Midwest SOARRING
WINGS
Spring 1997
The Newsletter of
Midwest Save Our Ancestors Remains & Resources Indigenous Network Group
The NAGPRA Review Committee Meeting
Harmony-- Our Natural Resources Are All Related
On Being A Woman
Herban Thymes: The Healing Power of Water
Tradition and Storytelling in the Cherokee Way
Respect For The Dead
The Ancients: Our Struggle, Hope & Vision
A Medicine Circle Memorial: Healing for Unity at Lake Barrington
The "Mining Moratorium Bill"--New Roadblock for Exxon
Another Golf Course--And a Timely Response
The NAGPRA Review Committee Meeting
March 25-27, 1997
An End and A Beginning
by Clare Farrell
During the final week of March, Midwest SOARRING sent 2 Board members, Cindy Bloom, Vice President, and Clare Farrell, Secretary, to the 13th Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Review Committee meeting, held at the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman, OK. For three days, the Committee convened to discuss the ongoing issues pertaining to repatriation and burial protection throughout the fifty states. Approximately 110 visitors, representing a cross section of Native Nations, attended the meeting per day, listening to discussion and presenting statements for consideration. The seven Committee members, three Native and four non-Native, were responsible for the agenda, and several key topics were addressed during the session:
--the delinquency of institutions in completing their required inventories
--the need for a new draft recommendation on the disposition of culturally unidentifiable human remains and associated funerary objects
--the determination of status and ownership of a Native Hawaiian-made figurine
NAGPRA of 1990 required that all federal agencies and museums that have possession or control over collections of Native American human remains and associated burial goods compile an inventory within 5 years of enactment, by November 16, 1995. While full compliance has not been met by every museum, the biggest offenders are the federal agencies--the Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Forestry Service, etc. Up to 1/2 of the list of known warehouse remains have not yet been accounted for. While there are civil penalties, effective as of February 12, 1997, for museums that have failed to comply, there are no penalties for the federal government. Excuses from budget cuts to outdated regulations are given for these delays, but compliance must be forced by the threat of withdrawn funding on the museum level, and by public demand on the federal level. These measures are only beginning, yet one and a half years have passed since the deadline.
On the next issue, two draft recommendations had already been written and rejected regarding unaffiliated remains since June of 1995. This has been a difficult subject due to a wide range of concerns of today's nations in terms of definition of who will receive these remains. There are some which are considered unaffiliated only because the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) doesn't recognize the modern group they belong to, and those of currently undefined affiliation because several nations had occupied the same geographical area where they had been found. There is also a major gulf between many Native Nations and the scientific community. Many archeologists question the necessity of returning all remains, since they can provide data on past populations. The unanimous belief of the NAGPRA committee, however, is that all human remains, affiliated and unaffiliated, should be repatriated.
Based on written and oral response to the two above drafts, this issue remains unsolved. The next appointed committee will face the task of either developing another draft recommendation, or of approaching the issue from a new standpoint. One member predicted that a final ruling may not be available until the year 2000. A major element missing has been dialog among Native American groups and the scientific establishment, and it was strongly recommended that a general meeting of this necessarily large and diverse group be set up first. However, no funding is yet available for this gathering.
A most serious concern of the committee is that all sides be thoroughly considered, and that no decisions be made without extensive consultation. Some federal institutions are currently making arbitrary decisions on what "cultural affiliation" means, without discussion among tribes or museums. One of the greatest areas of disagreement involves the eligibility of nonfederally recognized nations for repatriation. There are many groups today who claim Native identity without proven historical continuity, and many tribes fear that ancestral remains and sacred objects may fall into the wrong hands. Several representatives addressed the committee, therefore, demanding that nonfederally recognized tribes must work through a recognized tribe to arrange for all returns. Provision must also be made for those nations who do not, due to their particular spiritual belief systems, want their remains back, whether they be kept in museums or repatriated to other nations. For certain of the Zuni, Pueblo and Apache nations, for example, the burial ritual is completed once, and there is no ceremony for reburial.
