sober fellowship that will not leave
me alone. Has caused my life to transform into freedom and hope. Today, I am the best dad &
husband that I can be. I am able to be the best public servant I can be. My relationship with my
personal Lord & Savior Jesus Christ has brought me peace that the World cannot bring me. It’s a
great day to be clean and sober.
Page 56
Today, I travel Indian country to serve as a Motivational Speaker/trainer for Native youth
across the country. My philosophy, “If you do not do it at home, don’t do it at all!” Today, I train
young people to volunteer, “God allows me to Volunteer” Today, I train School boards to be better
board members, and “I served two terms as a board member. Today, I train tribal Leaders to more
effective leaders, “I’ve served two terms as a tribal leader!” Today, I train Tribal court Judges to be
better Judges, “I’m starting my 3rd term, as a Judge!”
Today, I ask young people to join me in being a sober leader, “By God’s grace, I am sober
today!”
Today, I ask young men to be responsible Father’s and Husband’s! “With God’s help I am
growing each day to be better and better.”
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HAUDENOSAUNE/CREE COMEDIAN
~ CHARLIE HILL ~
A Man of Humor, Courage, Strength, Perseverance
A FORERUNNER
by Carla-Rae
With the sting of sadness and grief I write this announcement concerning the passing
of a man who was a, husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, friend, comedian, actor, and
community role model to many. We will miss you Charlie Hill. With family by his side Charlie,
passed over early Monday morning December 30, 2013,
after a lengthy battle with lymphoma.
I had just finished writing an article on December
28, 2013 after speaking with his family about how to offer
financial support to help defray the expenses the family has
been incurring due to Charlie’s medical care and the family’s
personal expenses incurred because of their need to be by
his side as his caregivers. I was given permission to publish
an open letter that was written by one of Charlie’s family
members. Now, with Charlie’s passing, I feel it is just as
necessary to offer our financial support, perhaps more so
now, as funeral expenses will add additional financial burden
on the family. Therefore, included in this announcement
article is the open letter I received to print along with
information about where donations and support can be given.
For those of you who never had the privilege of knowing Charlie Hill and his work I have
offered a brief biography. Charlie Hill has been a forerunner who has forged a path for others to
follow by achieving a career dream as a comedian in a manner that has brought the idea that Native
Americans are people to “laugh with not at.” His
brand of humor was one that every Native American
understood and identified with. He was a man we
all honor for who he was as a person. What he did is
merely a byproduct of the man.
Charlie Hill made his comedic debut on
the Richard Prior Show in the 70’s. With later
appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman
and the Tonight Show he has forged a path in comedy
that may have not made him known to the public at
large, he was larger than life to Native Americans.
You will be missed, Charlie Hill.
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OPEN LETTER BY HIS FAMILY
Our family is by Charlie’s side 24/7, we never leave his side as we provide care for him,
comfort him and pray for him as well. Charlie’s wife and all of his children took emergency leave,
without pay, from their jobs to be by his side. As a result, two
of his children lost their jobs, in order to commit to being
by his side. An idea that was presented to the family was
to consider setting up the Everribbon donation website, to
ask for support to help pay for Charlie’s bills, as well as to
help out his family financially, so that we all could remain
by his side during this time. The donation website was put
up December 1st and we have been absolutely amazed and
overwhelmed with gratitude at how many people across the
nation have reached out and supported us. Most of all, we are
so grateful for all the love everyone has for Charlie. He is a
special man, an amazing father, husband, brother, uncle, and
grandfather. He is a leader, a teacher, a warrior and a healer.
For years he has performed across the United States, and healed so many different nations with his
humor. Now, with his condition, the many people across the nation are helping to heal him with
their positive energy, prayers and love. If people are interested in supporting Charlie, donations
can be made online at: https://www.everribbon.com/ribbon/view/15637
Charlie Hill Fund www.everribbon.com
Thank you for choosing to donate to Charlie’s fund.
The Hill family
If people prefer to mail a donation they can address it to:
The Charlie Hill Fund
532 Airport Drive
Oneida, WI 54155
Another way to support Charlie is just to continue to
pray for him. There is nothing more powerful than
prayer, (Charlie has always believed this). Thank you for
reaching out to us, we appreciate it.
The Hill Family
CHARLIE’S PERSONAL MESSAGE
Charlie’s personal message to everyone is just to “tell
people he loves everyone so much and thank you for
taking care of his family”.
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Freedom
by Corey Flood
Sometimes we are gifted by our Creator and we`re not even aware that he has given us all
that we have ever dreamt. We expect the gifts to be in a certain form, more times than not they are
better than the things we had originally asked for or our minds could create. I used to try to imagine
what my purpose in life was to be. I have found out it is better to stop imagining because in each
way my wishes have been surpassed.
I remember so many days, nights, weeks, months, and years that I was caught in a vicious
cycle of alcoholism and drug addiction. There were many times I prayed that I would`t awake to
face another day. I could not imagine that my life would improve. I could not see my way out of
this way of living because I felt this was my destiny. I did not care that my family loved me, did
not care that they called; or knocked on my door seeing if I was alright. The only thing I cared
about was to find a way to not feel.
