Midwest SOARRING
WINGS
Spring 1998
The Newsletter of
Midwest Save Our Ancestors Remains & Resources Indigenous Network Group
The Next Step To Freedom
Senator Jones and the
"Squaw" Resolution
Planting the Sacreds
Remembering the Song of Old Woman,
Part III
Herban Thymes: Combinations for Holistic
Health
The Three Sisters Garden
New Lenox II--The New Threat
The Unconquerable Kickapoo, Part II
Compliance: In Whose Best Interests
NAGPRA Committee Meeting--Response of
the Federal Agencies
Prayer Vigil In Honor of the Ancestors
The Next Step To Freedom
by Clare Farrell
As promised, the Grundy County Historical Society released the ancestral remains from the display case at the Grundy County Court House on February 21, 1998. David Lee Smith, Repatriation Officer for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and Advisor to Midwest SOARRING, led the prayer to accompany her out of the shame of public display. In essence, the silent prayer asked the child’s spirit to forgive the non-Indians who had disturbed her journey, because they did not understand what they were doing, and also prayed for help so that she can finally reach her destination after this brief stop. The brief flight of spirit that accompanied the opening of the case, however, was quickly extinguished as the wooden box, prepared by the Illinois State Museum, closed again upon the fragment of skull, jawbone and braid of hair. But a step toward reburial had been completed.
Members of the board of Midwest SOARRING and of the Historical Society of Grundy County were joined by Mike Wiant of the Illinois State Museum (ISM) and several others to witness the removal of the last known Native American remains on display in Illinois. Members of these three organizations had agreed on the date, with Gene Voiland, Vice President of the Historical Society, respectfully preparing the foyer for the private gathering. In a poignant gesture of willingness to work within the painful limitations of current law, David Smith nodded toward Mr. Wiant, and Cindy Bloom, Vice President of SOARRING, handed the box of newly-freed remains to this representative of the ISM. With no precise data on the origins of the remains, they will be considered unidentifiable and cannot be returned for reburial. The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska has filed a claim for them, however, based on the approximate geographic area of their disinterment.
After the usual documentation of entry, the child’s remains will be concealed from view at the ISM Research and Collection Center. When the section on the disposition of unaffiliated remains is written as part of Public Law 101-601, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the child’s journey will continue
Senator Jones and the "Squaw"
Resolution
by Clare Farrell
In the perennial climate of Illinois political affairs, there is an attitude of individualism inherited from the early frontier days. Not unlike the other states of the Union that had extended the European population by depopulating the Native Nations, Illinois suffers from a lack of understanding of Indian issues coupled with a preference to remain in a limited provincial comfort zone. In these circumstances, it is the benevolent gift of the Creator that compassionate and broad-minded officials arise in government so that the voice of Native people can be heard. We are honored to have Senate Minority leader, Emil Jones, Jr., to champion our cause.
On January 20, 1998, Board members Joseph Standing Bear, Cindy Bloom, Clare Farrell and Nancy Jannasch met with Senator Jones to discuss three major concerns that require sponsorship from elected representatives: the need for a burial board to include Native representation, a governor-appointed Indian Commission, and a bill to eliminate the derogatory term, "squaw," from the names of road, creek and other entities within Illinois. The meeting was warm, welcoming and filled with promise.
With prompt attention to our needs, Senator Jones has directed the writing of a Resolution to eliminate offensive slang, such as "squaw," from features in Illinois. Since the place names in question are under the jurisdiction of local government, a resolution is the strongest directive possible for this purpose, having the power of a state-level recommendation. This Resolution will be introduced in committee by the end of May.
Senate Resolution
Planting the Sacreds
We are very pleased to announce that a seed and plant program to propagate sacred plants is about to begin in Illinois. Joseph Standing Bear, in coordination with Ivan Dozier of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), are beginning a project this Spring to cultivate sweetgrass, sage and tobacco. Several sites have been chosen at six locations spread around the state. Participants were requested to offer a section of land to be set aside for this purpose--wet areas for sweetgrass, sunny and dry for sage and to (see Wings 11, Winter 1997).
Direct assistance is being provided by David W. Burgdorf, NRCS plant materials specialist, of the Rose Lake Plant Materials Center in East Lansing, Michigan. His work involves the preservation of seed stock and native plant restoration. He has worked with tribes in other states such as Michigan and Wisconsin, providing seeds and plants for propagation, in order to reintroduce or extend the range of a desired species. He has offered to come to Illinois to provide the sacred plants, instructing participants in the planting, care and harvesting.