The last key topic, involving the status and ownership of a Hawaiian figurine, demonstrated the intricate complexities of implementing the law. Briefly stated, 2 groups, a Museum from Rhode Island and a Native Hawaiian community, claimed rightful possession of a spearholder from the early 1800's. Arguments put forth by the museum claimed that the object was not sacred, and that it had been acquired legitimately through gift or trade. The Hawaiian representatives provided evidence that the figurine embodied a spiritual reality it had been made to hold, and that it was essential to the practice of their continuing spiritual tradition. This debate revealed the vast differences between Western and Native world views. The museum's approach basically followed a linear progression of events and the possibility that the sacred status, if ever invoked for this object, could be temporary, or eventually come to an end. The Native view provided evidence that this figurine was alive, with pictures showing that it stood up in a vertical position after being fed, and that it must come home to its people. A final determining question was posed by a committee member: were any of the witnesses a Native Hawaiian religious leader? For the museum, no, for the Native representatives, yes. The NAGPRA committee voted that the figurine was indeed a sacred object, and recommended its return to the Hawaiian people.
This meeting was the last one for the original Committee members who have now completed their 5-year term. A reception was held on the evening of the first day, and each member spoke of his or her commitment and the close relationships that have been forged with every other member. The powerful tool of consensus agreement had been chosen by this team from the beginning, therefore full understanding was allowed to blossom into vital decisions that were embraced by the whole. A new committee is due to be appointed this month, and it is hoped that the same unity of purpose will direct its work, for the benefit of all the ancestors, their descendents, and this sacred land.
We continue our 3-part series that explores the origins, contributions and volunteer opportunities of The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency connected with the US Department of Agriculture. Its focus is providing technical assistance to private landholders to help them protect their natural resources, and live on the land in a sustainable way.
Ivan Dozier, a Midwest SOARRING member of Cherokee descent, serves as an NRCS District Conservationist in Macoupin County (Carlinville), Illinois.
Harmony-- Our Natural Resources Are All Related
by Ivan Dozier
During the early 1930's there was a great drought throughout much of the United States. The country was also feeling the sting of the depression, and in despair, many people cursed the land and nature itself for reneging on the promise of a good life. People who knew the land were also concerned, not only for the immediate plight of the landholders, but for the long-term effects on the land. New farming practices which tilled the soil deeper and left the surface void of vegetation were allowing more soil to blow away, and soils can take hundred or even thousands of years to develop.
A conservationist and soil scientist named Hugh Hammond Bennett had been studying the effect of soil erosion by water for several years. Now many of the same practices that caused accelerated erosion by water were being identified as the cause for excessive wind erosion as well. Bennett came before the US Congress and explained that though the drought was the force behind the current disaster, if we continued to leave the soil unprotected, we could cause irreparable damage and threaten our country's food base.
As Bennett presented his argument to Congress, a great cloud of dust blew by the windows of the Capitol. Seizing the opportunity, Bennett is reported to have said, "Gentlemen, there goes Oklahoma!" And so it was that in 1933, Congress established the Soil Erosion Service and appointed Hugh Hammond Bennett as head of the organization. The new agency was placed in the Department of the Interior and it quickly made a name for itself. It was partnered with a public works project called the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which offered jobs on natural resource projects in the national interest. In 1935, the agency was transferred to the Department of Agriculture, and given the mission to "provide permanently for the control and prevention of soil erosion," now renamed the Soil Conservation Service (SCS).
Another milestone for the agency came in 1937 when the Standard State Conservation Districts Law was passed. This law allowed states to form special conservation districts with locally elected governing bodies to establish conservation priorities. The SCS established a network of field offices to serve nearly every local conservation district, providing direct access to the technical knowledge of SCS natural resource professionals who have expertise in fields such as agronomy, forestry, soil science, biology, range management, hydrology, and engineering.
Although soil was the natural resource associated with the formation of the agency, its leaders recognized that all natural resources are connected and no single resource is more important than another. With that philosophy in mind, the Soil Conservation Service was transformed into the Natural Resources Conservation Service in 1994. The primary customers of NRCS are still farmers and ranchers but now NRCS also helps communities deal with conservation issues such as storm water management, drainage, water quality, and urban forestry.