I have been in prison four different times since 1981, filled 12 years of calendars marking
off the days, the TV specials about prison life cannot begin to make you understand the mentality
of homicide, assault, rapes, and total lack of compassion for any human being in the years I wasted
in incarceration. I witnessed more than I care to admit. I have had many tragic things happen in
my life. I’ve hurt and been hurt. I have seen much and lived through three lifetimes of chaos; the
things I have lost in my life have all been because of my alcohol use. It`s funny how we consider
this deadly thing a friend and answer to it all, when the consequences come we have to deal with
the aftermath-sober. I remember almost losing not only my life but also one of my legs, I was run
over by a drunk driver. Ironic that the doctor credited my surviving to my intoxicated condition
and the physical shape I was always able to maintain. I had to teach myself how to use a commode
with two casts on my legs, had to learn how to walk with two casts, change diapers and take care
of my little girl who was a year and a half, all with crutches and a busted up face that she did not
recognize.
I told myself that I was still alive, and that I would regain my former strength and things
would be better. I regained my strength from training like a possessed man, was in better shape
than previously but again the pull to drink came knocking and I gladly welcomed it.
I lived this way and eventually lost custody of my little girl whom at 17, I had to send to
North Carolina to live with a mother she did not know. I fought for and gained custody of my
daughter when she was six months old. Raising her was the proudest thing I had ever done, I had
to send her away at 17 years of age because I was headed to prison on sentence number three for
fourth offense DUI , resisting arrest and third degree assault. I refused to allow anything to affect
me for long. I also became used to living in confinement. Most people fear prison and should, for
me it was my go to place when I could not handle society.
In 2003 I received a four to ten year sentence. I was charged with 2nd degree assault, assault
with a deadly weapon and terroristic threats. I was also facing habitual criminal charges because
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of my previous three sentences. I was facing at the very least a 10-60 year sentence without parole.
It`s funny how we claim to feel nothing while in this mindset but will fight for survival for our
freedom. I had a court appointed attorney who I told to remain silent. I chose to speak for myself
and fought this case, and got the habitual criminal charges dropped and began my four to ten year
sentence. I went through every self help program the state had and paroled out after four years,
my last sentence was spent in Tecumseh State Prison, maximum security and knew 80 % of the
population from previous sentences; I looked at my life and for the very first time, wanted more.
For some reason something finally clicked and my life has become one of surprises.
There’s not enough room to include all the hurt, pain, loss and disgust I put myself through
because of my desire to run from life. I did not have the courage to face my life, sober. I will tell
you this I have been sober for some time now. I don`t even remember what it was that I liked
about alcohol. I don`t remember the way I felt while drinking. At times the only reminder is that I
do not know my oldest daughter and her children as well as I would like to, I am very close to the
daughter I raised alone and her two daughters, but there is still a lifetime of hurt that needs healing
between us. Those are the things this disease has taken from me. The most hurtful thing in my
life was to have to physically pick up my 17 year old daughter and put her in her mother’s car as
I watched them drive off, and she looked back at me until she faded from sight, the last words out
of her mouth was “why don’t you love me anymore Dad.” Today when I look at our old photos it
always makes wonder how I got so very lost. I have met some who know my past and consider me
close to a terrorist, can I change these things- thankfully I do not even try. There are consequences
to my old way of living. I look at each of these struggles as a positive, I will not allow my life or
beliefs to decline, and my past does not dictate my future anymore. I believe this last ordeal my
loving Creator placed in my life for the very reasons I speak of.
Today at the age of fifty one my life is beginning, I have transferred from Wayne State
College and will continue at U.SD in Vermillion S.D. in the spring, beginning another wonderful
journey from Tunkasila, who has given so very much. I have met many special people, been
involved in things and events that I always wished I could have, and learned a great deal about
strength and pride, most of all the spirituality that has always been there waiting for me to grasp
with both hands. I have been honored by the elders of my Oyate, have been given my great
grandfathers pipe, and have been given an opportunity in Native Hoop Magazine which lets me
speak from my heart and share who and what I truly am. I love life now and all that there is to learn
from it. That`s what it is, accepting all the beautiful things that our Creator wants for us, and to stop
fighting what’s meant to be.
I remember going to Bear Butte a couple of years ago, I had my pipe and eagle feathers and
an extreme want in me to pray where so many great warriors had. All I asked was for the chance
to be each and everything he truly wanted me to be. I prayed in the exact place many of our past
famous Holy men, leaders and warriors stood and asked for power, strength and compassion for
all living things. He has given me the strength to pursue a higher education, and the opportunity
to learn to write and become a voice for our people. You never know what it is that your life can
be when stuck in addictions or chaos, or the wonderful road ahead when realizing that you’re
truly worth the effort our Creator spent creating each of us, and for the strength to step away from
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the poisons created from man. I believe our true power cannot emerge until we acknowledge our
Creator and more importantly the messages he sends to us. My life is blessed today. I`ve changed
my Major to Journalism and will have a dual Major in Creative Writing. I have returned to my
true home on the Rosebud Reservation and can hopefully someday find a way to give back to the
beautiful people who reside there. This type of thing has always been my wish.