Anyone interested in being involved with this program should contact Joe at 773-585-8613. More details will follow in the next issue.
This article is the third of a 3-part series on Native women--their reality, role and position in traditional Native culture.
Remembering the Song of Old Woman, Part III
by Cindy Bloom
All of the women I speak of are Old Woman, but this is a song about ordinary women who have been taught by these extraordinary females. The Wise Way or Path they follow and teach is dictated by the Natural Law, the way we were intended to live. These ways are part of all that women do and perceive. It is the wise women who share the values of the earth, and the wisdom and medicine of the Ancient Ones. This esoteric knowledge permeates the sisterhood of all women of Turtle Island, their homeland.
None of this information, however, implies a uniform belief across all the Native Nations.
Among paleolithic artwork in Europe and pre-Columbian artwork of the Americas, there is a recurring theme that tells the story of the sacredness of women. Though misinterpreted by ethnocentric scientists as having been made by men to use in ritual hunting magic, these drawings depict the theme of birthing. Pregnant animals, plants of spring, female and male genitals, lunar calendars, etc., are images of celebration of life, creation and pleasure. To our ancestors, these sexual images were integral in what they perceived as the natural cosmic order, yet their connection to the spiritual dimension is still ignored by Western science.
A sense of ourselves as women comes from our perspective of natural rhythms, reasoning, and the presence of the land. Through the collective memory of Old Woman, we remember. We know who we are by our names, our dreams and our stories. There are stories about moral issues, sadness, humor and fantasy which connect us to everything in the universe.
The story of Beloved Woman or War Woman reveals a powerful religious leader of the Cherokee. Nancy Ward was the last woman to hold this honored position. She married a war leader and was at his side in 1755 when he was killed by Creek warriors. She picked up her husband’s weapon and continued to fight, which led to an overwhelming victory. Spirit guided the women who held this position, and they were given absolute power over the fate of their enemies. She headed an influential woman’s council which had a representative from each clan, and sat among the Council of Chiefs as a voting member. Beloved Women or War Women were present at every war council, serving as counselors to male leaders.
In the Blackfeet tradition, there is the story of Napi, the first human. He was allowed to make the first decision as long as the women could have the final word.
Sky Woman is a creation figure among the Iroquois nations. In this tradition, the most beautiful tree grew in the sky. Its four large, white roots extended in the four cardinal directions. All things were born from this tree. At one time, the tree was uprooted by a wind which left a large opening in the sky. Sky Woman fell through the hole with seeds in her hands. As she fell, the animals saw her and scrambled to dig the fertile soils from the waters below, laying them on the turtle’s back so she would have a place to land. The soils became the earth, and from the seeds comes the tree of life on earth.
White man had predicted the extinction of Native peoples, but Native prophecy tells that women will once again be given back the power they had before the European invasion, and there will be peace and harmony. This power is a wholly different reality than the Western concept of force, hierarchy and competition. This is creative power that is self-giving, other-centered and life-sustaining. Indian women know that this power penetrates boundaries, millenia and race, and so they continue to remember and teach the stories. Women of all nations help shape Native identity by sharing the joy and sorrow of their own stories. Just by being women, we have a grace and power that is unequaled.
I have shared these words with you to honor the Ancient Ones, the Grandmothers and Old Woman.
References:
Native American Women, by Diane Steer, Barnes & Noble Books, New York, 1996
Daughters of the Earth, by Carolyne Niethammer, Collier Books, McMillan Publishers, 1997
Women in American Indian Society, by Kayna Green, Chelsea House Publishers, 1992
Our traditional natural healing series is written by herbalist Cindy Bloom, Cherokee, currently serving as Vice President of Midwest SOARRING
Herban Thymes:
Combinations for Holistic Health
by Cindy Bloom
Holistic medicine focusses on the body, mind and spirit. Physical manifestations of nervous disorders may include depression, insomnia, stomach ailments and anxiety. These symptoms can result from spiritual and emotional imbalance, as well.
Tonic herbs (see Wings 8, Spring, 1997) play an important role in restoring balanced health, along with diet. A tonic balances the biochemical and physiological processes in the different systems of the body. They do not specifically strengthen the body, which would imply pushing the body in a specific direction, thereby leading to imbalances. One example is ginseng, which can raise or lower blood pressure depending on an individual’s need. Tonics usually have a low degree of side effects and a high degree of tolerance, and they may be enough treatment for some people. A simple, or one herb, can work on many levels, as well as using combinations or herbal compounds. The following are some simples used to treat nervous disorders:
Ginko Biloba is recommended for depression for people over fifty. This plant is ancient, showing up in the fossil record. It has a tonic effect on several neural functions.