NRCS employees are proud of the new agency because they have expanded on the technical foundation of SCS and continue to forge new partnerships. The agency has always had a special relationship with Native Americans. One of the original demonstration projects initiated in the late 1920's was on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. That same area also became the first American Indian Soil and Water Conservation District. Perhaps more importantly, since the early 1980's, NRCS has had the authority to recognize Conservation Districts formed under Tribal Law, acknowledging the sovereign status of American Indian tribes. Allen Epps, NRCS Native American liaison, says, "These are exciting times in Indian Country." According to Epps, there are currently 33 full-time and 40 part-time offices on Indian land. Fifteen of these districts have been formed under tribal law, and Epps predicts more will follow.
The NRCS Plant Materials program offers another example of this special relationship. It was initiated during the 1930's to evaluate and propagate various plants for conservation use. This program has been adapted for Native American groups to include plants which have cultural and/or religious significance. This adaptation not only helps American Indians preserve portions of their heritage, but it has also helped other cultures survive. Through NRCS, some Native crop species from the American southwest, along with their techniques of cultivation, have been exported to help people in arid regions around the globe.
NRCS considers cultural resources in its conservation planning the same way it considers natural resources. Every conservation project which has the potential to affect a cultural site must be evaluated before the project continues. In 1996, Illinois NRCS conducted cultural reviews on 2,600 projects, and design plans were altered for 76 projects to avoid 100 cultural sites. A total of 37 new sites were discovered and reported to the State Historic Preservation Agency as a result of NRCS activities.
As NRCS was born out of a concern for the soil--the Earth itself--it has grown to respect the interrelationships of all natural systems. The more it understands the connectedness of these systems, the more it appreciates the values of many Native Peoples. The majority of NRCS efforts are established at the local level, for example, tribal conservation districts, though it has responsibility for some federally mandated programs as well. In these cases, it is sometimes hard to believe that the federal government is there as a resource partner instead of a regulator. Yet the job of protecting our natural resources is more than any single group can do. Everyone needs to be involved in the responsibility of caring for the Earth.
Now that you know more of what NRCS is all about, I hope you can recognize the high level of concern we have for protecting our natural resources. If you are concerned, too, I invite you to turn your concern into action. NRCS has a cadre of volunteers called the Earth Team, with the potential to get involved at every level of the NRCS conservation movement. In the next issue of Wings, I'll provide details of some NRCS activities which might suit your talents, and I'll let you know how to become an NRCS Earth Team member.
For information, contact Ivan at 217-854-2628.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA Office of Communications at (202) 720-2791.
To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250 or call 1-800-245-6340 (voice) or (202) 720- 1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity employer.
A vital part of "saving our ancestors' resources" is working to preserve intact the sacred traditions. The following article was submitted by Julia Tudor, Cheyenne, in order to uphold the teachings of many generations on the power of womankind and respect for Native ceremonies.
On Being A Woman
by Julia Tudor
It has been brought to my attention that more than one "spiritual" teacher has allowed women to participate in Native American ceremonies while menstruating, also known as being on their "moon time." It is my most heartfelt desire to say, this is not the way of my elders. In order to protect the medicine in the sacred ceremonies such as the inipi (sweat lodge), and to return thanks to the spirits of our ancestors for praying for all here now, I must write this article.
A woman is a creative, multifaceted, genuine, emotional, fruitful, sensitive and strong human being. During her moon time, she has a particular power and influence, and anthropologists, as well as many authors both Native and non-Native, have written about the worldwide taboo of menstruating women on all continents.
I will start by quoting my friend, Mary Brave Bird, from her second book, Ohitika Woman: "It is a widespread belief, not only among us Sioux, but among most Native American tribes, that a menstruating woman has a special overwhelming power that nullifies the power of men, even that of the medicine men. By her mere presence, a menstruating woman can render any ceremony or curing ritual ineffective."
Another source, Walking In A Sacred Manner, by Mark St. Pierre and Tilda Long Soldier, extends this information: "Many non-Indians who hear of menstrual isolation and taboos fail to understand the significance that plains people attribute to menstrual blood. It is believed to be the manifestation of the female capacity for creation, and the power that mystery contains."