I know when trapped in addiction it`s hard and feels hopeless at times, but know this,
after the struggles we face intoxicated, correcting our behaviors and regaining our true path is a
intoxication in itself, much more intense and fulfilling than anything manmade. To return to the
bottle or anything that takes away the power he has given me is a nonexistent thought. I will not
allow myself to feel shame or remorse about having made mistakes. I was one of many who could
not forgive myself because of actions made to self and loved ones while intoxicated. These types of
thoughts and regrets kept me trapped and ashamed and you cannot move forward with unresolved
emotions or feelings. Alcohol has been a way of life for too many of us, it was used as a weapon
against us and some of us today have considered this destructive thing an evil without equal and
roadblock to happiness. Many times I promised I would quit until I reached the point in my life
where I wanted to die. When that day arrived, feeling those kinds of things, I knew if I still felt
anything resembling feelings after all I had done to myself, I could thank my Creator by honoring
the life he gave me.
My Mother struggled for many years with very painful and agonizing health problems and
was bed ridden at the end of her life. I took care of her the last 8 months of her life and one time
I asked her where she drew her strength from and what kept her going. She told me that she was
waiting for me to become the man I was meant to be. She knew the son she gave birth to still
existed inside of the body I did so much to destroy. Before she passed away she shared with me
all the many wonderful things that make up who my Mother truly was, I cherish those last days
with her and she got the chance to know the man I am today. There are days when I talk to her
and she somehow like she always does, manages to help me find my way. As long as we have one
strong breath inside us we all can put our demons to rest and hopefully more brothers and sisters
can find the courage even at an age like mine, to sit in class with youngsters and begin life again. I
pray daily that the Sicangu Oyate and Lakotas everywhere can find the power the people once had
before alcohol and drugs became such a part of our lives, and add to the greatness that exists inside
of everyone inhabiting Unci Maka..
Peace to you all. Pilamaya, Corey Flood
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Page 63
The World Didn’t End in 2012
by John Christian Hopkins
Well, 2013 started off on a sour note right from the beginning, or do I mean ending? You see
I was counting on the world coming to an end, as predicted by Quextifizzle Fo’schizzel, my Mayan
Psychic advisor.
So you can see why I hadn’t bothered to think of New Year’s resolutions for 2013. When
New Year’s Eve came at the end of 2012 and me with nothing resolved for the coming year, I got
desperate.
Not trusting the lyin’ Mayan, I decided to hold a séance and seek advice from The Other Side.
My plan was to place wagers on longshots and cash in by betting against the odds.
The Spirit of the Past was Babe Ruth.
“So, 2013 eh?” The Babe said. “Put your money on the pubs.”
well.
Babe’s mouth was stuffed with hot dogs so instead of ‘pubs’, I thought he said “Cubs.” Oh,
The Spirit of the Present was Dennis Rodman. “The Obamacare roll-out will go smoothly. As
my good friend Kim Jong Un said ‘if you like your dictator, you can keep your dictator’!”
“Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson was the Spirit of the Future. “Not a single homo here. I
told them queers will go to hell!”
“This is hell,” Mussolini said. “But the trains run on time.”
Obviously the spirits didn’t help, so I decided to use my abundant skills as a professional
journalist to identify things to bet on in 2013.
First was a sucker’s bet. I was sure that there would always be Twinkies …
Dang.
As you can tell from my compact, if rotund, 230-pound body I obviously work out. I like
doing crunches – my favorites are Cap’n Crunch and Nestle’s Krunch.
So I was in the gym one day – not to work out, just to use the rest room – I spotted this young
woman shaking her butt in a mirror. I couldn’t take my eyes off her butt until the security guards
yanked my face away.
“I’m Miley,” she said.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
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“I call it twerking,” Miley replied. “Bet on it being the next big thing.”
I didn’t know who Miley was, I figured she must be on “Jersey Shore,” because they all
seemed like a bunch of twerks to me. Anyway, I was sure that butt twirling would never catch on.
The next thing I know, everyone was twerking off to Miley.
But there was one thing guaranteed to happen. Prince William and Kate were going to have a
baby. I could recoup my losses by correctly guessing the name of the new royal heir. People thought
it would be something stodgy, like George. But, with Blue Ivy and North West out there, I knew the
young, hip royal couple would come up with a cool name.
So I bet on the baby being named Moon Unit Windsor.
Darn!
As 2013 drew to a close it looked like it was going to be a major disappointment. Looking
ahead I saw promise on the horizon. Most people seem to think Hillary Clinton will win the 2016
presidential election.
Like Hillary could ever beat Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. He’s the All-American boy; who could
resist a man born in Canada who thinks the American president, born in Hawaii, should go back to
Africa?
That’s the kind of logical thinking we need in Washington.
Just when it looked like Lady Luck was going to pass me by in 2013, my old friends at Fox
News (I finally said it without smirking!) saved the day by announcing it was a proven fact that
Santa Claus was white. I could sell a picture of Santa to the National Enquirer for a gazillion, billion
dollars!