Chamomile is one of the most underrated herbs. It is used for its calming and sedative effect, with a tonic effect on the nervous system. It’s great for nervous or upset stomach. In the mint family, it also eases indigestion.
Passion Flower is used primarily as a mild sedative or nervine that reduced anxiety and tension. It has an analgesic or anodyne action for pain. It has been used successfully in the treatment of insomnia and sleep disorders.
Valerian Root is a potent tranquilizer. Its use for insomnia, nervous tension, muscle pain and menstrual discomfort is well-documented. It is currently one of the most popular anti-spasmodic medicines in Russia and Germany.
Skullcap, specifically Scultellaria lateriflora, is a relaxant and restorative for the central nervous system. it is one of the best herbs for symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). Only this genus and species should be used; there are over 20 plants generically named Skullcap, and some can produce anxiety.
Another method of restoring balance to the system is through the use of 100% pure essential oils. These are used externally only but putting a few drops in hot water and inhaling the vapors. In this manner, the active properties can reach parts of the brain that affect our emotions. The following oils are listed with their specific uses:
Lavender works for stress headaches, as a sedative and analgesic.
Basil is an antidepressant which is emotionally uplifting.
Chamomile (Roman) has a sedative effect and is good for a nervous stomach.
Neroli is a sedative and antidepressant used for panic attacks and fearfulness.
Damask Rose is soothing to the nerves, and is useful as an antidepressant and gentle sedative.
All illness is preceded by some sort of stress whether it be chemical, physical, emotional or spiritual. Poor sleeping and eating habits lower the body’s ability to deal with stress even more. Our body, mind and spirit recognize the benefits of homeostasis, and given the chance and encouragement, will strive naturally to become balanced and stress-free. Recognizing symptoms of stress early, and making changes accordingly is the key to not having to use these herbs except for a warm cup of chamomile tea once in a blue moon.
Warning: Wildcrafting (harvesting) plants on your own can be dangerous, as there are look-alike plants that contain toxic components. It is recommended that you buy already-processed herbs at a reputable herbal store. Presented herbal information is not intended to treat, diagnose or prescribe. Seek medical attention when necessary.
The Three Sisters Garden
by Ivan Dozier
The Great Circle of Life continues--once again the Spring Equinox marks the passing of a new season. The Spring Equinox is one of only two days of the year when hours of sunlight and darkness are equal. For eons, natural signals such as this have served as a trigger for growth response in many plants. Plants aren’t the only living beings that pay attention to these signals. Our ancestors also observed the advent of the Spring Equinox. After the passing of this day, they knew it was time to plant the spring crop. Spring’s arrival has put me in the mood for planting, too. As I decide what to plant in my garden, I also reflect back on the origins of each plant and how our ancestors actually cultivated many of the crops we plant today.
Many people have the misconception that American Indians were exclusively hunters and gatherers, but agriculture has played a major role in Indian society for thousands of years. In the last issue of Wings, I described how my parents brought favorite wild plants up close to their house. The domestication of food crops happened much the same way. Our ancestors selected plants they liked and planted them in garden plots. Corn, beans, squash, tomatoes, peppers and potatoes are still considered popular garden plants today. These plants represent some of the oldest cultivated crops native to the Americas. Scientific evidence dates some of these crops from as far back as 10,000 years.
The incredible variety found among these species is directly related to the duration of their cultivation. If a particular plant showed a positive trait, such as a larger than normal fruit or a desirable shape, our ancestors would save that seed and plant it the following year. In some cases, a larger than normal seed is the only way botanists can distinguish domesticated plants from wild ones. Other plants have been domesticated for so long that they are very different from their wild counterparts. Corn is a good example. Corn is believed to have originated in Mesoamerica 5000 to 7000 years ago. Modern corn has been cultivated for so long that if it were left on its own it would die out. Its closely packed seed arrangement and tight husk greatly inhibit natural germination. In other words, corn was developed and continues to exist only because of the efforts of the people. Cherokee legend says that corn came from the body of the Corn Woman, Selu. This is not a poor description considering the close relationship of corn and our ancestors.
Native Peoples throughout North America grew corn. Some tribes planted huge field--enough to support great cities such as Cahokia. In more wooded regions, corn was planted in smaller garden plots. One of the most unique methods of corn planting was to combine it with two other native crops--beans and squash. The Iroquois called this method of planting "Three Sisters." Again, this is a pretty good description when we look at the complex relationships of these three plants.