Some of us carry on these ways of our ancestors in the manner in which they have been handed down to us from generation to generation. It is our culture and our religion. It has been a great struggle for Native people on this continent to even be allowed to speak their own languages, and participate in their sacred ceremonies. It was not until 1978, when Jimmy Carter was the U.S. President, that Native Americans were allowed to participate in their indigenous sacred ceremonies, by public law. We need to protect these ways so that our children's children will know them, in the way they have been given to us.
Walking a spiritual road is a hard way to live. An elder told me recently that many people come to him and say, "I want your religion." He asks them, "Were you a good Catholic? A good--whatever? If you didn't like the rules there, you won't like our religion, because it requires suffering and hard work."
Ceremonies are beautiful rituals, but none I have ever participated in were easy. All require preparation and much effort, and all must be approached with respect. If you are a woman, please respect yourself and all women by staying away during your moon time, for at this time, your being, your body, is purifying itself. Men do not have this ability, and they can participate in ceremonies or purification rites at any time, for they must struggle to achieve their own purification. We women carry the generations within us, and this mystery and connectedness with the moon is within us until we are no longer in a reproductive cycle.
Someone recently said to me, "We do not get it from our parents, we borrow it from our children." This refers to the sacred, the spiritual gifts of the 'red road.' So remember that we have a grandmother and great grandmothers, with the sacred ways passed down to us--and that we borrow from our children.
We continue our series of articles on natural healing by Cindy Bloom, Cherokee, currently serving as Vice-President of Midwest SOARRING.
Herban Thymes: The Healing Power of Water
by Cindy Bloom
In ancient times, an Old Man wandered the earth. Wherever he stepped, everything turned to stone. Lakes and rivers turned to ice, and the plants gradually died off. He built his house of ice. His only friend was the North Wind. They spent the freezing months around the Old Man's fire, laughing about how they had made the world cold and harsh.
One day, a Young Man came to his house and asked if he could warm himself by the fire. The Old Man realized that this Man was the one brought the South Wind, calling the animals and plants back to life. "It is time for you to go now," the Young Man said. The Old Man's house started melting away, and where his fire once burned brightly grew the most beautiful flowers.
In the Spring, the Cherokee celebrate the Green Grass Ceremony. It is a time to open one's eyes to the returning beauty, to acknowledge again that all life is vital, beautiful and sacred. We can experience life to its fullest and be thankful that we are part of the Great Life. This awakening ceremony is vital in maintaining our health and connection to the Great Mystery.
In the cycles of the seasons, Spring is a great time to renew the Spirit, mind and body with a tonic. Tonic therapies are ancient in origin, and a good place to start for the novice herbalist. They provide a full understanding of the synergy in plants that allow them to heal us.
Tonics are appropriate for almost everyone everywhere. They embody a concept more advanced than any in orthodox medicine, and there are no current synthetic drugs with the same properties. A tonic balances the biochemical and physiological processes in the different systems of the body, recognizing the reality that balance means health, and lack of balance means dis-ease. They do not specifically strengthen the body, which would imply pushing the body in a specific direction, thereby leading to imbalances. A great example of a tonic herb, for instance, is ginseng. It can raise or lower blood pressure depending on individual needs. Most tonics balance without overstimulating, if not taken in large amounts over long periods of time. They usually have a low degree of side effects and a high degree of tolerance.
The main function of a tonic is to reduce our reaction and increase our resistance to stress, which comes in many forms-- physical, emotional, spiritual and chemical. Environmental toxins, smoke, alcohol, prescription drugs, caffeine, and additives in our food are part of all our lives, creating a strained and depleted immune system which eventually leads to debilitation and serious disease. A yearly spring tonic can be part of a detoxification program, as some of the most ancient ingredients that were known as "blood purifiers" are recognized today to be antioxidants. These neutralize damaging free radicals throughout the body, and enhance the ability of the liver, kidneys and skin to eliminate toxins and waste products. It is important to balance this activity with herbs that rebuild the system as well.
For each tonic recipe below, use 1 teaspoon of organic leaf herbs per cup of boiling water. Boil water, add herbs, mash, let stand, mash again and strain. Drink 1-2 cups daily for 4-5 days, or up to 2 weeks. Children under 10 years should dilute the above amounts by one half with organic juice.