In Alaska, I found some elves roasting a reindeer over an open fire.
“We’ve had to eat the reindeer since Congress cut our food stamps,” one elf said.
I explained that I was looking for Santa.
“Forget the North Pole, then,” the elf said. “We only use that when we have strippers over.”
Turns out that rising fuel costs forced Santa to sell his castle and move to an igloo in Aleknagik.
I was shocked when Santa opened his door.
“You’re blue!”
“You would be too if you had to spend your life living in the Arctic,” Santa explained.
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Santa let me take his picture, but every time I tried the photo came out blank.
“Of course it did,” Santa laughed. “I’m a fictional character! I can appear to be any color
someone imagines me to be.”
Santa said Fox News would get a lump of coal this year.
“But, I’ll make it a white lump.”
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Bourgeois Thinking
Bourgeois thinking is still bourgeois thinking
No matter how much you lay claim to networking
But the action done reveals the true intention
A manipulation serving for self-interest I would rather be free with no strings than having
A non native impose her ego was like living
In the boarding school era trying to measure success and goals with what they missed
Would rather create a power equal to each other than constantly be misled
By false words have truth to power backed
By generations of influential words living, struggling, & breathing
Against the imperialism beast surviving
Defiantly even with only words and being independent
Would rather discard and relent
Against fronted talk & false promises like almost rewinding
Back taking into a time period where paper agreements would later mean nothing
You can either live up to your word and responsibility
Or make no promise if loyalty
And support is just a front ego driven determination
Creates a false illusion was a constant battle to gain even a little recognition
Among a society who constantly brushed
Us off as unimportant dominated
With divide & conquer
Battles and those who try to limit individuals in fear
Of losing what little image of power they think they maintain
Or hold understand what I was trying to gain
A national connection because I sensed
The potential of what people could have gained
By applying what we all could do not measured
Or limited by any past individual
Success that has very minimal
Matter to what is truly at stake a humility
To think of the future for all indigenous humanity
From Your Brother Tyrone Ross Thompson
Nahaan
by Gia Bolton
Nahaan has an old soul, and proudly immerses himself into knowing his cultures, which are
Tlingit and Inupiaq, learning more about both heritages, and teaching others the way of his people
from the past, present, and future generations. He has several ways of participating, practicing, and
living his cultures, mainly in the Tlingit language and tattooing which he is becoming infamously
known for, not only, here in Alaska, but nation wide. The pride he possess shows in his art/
tattooing, in the intricate and unique designs that he creates, holding many meanings, to those who
receive his tattoos, and also to him, the artist, he wants/intends those who receive them to also
know, learn, and take pride in the unique cultures, tribes, and heritages, in which we all derive
from. You may find him and see many of his tattoos, learn his Tlingit native language at Nahaan
FastsFrom English on Facebook.
WHAT IS YOUR GIVEN NAME AND TRIBES THAT YOU DESCEND FROM? My given tribal
name is Nahaan, my mother is Tlingit, and Inupiaq Eskimo. My fathers people are the Paiute and
Haida.
WHERE ARE YOU FROM? I was born in Seattle, WA. My native roots go back to Klukwan and
Nome, Alaska, and Nevada.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DO TATTOOS?
Traditional tapping tattoo artist Keone Nunez from Hawaii. Peer pressure
from my brother Keet Dayeen. I also noticed there were no other Tlingit tattoo artists that worked
strictly in our traditional form line design, though it was an old practice of our people, someone has
to do it, and that person is me.
HOW MANY TATTOOS HAVE YOU MADE? I would say I've done around 75 tattoos.
WHAT DO YOU PRACTICE WITHIN YOUR HERITAGE? Shortly after I sobered up, my
grandmother began teaching me Tlingit words, after I learned how to pronounce them correctly I'd
use them in context the next day with her. As I kept up with this I noticed a certain type of joy and
healing coming from her laughter when I spoke to her in Tlingít. For this reaction from my
Grandmother is the very reason why I moved to Juneau, Alaska to study our peoples language,
songs, ways of life, stories, histories, etc. In one of the most recent conversations with her, she told
me how proud she was of me that I took the time to listen, learn, and give back to our people.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL IMPACT ON NATIVE PEOPLE?
Colonization is a huge influence on native lands, spirits, and over all well being. The presence of
European newcomers and their diseases continues to be the most prominent challenge facing our
native people in my opinion.
These are the questions that I send/ask those who want to receive my tattoos:
What tribe are you from?
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What clan are you?
What village do you come from?
What makes you want to get work from me?
What design or crest do you want?
How and where is my design work going to be used?
What dimensions (inches) length and width did you want your design to fit inside?
What will you do to ensure that my work will remind you to be more cultural on a daily basis?
What concrete changes will you make about your daily life as a person wearing this new piece?
Do you speak your tribes language? Why/why not?
What is my work worth to you?
How much money is your tattoo/design worth to you?
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Oyate Graffix
Written and interviewed by
Celeste Long Elk
The truth is we Lakota still walk the face of the Earth.