Corn provides support for the climbing bean plant. In return, bean plants have nodules on their roots that convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form available for plant use. Squash plants have broad leaves that shade the ground. The shading conserves moisture for the other "sisters" and inhibits the germination of competitive weed seeds. Agronomists are also discovering that squash blossoms are irresistible to some corn pests. So much so that the pests gorge themselves on the squash pollen and leave the corn alone. Iroquois agronomist, Jane Mt. Pleasant, is studying Three Sisters farming at Cornell University. Her research shows the calorie production per acre from a corn, bean, pumpkin intercropping system is significantly higher than for corn grown in a monoculture. This method of farming also protects the soil from erosion and sustains natural soil fertility.
Scientists may never fully understand the interrelationships between Native Americans and their plants but they have gained enough information to recognize a unique value in our agriculture. But you don’t have to be a scientist to appreciate Native gardening. You can join this unique part of the Circle of Life by planting your own Three Sisters garden. It doesn’t take much space, and modern varieties of sweet corn, pole beans, and pumpkins can be planted if you can’t find old versions of native corn, beans and squash. You can get started by building a small mound of earth about six inches high and 18-20 across. Dish out a ten-inch diameter area in the center of the mound, then plant three or four kernels of corn there, about six inches apart. After about two weeks, the corn should start to emerge. Gently push some of the dish-edged earth around the corn plants and then place the bean seeds 4-5 inches away from each corn plant, on the outside of the circle. Pumpkins or squash can then be planted between mounds.
That’s all there is to it! Throughout the summer you can be enjoying the fruits of your labor and a renewed closeness with the Circle of Life.
New Lenox II--The New Threat
In 1994, Midwest SOARRING was born in order to address the desecration of a burial and destruction of an ancient village site in New Lenox, Illinois, located approximately 30 from Chicago. A gravesite with three ancestors, subsequently repatriated to the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, had been excavated, along with 5 acres of a site revealed to be unique among midwestern woodland villages, with a fortified longhouse that may have been a ceremonial area, dating back to the 1640s. The purpose of this massive upheaval was the construction of The Sanctuary Golf Course on New Lenox Park District land. Nineteen acres of the area was determined historically significant, and SOARRING, with assistance from archeologist, Rochelle Lurie, nominated the site for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Though private owners of 3 acres of the site blocked its formal listing, the New Lenox site retains all the required qualities and status, and is listed as formally nominated and eligible for the NRHP.
In March, 1998, SOARRING learned of a new threat to the site in the form of a water main designed to cut directly through the nominated area. Justification for entering this sensitive area was economy: the village would save a half million dollars by choosing this route over another. In contrast to the situation in 1994, the local and federal historic preservation agencies were opposed to this development due to the known site status. The town of New Lenox required an easement of 600 feet through the site from the New Lenox Park District, and SOARRING gathered support in order to dissuade the granting of permission. For a special meeting with Village Administrator Russ Loebe, the Clark Dietz engineering company’s Vice President, Brett Postl, New Lenox Mayor John Nowakowski and the Park Board, SOARRING had prepared copies of a letter fully opposing the placement of the water main through the site due to the strong possibility of the presence of additional graves, and its great historic importance. The letter included written and verbal statements of opposition from Chief Leonard of the Miami Nation, whose Nation’s ancestors had been removed from the site during the golf course construction, the American Indian Council of Illinois, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA), the Army Corps of Engineers/Chicago District, the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois and Rochelle Lurie, the archeologist who originally surveyed the site.
The Park District Board, however, granted the easement requested, with a unanimous vote.
A true victory was achieved, however, regarding the most critical concern involved in entering the site: the disturbance of possible graves. In discussion after the meeting, Mayor Nowakowski, Mr. Loebe and Mr. Postl all stated for the press that if, in the course of construction, a grave site was encountered, they absolutely would not excavate but would alter the route. This marks a major shift in policy since the initial project, and attests to the effectiveness of the presence of the Honor Guard, dedicated men and women who stood at the site for a year in honor of the ancestors, protecting it from artifact hunters and educating passers-by in the reasons for respecting the area.
The case is far from closed. The town seeks a low-interest loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and must fulfill requirements which include approval by the IHPA and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation in Washington, DC Both agencies are dedicated to preserving sites eligible for the NRHP, and will advise rerouting the water main away from the site if at all possible.