Spring Tonic I
Herbs Nutrients
-------------- -------------
Red Clover Flavonoids, coumarins
Nettle Iron, silica, potassium, manganese
sulphur, vitamin A & C
Dandelion Potassium, iron, vitamins A, B, C, D
Oats Silica, iron, calcium, copper, magnesium,
magnesium, zinc, vitamin A
Single Spring Tonic II
Herbs Nutrients
Sarsparilla Sapanins, which commonly occur in
plants with immune-enhancing action
in adaptogens, nutrient herbs
and tonics
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon of rosehips may be added to either recipe, which adds Vitamins B, C, E, K.
As it is necessary to purify and rebuild with herbal medicine on a physical plain, the spiritual and emotional level needs to be cleansed and nourished as well. Each plant has its own song, lesson and medicine. Each is a gift from the mother earth, and we leave tobacco as an offering when we use these gifts. This aids in the healing of the earth as well, for we honor our mother for the plants that not only provide us with medicine, but with food and aesthetic enrichment as well.
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.
Tradition and Storytelling in the Cherokee Way:
A Weekend with Rogers Clinch
by Carl Kron
The traditions and stories of the Cherokee Nation were the featured subjects of a lecture by Rogers Clinch, traditional storyteller, on February 22, 1997. As a part of Midwest SOARRING's continuing education program, Rogers provided the historical and spiritual background of the Cherokee understanding of life, expressed symbolically through oral tradition.
Rogers opened his presentation with a challenge to the audience, encouraging us to become educated in the area of our own Native heroes. Our young people need to know that we have many Native Americans who have been major contributors to the history of the United States. For example:
--more Native Americans have won the Congressional Medal of Honor that any other segment of our society
--Audie Murphy was of Cherokee descent
--Charles Eastman, of Eastman-Kodak fame, was Native American
In addition, Native people have contributed to the general population as doctors, lawyers, statement, teachers and researchers. In the midst of the poverty and societal ills that have been forced on the people, they are not losers, but winners in every aspect of life. He challenged his Native listeners to become the heroes of today, and that each can begin by upholding and uplifting the people in every way possible.
One of the many areas of Rogers influence has been in repatriation work. He related his experience in North Carolina at the Cane River Middle School Site. While constructing a football field, an old village and burial site were found. After an organized protest against the planned burial excavations, the Tribal Council sent a letter to the Governor and State Archeologist stating that the remains should not be removed, but studied, if necessary, at the burial site itself. This influenced the legislature, and the laws were changed to this end. He stressed that laws must be put in place with enough teeth in them to protect all burial sites, as modern disrespect now results in the desecration of non-Indian graves as well. The Native message of interrelationship serves all peoples, as to protect one group is to protect another.
Rogers explained that governmental interference worked to deny the Cherokee people their rights on every level, climaxing with the tragedy of the Trail of Tears in the late 1830's, during which 4000 people died, with 1000 perishing in concentration camps before the journey. While Cherokee enrollment today is about one-quarter million, a complete population count cannot be known, since many Cherokees are not eligible for the rolls. In 1889, a law had been instituted that stated a Cherokee could be enrolled only if living in one of fourteen counties. If a fullblood did not live in the correct county, was out of the area when the count was conducted, or refused to place their name on the rolls, that person was denied enrollment, and his/her descendents are not eligible to this day.
The entire history of the Cherokee Nation had been passed on orally. A critical part of the teachings were in the form of stories, with different collections entrusted to separate individuals. When a storyteller repeated a story, it had to be told word for word. Rogers was given about 200 stories that he has permission to hold and relate. He received his stories from four main sources: John & Ed Denny, his father's cousins, James Three Fingers and Don Four Killer. He has about 20 stories which he will tell in public. The full set of stories is extensive, and it takes three days, from daylight to dark, to tell the migration stories, and those particular to the Cherokee tradition.
He summed up his presentation with a directive for all peoples to follow, no matter what their nationality: we are all related, and it's time to start living it, not just talking about it. The old time power is wrapped up in that togetherness. Love one another, be good to one another, and don't make each other afraid.