The truth is we survived traumatic change & are wiser &
stronger because of it. The illusion is that we were defeated
by a stronger, better, more moral people with more Godgiven rights than we had. The truth is we were overwhelmed
by numbers: more people with more guns needing more &
more of what we had. The illusion is that we are a conquered
people. The truth is that we are survivors; we took on the
worst that our "conquerors" could throw at us & we are
still standing. The illusion is that we are part of the pastsomething to be studied, analyzed, measured, dissected, &
ultimately judged. The truth is we are still a viable culture
with traditions, customs, and values that have stood the severest test. ~ Joseph M. Marshall III-The
Lakota Way~
We are both Oglala Lakota and raised in Nebraska. Michelle was born in Pine Ridge, SD &
I was born in Kearney, NE. Our families know each other well so you can say that our lives were
always intertwined. We first met one another in the summer of 1988, started dating off & on until
1991. We both believe that certain things needed to happen and be worked out before we made
our commitment to one another. Found each other again May 4th, 1994 & have been together ever
since. With the amazing support & encouragement from my wife Michelle, I've also have been
sober since October 28, 1994. You know, our relationship is not a fairy tale but, you can overcome
many adversities when you know how to love and respect yourself and learn how to you give the
best of yourself to one another.
The introduction to Oyate Graffix was started because we wanted to express our Lakota
Pride. We noticed many Native Pride pages so we started
to discuss making a page for our Lakota Oyate, friends, &
supporters. Michelle, always told me I had a unique talent and I
needed to share it (mind you, she's been telling me this for years)
so we created the page and I got to work on designing graphics!
We had no idea what kind of support we would get and we are
truly humbled by all the love, respect and support!
Well, it started on our profile page with our graphics for
our future t-shirt & hoodies designs. The feedback we were
getting was awesome! As time went on we started to discuss
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the idea of opening a page for the Oyate and sharing
our Lakota graphics. So, we created the page "Oyate
Graffix" for the Lakota Oyate. It was just suppose to be
a graphics page but, many want to see the designs on
t-shirts, hoodies, beanies, cups, mouse pads, etc. I got to
work for some amazing companies doing logos designs for
their businesses, even personal logos for pages or designs
for individuals personal use. Michelle & I believe this is
such a blessing in disguise and we are not taking anything
for granted! I'm grateful to have an amazing lady in my
life who recognized my potential years ago and gave me
the encouragement to be doing what I love to do best...creating! We are humbled by the love and
support we have received by so many. We will say it again, not taking anything for granted and
grateful we are getting this chance to share our vision with you all! Wopila!!
Yes! Most definitely it's impacting the youth and elderly in
a positive way. It's allowing them to express their Pride even
more. With the feedback and e-mails we receive from our
Oyate is truly amazing! But, the most beautiful thing about our
Oyate, friends, and supporters coming together on our page is
the feeling of UNITY!! Gives us encouragement and we truly
love what we are doing! We "thank you" all, truly! We take
pride in doing our own graphics and we will not solicit our
youth to get more likes. It's all about respect...our culture, our
people and ourselves. This is the direction we are keeping!
We are invisible to them because we are still
the Human Beings, were still the People, but
they will never call us that. They taught us to
call ourselves Indians, now theyre teaching us
to call ourselves Native Americans. Its not
who we are. Were the People.
John Trudell
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Senate, House nearing a budget? Yes, thanks for nothing,
but it’s better than the alternative
MARK TRAHANT
This is the week to watch Congress. If all goes well, Senate budget chairman Patty Murray
will make a deal with the House budget chairman Paul Ryan that outlines federal spending for the
rest of fiscal year 2014 and 2015.
What kind of deal? As The Washington Post’s Wonkblog puts it:
“The budget deal Patty Murray and Paul Ryan are crafting isn't a ‘grand bargain.’ It doesn't
put the nation's finances on a vastly different path (or even any different path). It doesn't reform the
tax code or overhaul Medicare. It doesn't include infrastructure spending or chained-CPI. It doesn't
even replace all of sequestration.
“But the deal does lift about a third of sequestration's cuts while giving agencies more
flexibility to deal with the rest. It does mean the 2014 budget is the work of human hands rather
than automatic cuts. It might be a vehicle for Capitol Hill to extend expiring unemployment
benefits. And it would be a small but real boost to the economy.”
Huzzah? No. Thanks for nothing. This non-grand-bargain basically represents more of the
same. There will be limited budget relief, but there won’t be the kind of investment needed to build
a stronger economy in Indian Country. And here’s the really sad note: This deal, if it happens, is the
best outcome possible. There are not the votes to replace the budget with a progressive spending
plan, such as the Senate’s or the president’s budget; nor are there the votes for the House plan. The
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House plan would be an unmitigated disaster for Indian Country with across-the-board cuts around
17 percent.
So this deal, such as it is, is the best that can happen. At least it keeps the status quo and
pushes back decisions about ideology and values past this next couple of elections. (Remember to
“win” that contest of ideas, one side or another will have to sweep the White House, the House of
Representatives and the Senate. Holding one of the three bodies is enough to keep saying “no” to a
solution of any kind.)
On MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Rep. Chris Van Hollen -- who is the top Democrat on the House
budget committee -- said there is only about a fifty-fifty chance of a deal before Friday.
And even if there is a deal, there is a division among Republicans about whether to accept
that deal. A group of conservatives wrote the Speaker of the House John Boehner last week and
called for vote on a “clean continuing resolution.” The conservative caucus wants to -- get this
-- preserve the sequester. “The Budget Control Act is the law of the land,” they wrote in the letter.
“Our Democrat colleagues are now threatening to shut the government down in order to change
that. We should not permit that to happen.”
That language is priceless. The Budget Control Act is the law of the land and should not be
changed. Just a few weeks ago this same group in Congress was pretending that the Affordable
Care Act was not the law of the land. Moreover, the history of the Budget Control Act was a
consensus that it was a horrible way to govern. The act was passed to force Congress to make a
grand bargain. Didn’t happen and so we got this lousy approach to running government instead.
But there are also many Republicans that do not like the sequester any more than Democrats.
Some worry about the cuts to the military and others represent districts with a large base of federal
employees.
This next round of sequester cuts, if allowed to happen, will be worse than the last round that
topped some $500 million in cuts to programs for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
“The stakes are high for tribal governmental services and programs in the federal budget
that support the trust responsibility, only some of which are highlighted here, and trust obligations
should be protected from further reductions,” reports a policy paper from the National Congress
of American Indians. “Tribal programs, as part of the discretionary budget, have already done
their part to reduce the deficit through the bipartisan Budget Control Act. Continued cuts will have
severe consequences for every tribal citizen. Tribes urge the President and Congress to uphold the
solemn promises of the trust responsibility throughout the federal budget in FY 2014 and future
years.”
Under another round of sequestration, just about every program that serves people on
reservations will be dramatically underfunded and therefore cheated. Schools? Check. Police?
Check. Courts? Check. The Indian heath budget? Sorry.
Page 73
There is growing evidence from around the world that a sharp drop in government spending
-- austerity -- does not work. But there are not enough votes in Congress to put a stop to this selfdestructive course.
Mark Trahant is the 20th Atwood Chair at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He is a
journalist, speaker and Twitter poet and is a member of The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. Join the
discussion about austerity. Comment on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/TrahantReports
Manitoba Music
Manitoba Aboriginal Artists Volume 6
The cd came in the mail the other day which surprised me considering
it came all the way from Winnipeg, Manitoba to get to me in
Philadelphia, Mississippi. I loved the packaging and the information
it came with along with a letter asking me to review it. I'M honored
to be reviewing it.
Most times the music is great but this one was different. Volume 6 has
all the best songs and it reaches deep down inside of you to remind
you of love life, and dreams. These artists played their hearts out to
reach you to touch your very soul.
I highly recommend you check it out and I promise you will not be disappointed.
Sincerely,
James Morales
CEO/President - Native Hoop
Publisher/Editor
Native Hoop Magazine
NINK Magazine
Ntryge Magazine
PWA Magazine
(Pow Wow Association)
Page 74
At The Pow-wow
Submitted by Adam Richardson
We dance around in the sacred circle,
Atop the red earth land so fertile.
As we round the fire, there’s a significant glow on our beads,
And every gland of sweat dropped helps grow a seed.
That grow in seed is the unity that we share,
Which is far more complex than the regalias we wear.
Together, we form a thriving people,
Taking part in a tradition that has become something of a sequel.
The spectators watching may not fully understand,
How hard we fought just to dance on this land.
It was indeed the renown veterans who died
Fighting to preserve our culture,
Until the strain of their laboring hearts led them to rest in sepulchers.
And we persevered despite the trials and tribulations.
By God, there were miracles and revelations,
It rained flowers on these once forbidden lands,
Following the mist of condolence that God shaved down from his hands.
Stepping to the beat of their beloved drum,
It’s hide given strength from the heat of the sun,
The honor of the pow-wow and its motives of the existence,
Including the people of other tribes
Who have journeyed a great distance.
Our powerful steps are motivated by our lust,
As spirits of the other side appear and the thick dust.
The young children imitate the wise elders,
And will one day themselves, be prestigious storytellers.
The eagle feathers strike each other as if in a bout,
And the men and women in their competitions remain strong and stout.
The pride we have in ourselves has no ending,
And the more we think about our struggles, the more we are mending.
Without our culture, we cannot thrive.
There is more to life than just staying alive,
But we will never lose our gifts for stowed by the father,
Because the unity of beating hearts means the unity of people to prosper.
(Adam Richardson is from the Haliwa-Saponi tribe and has been a winner
of the NC Indian Unity Conference for the last 5 years.)
Page 75
Irene Bedard: Sleeping Lady, Waking Giants
by Kara Brown
To most of us, Irene Bedard is synonymous with films like Smoke Signals or the voice
behind Disney's Pocahontas, which she was also the inspiration for the artists rendering of the
animated character. She has 49 movies, 5 documentaries, 2 talk shows and now she has Sleeping
Lady films and Walking Giant productions to add to her resume.