Midwest SOARRING will continue to monitor the plans, and will act as needed to protect the burial sites present there.
In preparation for the Grand Village of the Kickapoo Nation event on May 30 & 31, 1998, we present this second part of the history of the Kickapoo Nation, focusing on their presence in Illinois.
In overview of their general history, the Kickapoo Nation is an Algonquin tribe who ranged in the areas from Wisconsin to northern Mexico, and from New York to Missouri. They are closely related to the Shawnee, Meskwaki, Potawatomi and Mascouten Nations. Almost from the beginning of European contact, the Kickapoo exhibited a determined independence and a marked hostility toward acculturation, refusing to accept the economic, political and religious doctrines of the three successive invaders--French, British and American. The entered Illinois in the 1700’s, eventually claiming nearly 3/4 of the state, and were forced to surrender their lands at the Treaty of Edwardsville in 1819.
Most of the following source information is derived from accounts by early non-Native observers since the Kickapoo did not leave a written record.
The Unconquerable Kickapoo, Part II
by Clare Farrell
By 1700, the Kickapoos were migrating out of Wisconsin and into Illinois and western Indiana. Three circumstances provided reason for the migrations: pressure from the Sioux, the Kickapoo success against the Illini Confederacy, and improved Kickapoo-French relations.
In general lifestyle, reports state that the Kickapoo were among the northern tribes most interested in agriculture. There are many references to their large cornfields and their dependence upon this crop for their food supply. They also gathered food and hunted extensively, often ranging hundreds of miles on hunting expeditions. Their houses were rectangular with a pitched roof, and had a smoke hole at the top. The framework was out of stout poles tied together with bark withes and covered with sheets of elm bark. Their dress consisted of deerskin shirts and leggings for the men and deerskin dresses for the women. In the winter, either buffalo or bearskin robes, or trade blankets were worn against the cold.
The Kickapoos resisted attempts by early missionaries to convert a significant number of them to Christianity. Politically, the Kickapoos were organized through a system of 12 clans, each headed by their oldest or most prominent member, and these men acted as civil chiefs. In important matters of peace or war, any prominent member of the tribe might take a position of leadership.
After forcing the Illini southward via consistent raids, the lands of central and northern Illinois were under the control of the Kickapoos and their allies by 1750. The continuing history within the state involves the unfolding drama of shifting political alliances as the British sought control in the French-occupied regions, followed by the encroachment of the Americans. From 1728 to the middle of the century, the Kickapoos were allies of the French. British agents, however, with superior trade goods and even better promises, extended their influence among tribe after tribe. As a counter approach, the French lavished gifts upon the Kickapoo chiefs and their followers. French power was waning, however, by 1759. American agents were also attempting to get Kickapoo allegiance, specifically stating that they did not want land, only peace. Though the Kickapoos were divided in their allegiance to any one side, they became staunch allies of the British after the American War of Independence, as the truth of American settlement became clear, and settlers flooded their homeland. They claimed most of the land from the Wabash River on the east to the Illinois River on the west, and they resisted the onslaught on their hunting grounds with persistent raids, earning the reputation of the most bitter enemy the whites ever had.
A major village was situated in central Illinois, just northeast of Le Roy, in what is now McLean County. It was set along a natural ridge that extends from the Illinois River to the Wabash, where the Mackinaw, the Sangamon and several small streams had their beginnings. This was known as the Grand Village, and is recorded as the main Kickapoo village in central Illinois. Historical references to the Grand Village are found as early as 1752, and it was occupied until 1832. The site was highly desirable as it stood on the eastern edge of the an area called the Old Town Timber, consisting of 14,200 acres, with berries, honey, nuts, maple trees for syrup and other foods readily available. There was ample water, and buffalo were abundant in the nearby prairie. On the north and east sides of the village were circular tracks for foot races, and a large recreation area was said to be near the center of the village.
On a beautiful and strategic point about one-half mile to the east, there was a fort that had an expansive view in every direction to allow the sighting of an enemy from 15 miles on every side but through the timber, which was impenetrable by a mounted force. It was constructed of heavy logs and covered about an acre of land, and was apparently built as protection for the women, children and aged while the warriors were away. It was first used as a defense against the French and then against other Indian tribes. Old-timers reported that early settlers had noticed a zig-zag trench from the fort to the village center, supposedly used for escape to the fort. There are known to be many burials of the Kickapoo were made in and around the fort and village area.