We are honored to present excerpts from an article by Walt Lara, Sr., Yurok Tribe, Klamath, California. In the summer of 1996, News From Native California printed a paper he had written, addressing the difficulties of protecting grave sites on traditional Yurok lands in the northern part of the state.
Walt Lara, 62-years-old, has a lifelong record of service to his people. He is a ceremonial dance leader, served 2 terms as Commissioner of the Native American Heritage Commission under Governor Brown, and received the Honored Elders Award for Outstanding Community Service in October of 1996. He currently works as the Assistant Forester and Cultural Resource Specialist for the Yurok Tribe.
Respect For The Dead
by Walt Lara, Sr.
The ancestral lands of the Coast Yurok people extend from Damnation Creek in Del Norte County south to Little River in Humboldt County. That is the Coast Yurok area, and I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, I know more about this coast than any other Yurok Indian who's living today. Ever since I was a young child between the ages of five and twelve years old, I used to walk with the elders along the coast.
The experience that I have with archaeologists and anthropologists is I was chairman of the Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association (NICPA). The main thing is that by just being Indian, we have more experiences with archaeologists and anthropologists because they only did up Indians and study Indian things. Being raised by my grandparents and a working mother, I can understand the hurt when a site is destroyed. I was there and I saw what it did to my grandparents when these excavations occurred.
When the Indians around here buried their dead, they buried them right. They bury the person with those type of things that he had been in the ceremonies with, and there was a certain way that they did it. They would destroy it and do something to it so that it couldn't be used again on this earth. So that when he go to where he was going, he would have some of his things with him, to show that he or she was someone of distinction here on earth.
The Indians believe that when you dig these things up and remove them from the grave, you're actually ripping them off of their inherited right with the Creator.
What happens is that the archaeologists infiltrate the Indian community, and they get information from the elders that are around 80 years old, and when we say something different, the archaeologists say, "No, the elder said something else."
And the archaeologist in effect is degrading our testimony, or contradicting what we say, and none of the Indians want to contradict the elder.
What I would like to tell the younger Indian people is this: it's not disrespectful to ask your elders why they are saying, "Yes, go ahead and dig up the graves"--you can say to them, "No, it's not right." Because those people who are buried are a lot older than the elders who are giving permission to dig them up. We have to pay respect to those who are dead.
We are taught to be respectful of our elders, but not every person over seventy or eighty is an elder with respect to their culture. They're old because they're old, and the system picks them to be elders because they're old.
In the 1930's and 1940's, some Indians were sent away to boarding school and they were not allowed to stay home and preserve the traditions and take care of the culture. They got into school and many lost their traditional values. Those people are the ones who now have the attitude that it may be all right to go ahead and allow these burial digs.
Indians have to get more involved with the county, state, and federal governments, the lumbar companies, and anybody else who destroys the land. We have to learn those laws and find out how we can use them to protect our sites. If you can't stop it, for example, if it's something that the people use like telephone lines or roads, then they should have observers there in groups so they can make sure no grave goods and artifacts are stolen.
I know it's their work, but me, as a timber forester, when I see a tree that's an arrow tree, or the environment in general, I protect it. These other people are addicted to digging. When you let them dig a little bit, they always want more.
Archaeologists are no different than any grave robber. I've had a lot of experiences with archaeologists, it just doesn't bother them. I don't know, maybe they don't have a soul. All archaeologists are not bad, but I only know one that I would trust with confidentiality and who would stop when we said stop.
Now my uncle is dead, my grandparents are dead. They supported the state park and the national park because they thought the grave sites, villages, and other culturally significant areas would be protected. It seems like we're just going backwards the way the National Park Service is letting them dig up grave sites.
I am one of the leaders in the cultural structure here to put the ceremonies on and keep a balance with the ecosystem. I know from old Indian people why we do things this way or that way. I used to walk those beaches and listen to all those people and we have so many villages you wouldn't believe it, villages all around here.
My grandparents' trust in the park was betrayed. That's why my uncle formed the cemetery protection association. I'm sixty years old now and my mother is eighty-three, and we're the only ones doing anything about it. In the old days, you didn't even talk about the dead. Just think what would happen if you dug up a grave.
