Midwest SOARRING
WINGS
Fall 1997
The Newsletter of
Midwest Save Our Ancestors Remains & Resources Indigenous Network Group
Native Prairie
Restoration
NRCS Extended
Family Program
SOARRING
Welcomes New Advisor to the Board
Herban Thymes
Remembering
the Song of Old Woman
The
Homecoming of the Kickapoo Nation
The Buffalo
Staff-Midwest SOARRING’s Official Symbol
Thoughts
from the President...
Joe Standing
Bear Speaks At Farm Aid Rally
Cindy Bloom
Speaks At Whole Life Expo
Dunning
II-Historic Cemetery Desecration
Silence From
the Governor’s Office
Native Prairie Restoration
by Ivan Dozier
Ivan Dozier is a Midwest SOARRING member of Cherokee descent who serves as the District Conservationist for The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Macoupin County (Carlinville), Illinois. His continuing articles on natural plant restoration speaks for the concerns of SOARRING to preserve the resources of our sacred land.
In my last article on native plant life, I mentioned that the Midwestern tallgrass prairies have all but entirely disappeared. The Grand Prairie ecosystem was truly magnificent, with unique, diverse and productive growth to sustain the needs of large grazing animals such as elk and buffalo. After thousands of years of their annual cycle of life, the stems of the prairie grasses literally built the soil into some of the most naturally productive land in the world. (I once heard a professor of soil science proclaim that if you wanted to "make" good soil, just plant some of the common prairie grasses and go away for about a thousand years or so.) At first, this productivity was overlooked by the early surveyors. They classified the land as poorly suited for farming because it appeared to sustain only grass, not trees.
Eventually the settlers discovered that the soil was very productive. One of the reasons trees didn’t grow was because of the frequent fires, often set by the Native people. The mass of roots and vegetation formed a dense sod which not only resisted the encroachment of other plants, but also hampered farming equipment. Only after John Deere invented the moldboard plow in 1837 was the prairie able to be fully exploited as cropland. Illinois is still known as the Prairie State, even though it now has only a fraction of a percent of its original 22 million acres of prairie. While it is impossible to bring back the exact conditions that sustained the Grand Prairie ecosystem, we can bring back some of the plants that once dominated the Midwestern plain.
The most familiar of these native grasses is Big Bluestem. It has a bluish-purple cast to the stem, hence its name, and it can grow over seven feet tall. Big Bluestem has been officially named as the state grass of Illinois. It puts out a 2-4 prong seed head which some people think resembles a turkey’s foot. Another common prairie grass is Indian Grass. It grows as tall as Big Bluestem but it maintains a consistently green stem until fall. It usually heads out later than Big Bluestem, and in the fall its yellowish seed head reminds me of a golden feather. Switchgrass is the next most common prairie grass. It doesn’t grow quite as tall as the other two grasses but it can get up to six feet tall. It heads out about the same time as Big Bluestem, but its seeds are smaller and spread out on fine stems which stick up above the grass blades.
I call the previous grasses the "big three" because they are the most well known, and they grow in a relatively wide variety of drainage conditions. There are many other prairie grasses, too. Some, like Side-Oats Grama, Little Bluestem and Needle Grass, are better suited for dry sites. Others, such as Prairie Cordgrass, Blue-joint Grass, and Vanilla Grass (which many of us know as Sweetgrass), are better suited for wet sites. Other grasses are just plain interesting to look at. Eastern Gamma Grass is a cousin to corn, and its leaf blades can be over an inch-and-a half wide. Its seeds are almost as large as a kernel of corn, and they are stacked on top of each other, in groups of 6-14, like a small cylinder, with a small corn tassel-like appendage on top.
There are many other types of non-grass plants which grew in the prairie, too. These not only added diversity to the ecosystem, but were visually pleasing, too, often having brightly colored flowers. These plants, known as forbs, can be planted today in the right mix so that something can be in bloom throughout the growing season. With names like Purple Coneflower, Goldenrod, Cardinal Flower, Black-eyed Susan, Blazing Star, and Blue Flag Iris, it is not difficult to imagine the beautiful colors a prairie can offer.
Some of the forbs also have food value and/or medicinal properties as well. Those who know what to look for can enjoy the nut-like flavor of the tuberous growths from Chufa (a type of sedge) or Jerusalem Artichoke (which isn’t from Jerusalem nor is it an artichoke-it’s a Sunflower!). Primrose is touted as a remedy for coughs, and Rattlesnake Master was once widely used to treat snakebite. Goldenrods and Coneflowers are still sought after to treat a wide variety of ailments.
Our care of the land’s resources can be effected both by protecting existing prairie remnants and by reintroducing prairie plants into plots of any size, even a small backyard. Those who attended Midwest SOARRING’s Harvest Pow Wow might have heard about a Memorial Park being dedicated by Bill and Doris Emmett of LeRoy, Illinois (see related article entitled The Homecoming of the Kickapoo Nation). The park is part of an area which was once a major Kickapoo village. The Emmett’s are trying to protect the site and help raise public awareness of its historic significance, and will co-sponsor, with Midwest SOARRING, a homecoming pow wow for the Kickapoo next year. In addition to inviting back the People, the Emmett’s plan to re-introduce some of the prairie plants which were once part of the great circle of life for the Kickapoo. They are starting with a small plot within the one-acre park, but if things work out, they intend to restore a larger area.