Both British and American traders must have frequented the village from the evidence left behind. Excavations inside revealed tomahawks, brass kettles, gun barrels, pipes, knoves, hatchets, and arrow and spear heads. Many artifacts are on display at the McLean County Historical Society in Bloomington. It is probable that some copper utensils were made right in the village, since copper clippings and tools were also found. After occupation by the Kickapoo, luxuriant blue grass, rare in the middle west at that time, covered the area. The seed was believed to have been brought back by the Indians after raids into Kentucky. The fort was reportedly destroyed in 1812 by government rangers. A four-foot granite monument, erected by the McLean County Historical Society in 1905, marks the fort site to this day.
The Kickapoo Nation, now living in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and Mexico, revere The Grand Village site in honor of the people who lived there and the ancestors buried there.
References:
Ellsworth’s 100th Year, Don Evans, 1971
Grand Kickapoo Village and Its Stockaded Fort, William B. Brigham, McLean County historian, 1938
Article by Ralph Duvick, President of the Le Roy Historical Society, 1998
Kickapoo Fort Site Was Scene of Awful Conflict, from The Pantagraph Newspaper, McLean County, May 21, 1927
A History Of The Kickapoo Indians In Illinois From 1750-1834, by R. David Edmunds, Illinois State University, Bloomington, Illinois, 1966
Cultural Resistance of the Prairie Kickapoo at the Grand Village, McLean County, Illinois by Alice Berkson, Masters Thesis, Illinois State University, Bloomington, Illinois, 1992
We continue our interview series with Pemina Yellow Bird, a leading figure in the campaign to return ancestral remains and sacred and funerary object to tribes. Pemina is a citizen of the Sahnish and Hidatsa First Nations of Fort Berthhold Reservation, North Dakota, and is an official NAGPRA representative for her tribe. She was instrumental in the formulation of NAGPRA, which became law in 1990.
We have asked her to comment on the recent NAGPRA Committee meeting, held in Washington, D.C., on January 29-31, 1998.
Compliance: In Whose Best Interests
SOARRING: In the reports made by the federal agencies who hold collections of ancestral remains, very few were in compliance with inventory completion by November of 1995. Regarding achieving full inventory for her agency, StephanieDemadio of the Bureau of Land Management stated, "It will take decades." There are no penalties that can be applied to federal agencies for failing to adhere to the law. What is your comment on this?
Pemina: I heard the agencies recount one reason after another why they weren’t in compliance: they didn’t have any money; they didn’t have enough staffing; the staff they did have was working around the clock, above and beyond the call of duty, doing everything humanly possible to get their agents into compliance, and therefore they should be patted on the back and given a halo, instead of being chastised. I don’t agree. I don’t feel any sympathy for these federal agencies or their staff because they were and are responsible for the fact that our relatives’ burials were robbed. They had allegedly employed professionals to not only rob these graves but also to curate the stolen contents. Any professional curator knows that the first thing you do is inventory what you have. There should already have been on file for decades, up to a hundred years, a complete and accurate inventory of everything they had in their possession. There’s no excuse, in my mind, that these alleged professionals didn’t do their job. They then can walk smugly away, knowing that the NAGPRA Review Committee can do nothing to them--nobody can do anything to them. It’s very difficult to take that.
SOARRING: Is there any way to know how many more remains there are to be inventoried?
Pemina: No, because there are federally-controlled remains that are housed in private museums, and most museums do not see it as their responsibility to inventory what is not directly under their control. So if a museum hands in its completed inventory, while 50% of the remains there are stored by the BLM which they do not reveal in their inventory, then we only know half of what is there. A Native Nation would be fortunate if a museum also said they have a federal collection, but they usually don’t even tell them that.
Pemina: A vast majority of the remains are going to be unidentifiable because they are unprovenienced.
SOARRING: Please define unprovenienced.
Pemina: To be provenienced, the contents of a Native, unmarked burial has to be archeologically excavated. That means they get data from the layers of soil, flora and fauna samples, the context of the site itself, etc. When a farmer plows up remains, puts them in a burlap bag and drops them off to some local collector, those are unprovenienced remains. Wherever there are remains that have no archeological data associated with them, they are useless to the scientist. Now we have HR2893 being proposed in Congress to take away Native peoples right to claim those unprovenienced, unaffiliated human remains, and who’s introducing that? The science and museum industries. So the vast majority of the remains that they’re fighting and scrabbling and kicking and gouging to get their hands on would be useless to them!
SOARRING: So it becomes a matter of control and power, not scientific analysis for the greater benefit of mankind, as often argued?
Pemina: Yes, and so they can get their hands on the most ancient remains.