Irene was painfully shy growing up and spent a lot of her time watching her younger sister
and brothers and younger cousins. She found that she enjoyed writing plays and putting the plays
in motion with her young actors, for the family to enjoy.
At twelve, she did a play for the community theater and discovered she loved acting. She
got to be someone who wasn't shy or afraid to speak up. For her, acting was just for fun not
something she could turn into a career.
When she went onto college, she majored in physics. In her second semester she transferred
to theater arts. She studied ritual theater(mother nature ceremonies), because it had a lot to do with
what Natives are taught.
She began performing and writing plays at the public theater and that was how she met her
agent, who was in the audience at the time. Irene never once dreamed that Hollywood would want
a little Alaskan girl like her.
Irene made the move from acting to producing to help give her fellow natives a positive
outlet and let others know that despite the stereotypes there are more and more Natives who defy
those negative long-standing stereotypes.
"To be a warrior is not to be a harbinger of war but to be a protector."~ Irene Bedard
With more of our people coming back to the traditional ways, Irene is hoping her company
can help spread positivity to the world.
The meaning behind the name of her company has a strong meaning seeped in Alaskan
heritage. In Alaska the mountains are sleeping giants, but one in particular, the Sleeping Lady,
which wraps around Anchorage.
It begins when the world was inhabited by giants, one lady was beloved by her people. One
day, one of the men from the gathering party came back, he was bloody and his clothing was torn,
he explained that there were people like he'd never seen before, then killed everyone and only he
managed to escape. The council got together to decide what to do next.
On the day of the sleeping lady's wedding celebration, they put baskets filled with fruit and
flowers together and put together a peace party. Her new husband volunteered to be a part of the
Page 76
peace party. She didn't want this but understood his need to do the honorable thing.
The peace party headed out and she waited and waited until one of the men from the peace
party came back, bloody and beaten, with a warning, the new people were coming and then would
kill everyone. The sleeping lady laid down and went to sleep.
The mountains are the giants and they, like the sleeping lady will not wake again until there
is peace.
Irene believes though that the coming together of our people and our fight for unity, is the
giants waking up.
Her main focus is to reinforce positivity towards native youth. She wants to let them know
that there are so many resources now, people more willing to help. They just need to ask.
For all of us, Irene Bedard is a beacon we''ve all been searching for.
www.Facebook.com/Irene.Bedard
Page 77
‘STRONG WARRIORS, A Year in Review & What Is Ahead’
By Toqua Ticeahkie
Before I begin let me to take a moment to personally thank ‘Native Hoop Magazine’, the
Native Hoop family, and most importantly the Native Hoop community for allowing us, the
‘Strong Warriors’ to be in your life circle. This past year has been a tremendously productive
year of growth for both, the ‘Strong Warriors’, and ‘Native Hoop Magazine’. A wise man once
said, "I have seen that in any great undertaking it is not enough for a man to depend simply upon
himself."(Lone Man – Sioux) We, the ‘Strong Warriors’, are very grateful, thankful, and are
very proud of the partnership that we share with ‘Native Hoop Magazine’ and we look forward to
another productive year.
Join us as we take a look back at the past ‘Strong Warriors’ events of 2013.
Red Mesa, AZ July 26th – ‘Warrior Classic’
White Mesa, UT August 31st – ‘Warrior Classic’
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Bluff, UT September 14th – ‘Warrior Classic’
Page 80
Page 81
September 26th - Toqua-Hanai Ticeahkie Official World Record recognized for ‘Heaviest Weight
Lifted by Bench Press in a Minute’. http://www.worldrecordacademy.com/strength/heaviest_
weight_lifted_by_bench_press_Toqua_Ticeahkie_breaks_Guinness_world_record_213568.html
October 7th – Indian Country Today publishes, ‘Comanche Bench Press Warrior’, an article about
Toqua-Hanai Ticeahkie’s official world record and tells a brief history of other weightlifting
accomplishments that led up to his world record. http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.
com/2013/10/07/comanche-bench-press-warrior-toqua-ticeahkie-breaks-world-record-151637
Towaoc, CO November 20th & 21st – The Navajo Nation Special Diabetes Program & Sleeping
Ute Mountain Tribal Diabetes Program host the ‘Community Nutrition & Physical Activity
Conference’ at the Ute Mountain Casino Convention Center where Toqua-Hanai Ticeahkie was a
guest speaker.
Shiprock, NM November 23rd – ‘Winter Warrior Challenge’
Page 82
Now, let’s take a glance at what is ahead for the ‘Strong Warriors’ in 2014.