Since the first writing of this paper, my mother, Margaret Marks Lara, has crossed over in the Yurok way. She was the focal point in our attempt now to resort to violence against such blatant disregard for our ancestors and our feelings. I submit this paper in remembrance of her.
In late January, 1997, Midwest SOARRING was contacted by Tom Hawes of Crown Point, Indiana, in order to expedite the reburial of 9 Native American remains. The remains of four of the people had been found in a box at a home in Merrillville upon the death of its owner, and five others had been left on Hawes' doorstep by an unknown person following publicity of the first set. The remains were determined by the University of Indianapolis to be Native American. Indiana law allows the County Coroner to decide on the proper disposition of human remains, and they had been entrusted to the care of Tom Hawes, Custodian of a local cemetery, last year. The Board of Public Works and Safety, appointed by Mayor James Metros of Crown Point, agreed to set aside a portion of the cemetery for the reburial, and while awaiting re-interment, the remains had been protected at St. Anthony's Franciscan Friary in Cedar Lake, Indiana. After several phone calls with elders, and extensive planning by local officials and residents, about 35 people, including representatives of Midwest SOARRING, attended the reburial of these ancestors on March 22, 1997. The prayer was led by Thom Howell, of Seneca and Cherokee descent. Cindy Bloom of Midwest SOARRING reflects on the history of grave desecration, the difficulties encountered in getting the ancestors back, and the victory celebrated every time we are able to return the people to the earth once again.
The Ancients: Our Struggle, Hope & Vision
by Cindy Bloom
By the 1900's the Native Indian population had declined from estimates of 5 million to 120 million before European contact, to a mere 250,000. Manifest Destiny, disease, Christianity and other destructive forces finally took its toll on our people. We and our ancestors are still viewed as wards of the state, and thought to be incapable of managing our property, traditions and burials of our ancestors without the help of government. We know who these ancestors are and where they should be buried. It's the government that can't seem to identify them.
We are slowly recovering from this genocide but have neither wealth nor power to fight for our rights. We rely on an ineffective legal system and the moral conscience of our communities. It is also a Western myth that public sympathy toward Natives transcends government agencies, so the Indian wars continue today as we attempt to reclaim our ancestors.
Native and non-Native people in Crown Point were concerned that American Indian ancestors be given the same rights as other Americans to rest in peace and complete their spirit journey. This unity of thought and action resulted in an honorable reburial. We are grateful to Tom Hawes, the Friars of St. Anthony's Friday, and all concerned groups for their heroic actions, and Thom Howell for the sacred prayer that sent the ancestors to continue their journey.
As their remains were lowered into the earth, wrapped in a maroon blanket with red tie, the color of our warriors, I heard the Going Home Song I had heard in a dream the year before. I remembered the old woman in the dream whose clothes and skin were the color of red ocher. I had helped her find the seven cedar sticks she needed to take home to her ancient village in the north. And then, on this day, came the sound of the Earth, by herself, covering those old souls so they could continue their Spirit journey to a very ancient place.
It was a day that, just for a moment, we lived in balance with the earth and the world beyond, to the honor of all creation.
Wingtips: News Briefs
by Clare Farrell
A Medicine Circle Memorial
Healing for Unity at Lake Barrington
Early in February, members of the Midwest SOARRING board attended a Lake Barrington board meeting to hear arguments regarding the planned development of 10 luxury homes on 17 acres of land.
In late November of 1996, a final total of 23 Native American ancestor's remains, dating from 1000 to 10,000 years old had been removed from this site (see Wings Number 7, Winter, 1996). Midwest SOARRING had brought its advisor, Maria Pearson, from Iowa to pray for the continued safe journey of these ancestors, but it is highly possible that more unexcavated gravesites are present. Other parties concerned with stopping development at this site to conserve rapidly dwindling open space stepped forward with individual pleas. Two lawyers, with unrevealed motives, brought Lakota spokesperson, Floyd Hand, from South Dakota to explain the sacred nature of Native burial sites, and the necessity of leaving this final resting place intact.