SOARRING: Please explain the full impact of the proposed amendment to NAGPRA, HR2893.
Pemina: The first problem with HR2893 is that it will remove all language relating to aboriginal homelands. All claims to the unaffiliated human remains by tribes will be made on an aboriginal homeland basis. They will be based upon oral history, which comes from our aboriginal homelands.
Without that language in there, it will cripple Native peoples’ efforts to rebury their own dead. The second problem is that it will legally allow for scientific analysis of our relatives without our permission. That case does not exist for any other group in this country. This is a socially unjust law that would be forced on Native people despite the fact that their is a clause in NAGPRA that the North Dakota tribes found very hard for that says nothing in this act shall be construed as to authorize any new scientific studies of remains. The third problem, and probably the most cumulative and destructive thing of all that 2893 will do to tribes is that it will separate us from our claim to Turtle Island, that this is our home, that we were here first, that we are the indigenous, aboriginal inhabitants of this land. And we are therefore its children. It will alter history as we know it in North and South America because it will establish that non-Native people were here 10,000 years ago, and that is ludicrous, ridiculous and preposterous. It’s a racist theft of our history--a racist revision of American history. And for what? So they can have uninhibited access to our dead once again. So they seek to undo everything that NAGPRA was passed to do. We have to remember that NAGPRA was not passed for the benefit of the museum and science industries. It was passed at the request of and because of the fight that Native people put up to protect and self-evident human right that is enjoyed by everyone else in this country--the right to rest in peace for our ancestors. And that law, if it is passed, will destroy all of that.
SOARRING: Thank you, Pemina
To be continued.
NAGPRA Committee Meeting--Response of the Federal Agencies
On January 29-31, 1998, in Washington, DC, newly-appointed members of the NAGPRA Review Committee began the next round of meetings regarding the Native American Graves Protection & Repatriation Act of 1990. The committee, composed of three Native Americans and three museum professionals, are directed to monitor and review the inventory, identification and repatriation activities of ancestral remains and funerary objects held by private and government institutions.
The bulk of this session addressed the level of compliance with the mandate that all private and federal institutions were to complete an inventory of the ancestral remains in their possession by November 16, 1995. At this time, 2 1/2 years past the deadline, all large museums are in compliance Penalties are in effect for smaller institutions that have failed to submit records, and the last extension granted to a private institution expires at the end of this year.
One large group has failed to meet the deadline across nearly all of its divisions: the federal government. While museums are subject to civil penalties for failure to comply, these agencies cannot be fined. The most notable statement made regarding the expected time span before an inventory would be complete was made be Stephanie Demadio for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM): "It will take decades." Upon questioning, agency representatives revealed that often the department staff is unaware of the existence of NAGPRA, and funding for fulfilling its obligations are not even part of the budget.
The volume of the collections held by the federal government is staggering. The Army Corps of Engineers, for example, has 141,000 cubic feet of archeological material held in 400 repositories. Agencies, such at the Bureau of Land Management, house their collections in private museums, and since the museum does not report these additional holdings (as apart from their collections) and the agency fails to complete the inventory, the true count of items to be repatriated remains unknown. Funding, even when requested, can be far less than adequate, as Congress will award half or less of the amount requested to fund NAGPRA efforts. The NAGPRA Committee recommended to the federal agencies that compliance must become a priority, with plans for long-term consultation, and funds obtained to complete these requirements.
Cindy Bloom, Vice President of SOARRING, stated during the public comment period, that it is deplorable that we are made to wait for years beyond the legal requirement for the government to obey the law. She reported, as well, that people often misuse the system by leaving their artifact collections to private institutions so that they don’t have to be repatriated.
A positive amendment to NAGPRA that has currently been introduced is Senate Bill 110 (HR 749). It would require written consent, not just consultation as presently stated, if Native American remains are excavated or removed for purposes of study, and will provide for the repatriation of associated funerary objects with unaffiliated ancestral remains, when that section of the act is completed. HR2893, on the other hand, would have a very damaging effect on the basic fabric of NAGPRA (see Compliance: In Whose Best Interests, this issue).
A special request was made by Chief Dallas Ross of the Upper Sioux Community (Dakota). He asked for permission to rebury 1500 unaffiliated remains from Minnesota. That state has had a reburial program overseen by eleven tribes since 1991, during which time 1000 ancestral remains, both affiliated and unaffiliated, have been reburied. With the passage of NAGPRA , however, museums or federal agencies must retain unaffiliated remains until the section on their disposition is written, or there is direct permission granted by the Secretary of the Interior. The NAGPRA Committee voted to urge the Secretary to allow the reburial.