Towaoc, CO March 8th – ‘Strong Warriors Weightlifting Challenge’ at the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
San Diego, CA March 16th -19th – Toqua-Hanai Ticeahkie will be an official presenter at The
University of Oklahoma, American Indian Institute’s ‘13th Annual Native Women & Men’s
Wellness Conference’ showcasing the message behind the ‘Strong Warriors’ and the success of the
‘Strong Warriors’ program and events. http://www.aii.ou.edu/conferencestrainings/2014-nativewomen-mens-wellness/
Shiprock, NM April 12th – ‘Strong Warriors Challenge’ 5K Obstacle Course
Monument Valley, UT Spring 2014 TBA – ‘Strong Warriors Challenge’ 5K Obstacle Course
Flagstaff, AZ Spring 2014 TBA – ‘Strong Warriors Challenge’ 5K Obstacle Course
Towaoc, CO Spring 2014 TBA – ‘Strong Warriors Challenge’ 5K Obstacle Course
Lawton, OK Summer 2014 TBA – ‘Strong Warriors Challenge’ 5K Obstacle Course
Farmington, NM Summer 2014 TBA – ‘Strong Warriors Challenge’ 5K Obstacle Course
Lawton, OK Summer 2014 TBA – ‘Strong Warriors Weightlifting Challenge’
If you would like more information about the ‘Strong Warriors’ program and events or if you are
a tribal health & wellness program, casino, or business and are interested in hosting a ‘Strong
Warriors’ event please visit our website at www.strongwarriors.com and don’t forget to like our
Facebook page at www.facebook.com/strongwarriorsclassic
Page 84
Tyler Alexander One Horn
Singer/Actor/Model/Artist
Hau cante’ waste nape ciyuzapi’ na Tyler One Horn emaciya pi yelo. Na Lakota caje ki wambli
owang waste emaciyapi yelo. Pejuta Haka Ematahan Naku Oyate’ Mitawa ki Oglala Lakota hecapi.
Na matunpi waniyetu’ wicemina sam nunpa nunpa. Ina wayeki Corrine Zephier eciyapi, na ate
wayeki Lewis One Horn eciyapi. Wopila Eciciyapi hecegla.
Tyler One Horn is Oglala Lakota from Kyle, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
His Lakota name is Good Looking Eagle, given to him by his paternal grandmother and fluent
Lakota speaker, Mary Kills in Water. He was born on September 20th, with his twin sister Tara, to
Corrine Zephier and Lewis One Horn. Tyler attended Little Wound School in Kyle his entire life
and graduated in 2010, as an honor student and also earned many awards in each of his various
extra curricular activities, such as: Football, Track, Wrestling, Oral Interpretation of Literature
and Drama/Theatre. He cites Acting and Speech as his strong points, as he advanced to the State
tournament for Oral Interpretation in 2009 and received a Superior, (the highest award) for his
Serious Prose piece, “The Killer Inside Me”, an excerpt from a book by Jim Thompson.
Tyler takes his talents and skills and uses them to this day, as he participates in professional theatre
off of the reservation and has been in several independent films. He is also a gifted singer, to whom
his biggest inspiration was his grandfather, the late Harvey Zephier, a well-known musician from
the Kyle area. His biggest ambition is to take what he’s learned as an actor and help to teach his
people.
An advocate of education, Tyler is a full time student at Oglala Lakota College and is a Fine Art
Major who hopes to, one day, become a teacher. He always had a “change the world” attitude and
wishes to help motivate his people through the arts by helping them see what they are capable of
when they believe in themselves.
Page 85
Enormous Grace
Written June 01 2012
Enormous grace is what I had seen in this dream
The dream and power of a pure visual the genuine energy of this dream
This image was graceful
All the while very powerful
The power of this dream the door
Way & glass door all around us bright & enlightened with both of us at the door
Surrounded by people in the finest regalia but still at a distance
Letting the conversation take place with elegance
All around us everyone looking healthy even he was with a strong facial expression
An impression of a strong willed man ready to be able to stay strong & free of aggression
He was able to stand on his own at the end he wasn’t able to but at the time it had assured
Me of a lot the endless level of anxiety continued on with conflicting & mixed
Emotions of fear this disturbing feeling through everything off balance is what made the fear
Credible but also the unknown fear
Of what may happen and thinking on the exchange of words I’m standing at the door asking
Are you sure you want to go? Are you sure about this? His reply everything
Will be okay I’m ready to go it was two weeks before
His demise two weeks to prepare for the heartache two weeks more
To try and comprehend this overpowered dream that I wasn’t ready
For this capacity of power was overwhelming and tested sanity
But now a year later remembering the journey
Of both plus & minus the backbone of my family
Is gone nonetheless it let me know to develop a fearless
Mind or at least prepare to be strong & to continue to profess
My love for this valuable knowledge contributed in this trance
At least now I can say from this experience I was face to face
With him before he exited this life
The life he committed to guiding me to all I know of this life
A part I owe to him of this revolutionary existence
A part of a long line of pure hearts that added to the persistence
Generation after generation of men & woman of Wyampum bloodline
And will continue for each unnumbered generation of the genuine bloodline
The dream were everything was clean and bright a dream
That let me know a real power of who we are as Wyampum & the strength of a dream
One Love to all Wanapums & Wyampums
By Tyrone Ross Thompson
Page 86
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charitable programs that advance quality of life while
promoting social dignity through relief of the poor,
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Poverty and despair have been ongoing issues and
are currently at third world conditions right here in the
United States. According to Indian Health Services,
death rates for members of the Indian Reservations
suffering under severe poverty are shockingly 533%
higher than their ‘non-Indian’ U.S. counterparts.
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