Concerning the building permit process, the Lake Barrington Board reviewed the procedure initiated two years ago, which included the town's own request that the land remain undeveloped. The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, however, found no legal reason to prevent the owner, Al Goodman, and developer, Jim Schneider of Century Development Group, from building on this property. A two week moratorium was granted, however, to allow the Lake County Forest Preserve District, with holdings adjacent to the development site, or any other individual, an opportunity to purchase the land for conservation.
Among the other voices present, Midwest SOARRING Vice President, Cindy Bloom, attended the Forest Preserve land acquisition meeting on March 20, 1997, and spoke of the need to preserve the site undeveloped. But it was clear that the annexation of this additional 17 acres was not intended.
Al Goodman and Jim Schneider have expressed regrets that their plan has disturbed the cemetery, and they have chosen to commemorate the ancestors in a suitable manner. Midwest SOARRING offered advice to this end, and has designed a medicine circle memorial, the plans to be presented to the Forest Preserve and Town Board for approval. It will stand in honor of all the ancestors who were and are buried there, and provide an area for prayer and education for today and into the future.
The "Mining Moratorium Bill"--
New Roadblock for Exxon
The Wisconsin State Senate passed a bill on March 11, by the overwhelming margin of 29-3, that will make mining companies show examples of environmentally safe mines. Many tribes and groups who oppose the planned Exxon metallic sulfide mine in Crandon, Wisconsin, deem this step a first victory in their struggle against the mine. The bill requires evidence of a similar mining operation that has either operated for 10 years or has been closed for 10 years without resulting in ground water contamination. This will establish a basis for granting Exxon Coal & Minerals/Rio Algom, Ltd. permits to mine in Wisconsin.
At an earlier meeting on January 22 between the Crandon Mining Company (CMC) and the Department of Natural Resources, the DNR hydrologists strongly criticized the company's groundwater models. The data from the models does not coincide with field data, and therefore is an inaccurate representation of what will actually occur in the environment. In addition, the boundaries that the CMC had drawn, indicating the area expected to experience a one-foot draw-down of water, did not include the Mole Lake Reservation. The company appears to have created a "no impact" mine on paper, which does not stand up to reality.
For more information, contact WATER at 715-766-2725.
Another Golf Course--And a Timely Response
On April 2 Midwest SOARRING received a tip through a member of the Honor Guard, originally formed at the New Lenox site, that a historically-significant tract was about to be purchased. Friendship Farm, in Moline, Illinois, owned by descendents of the John Deere family, was in the process of transfer to 5 investors for a golf course. The farm covered 365 acres along the Rock River, and stories of its history stated clearly that there were ancient burial sites on the grounds. A press conference was scheduled for that afternoon, with the Mayor and all interested parties, to announce that the land would become a world-class Tournament Players Club (TPC) course in connection with the Professional Golf Association.
SOARRING contacted the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and learned that a survey completed in 1996 revealed 48 sites, some possibly eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, and several burial mounds. A letter of concern was written by Joseph Standing Bear, stating it was imperative that no development take place on acreage encompassing the mounds, and that they be placed in perpetual conservation easement. Copies were faxed to the John Deere Company, the Mayor of Moline, and the local TV station that was covering the press conference. An additional copy was sent to a close associate, Regina Mahieu, Vice President of the American Indian Council of Illinois and long-time member of the Quad-Cities Native American League, who attended the press conference on our behalf, expressing the concern of several Native organizations regarding the protection of the burial sites.
The following day, a report from David Keene of Archeological Research, Inc., the company that had done the survey, clarified the full intentions of the John Deere Co. The decision to create a golf course on the site was based on the desire to preserve it, with plans drawn to enhance the mounds and avoid significant cultural areas. This reflects both the respect of the John Deere descendents, who have previously supported Native American rights issues, and a new trend in conservation that specifically plans golf courses in order to protect archeological sites.
The boundaries of sites are currently being flagged at Friendship Farm in preparation for future preservation. Representatives of SOARRING have been invited to tour the site, in order to view the plans and offer input into this modern attempt to provide for the enjoyment of one group while respecting the inherent rights of another.