A serious concern connected with the return of sacred objects is level of contamination. For many decades, routine maintenance practice in museums has often included applications of pesticides, including arsenic, to museum objects When repatriated objects are intended for ceremonial use, there are serious health hazards associated with exposure to these substances. Leigh Kuwanwisiwma, of the Hopi Tribe, urged the NAGPRA Committee to instruct museums that it is their moral and legal responsibility to give precise information on the pesticides used on collections, and research must be done on how to remove them.
Reflecting the commitment of the many Nation’s representatives who had attended this meeting, Bobby C. Billie, Seminole, addressed the committee and all present, "We’re going to continue. If you try to avoid us, you’re going to have trouble. So you’ll have to negotiate with us. I hope you do the right thing for the people. Even the animal bones have a right to freedom. Everything on this earth is part of us. They feed you, clean the air for you, given you oxygen. You can’t say these (remains) are unidentified--we know who they are."
Prayer Vigil In Honor of the Ancestors
by Cindy Bloom
To pray is to send forth a voice to the Creator, and all who will speak at the Capitol steps on May 2, 1998, will send a voice for the respect and freedom due the 8,000 ancestral remains stored at the Collection Center in Springfield, Illinois, and the totalof 12,000 stored around the country that have come from Illinois land.
Among the featured speakers will be Pemina Yellow Bird of the North Dakota Intertribal Reinterment Committee, who worked on the original draft of NAGPRA (see interview in this issue), David Lee Smith, Repatriation Officer and historian for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, and Michael Haney, Chairman of the Repatriation Committee for the United Indian Nations in Oklahoma. Representatives of the Nations that had once lived in Illinois have been invited to attend, as well as state officials.
Across the many Nations, we have different beliefs and traditions, but we all hold respect for our ancestors. We all deserve to have our burials protected, and we all have the right to bury our dead. This Prayer Vigil will create the opportunity for dialogue we have been waiting for.
Since every Native Nation was forced to sign away its land and leave the state by 1834, Midwest SOARRING recognized a responsibility to care for the burials that remain as an initial step before the transfer of identifiable remains according to NAGPRA, or the curation of unidentified remains until the law provides for reburial. Part of this work always involves education, therefore we will join together with people across and outside of the state to create awareness of the need for respect, repatriation and reburial in Illinois.
As Midwest SOARRING is a facilitator, we do not make decisions for any of the sovereign Nations, but we pray to open the door for continuing dialogue between the state and the Nations who have called Illinois their homeland. We are asking for the institution of a state Burial Board so that a Native representative will be called in when unmarked burials are disturbed.
We pray for land for reburial, to be set aside in the manner that the Nations ask, so that there is an opportunity for the ancestral remains that have come out of Illinois to be returned to Illinois. The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska has just reburied one of their ancestors from Illinois in Nebraska, which was just returned from a private museum in Illinois. David Smith reported that though the Winnebago Tribe had wanted to wait until land was available in Illinois, the museum said that it would give the remains to the State Museum if they did not agree to rebury it immediately. This relative was forced to continue his journey far from home, and we pray that other ancestors will soon have the chance for reburial here.
After the Vigil from 2-4 PM, there will be a light supper and a concert at the Armory, a large auditorium 1 1/2 blocks from the Capitol Building. A simple meal will be provided, and we ask that all who attend bring a dish to pass. This will be a time to celebrate the reason we come together--we are one people, all relatives.
Three dedicated performers are donating their time and talent at our concert. Mitch Walking Elk, an indigenous rights activist of Cheyenne, Arapahoe and Hopi descent, sings a wonderful blend of rock, country and blues. The James Yellowbank band, with James of the Ho Chunk Nation, and Julietta Thornton, will also join us, bringing a folk-style message-music with traditional Native values set to a modern rhythm. As our flute-player, we will hear Duncan Grady of the Blackfeet Nation, who has trained under the well-known Carlos Nakai, and backs his music with echoes from canyon walls. To cover the expenses of maintenance, the rental of speakers, etc., we would appreciate a donation at the concert.
We place the Prayer Vigil in the hands of the Creator, as we hope all our plans and preparations have been a response to the Creator’s direction. We see our work as a give-away of commitment, time, energy and abilities in service to our relatives. To put it simply, we work out of love, and we await the good fruits of our struggle.
Email Midwest SOARRING at soarring@juno.com
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