The value of native prairie plants hasn’t gone unnoticed by landscapers. They are obviously well-suited to the region, and their natural beauty and tremendous variety rival any foreign species. But it can be a little tricky getting them started. The mistake most people make when doing prairie restorations, large or small, is giving up too soon. Things may look like a weedy mess at first because it takes 2-3 years for the plants to get going well. Although it’s not absolutely necessary, occasional burning really does help, though that could pose a problem especially in urban areas.
A little bit of advance planning can go a long way when it comes to prairie restoration and management. There are several seed companies which now carry prairie grass and forb seeds. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has a couple of very good publications, Illinois Prairie: Past and Future-A Restoration Guide (1986) and Prairie Establishment and Landscaping (1997). Direct assistance is also available through IDNR or through USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
It’s not that hard to get started, so go ahead-give it a try. You can play an active role in healing the Earth by bringing back the native plants.
NRCS Extended Family
Program
by Ivan Dozier
In my recent 3-part series on the Harmony Campaign, I’ve told you about opportunities to get more involved with conservation efforts by joining the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Earth Team. Now in Illinois, NRCS is working on another way for people to help protect our Earth. As a technical agency, much of NRCS success lies with our highly skilled natural resource professionals. As we understand the strength and value of diversity in natural systems, we also recognize many of the same values in a diverse work force.
Unfortunately, Illinois lacks diversity in the agricultural work force pool. To offset this problem, NRCS often recruits employees from other states. Many of them have just finished college and can’t afford the expense of moving to a new, distant community. The employee might also experience a problem dealing with a new culture or trying to establish social support. NRCS is now developing an "Extended Family" program for new recruits to Illinois. The proposal is set up a lot like an exchange student program where families are asked to host a new employee. We are suggesting two levels of involvement. In one case, a family would actually provide living space for the employee (rent or other compensation may be part of the arrangement) until they get accustomed to the area. The second level would be families or individual who volunteer to provide social or cultural support to the employee to ease the adjustment period. This support might include inviting the employee over for dinner or other activities, or just being there for company.
I can see a potential benefit for the American Indian community. Natural resource management is one of the popular degree programs in the Tribal College Network. There is no doubt in my mind that I am a better conservationist because of my culture. I feel a special kinship to the Earth, and a career in conservation is very rewarding to me. Unfortunately, there is no longer a large centralized population base of Native Americans in Illinois, except in the Chicagoland area, and there is often reluctance among Tribal leadership to have community members go to an area where there is no cultural or social support. Maybe the extended family program could help fill that void.
Illinois’ program is still in the development stage but details should be worked out very soon. We want to get the word out to people who might be interested in hosting a new employee or who might know someone who could benefit from this type of program. Questionnaires will help us determine interest in the program, and hopefully lead to a list of host families who can be matched with incoming employees.
If you would like more information on this program, please contact me at 217-854-2628. You can also directly reach the "Extended Family" program coordinator at the NRCS state office in Champaign by dialing 217-398-5280, and asking for Jody.
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 USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250 or call 1-800-245-6340 (voice) or (202) 720-1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity employer.
SOARRING Welcomes New Advisor to the Board
Midwest SOARRING is proud to announce its new Board Advisor, David Lee Smith. David is a member of the Thunder Clan of the Winnebago (Ho Chunk) Tribe of Nebraska. He currently serves as Cultural Preservation Officer and Tribal Historian for the Winnebago Tribe, and is also a member of the National Council of American Commissions on Repatriation and Burial Site Protection, serving as Commissioner for the Great Lakes area. He has a Masters Degree from the University of California (UCLA) in Indian History, and received his undergraduate degree from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. At this time, he is also Director of Indian Studies at Little Priest Tribal College in Winnebago, and was elected as President of the Ho-Chunk Historical Society in 1994.
SOARRING had first met David in April of this year and has established a working relationship with him as liaison for his tribe. He brings to us a vast knowledge of Midwestern Woodland Indian history, and we are working to serve his nation’s need for a burial ground in Illinois. David has a newly-published book from the University of Oklahoma Press, Folklore of the Winnebago Tribe, to be released in November. SOARRING sponsored a lecture and book-signing with David on November 1 at the Mitchell Indian Museum in Evanston, Illinois.
Herban Thymes
by Cindy Bloom
A long time ago, even thousands of years ago, the Cherokee lived in capital towns with large central square grounds. These grounds were a place for ritual ceremony, gatherings and prayer. Still today, as in the past, an annual festival is celebrated on these sacred grounds. It’s called the Green Corn Ceremony or Busk, which is the corruption of the Creek word, puskita, meaning to fast.
The origin of the Busk Ceremony is said to have been dreamed by a man in ancient times as a means to end the fighting and warring. During this Great Peace Ceremony, all transgressions are forgiven. There is absolution of crime and injury, and all disturbances are adjusted. War-like deeds are acknowledged, and related rites take place such as the initiation of young people who will become members of the square ground. The Green Corn functioned as an event to foster social unity, where tribal strengths and bonds uniting various towns are renewed. But the nature and function of this ceremony goes far beyond being just a unifying element in tribal life.
The 4-7 day ceremony takes place during the Everything Grows Moon (July-August). The square grounds are swept clean and a layer of white sand is sprinkled over this ritual ground. All fires are extinguished, and a central Sacred Fire is regenerated. The Fire, or Little Brother of the Sun is the life force of the people. The Green Corn or New Corn signals the beginning of the festival. It is a time of thanksgiving, not just for the fertility of the corn plants, but for the beans, squash and all wild plants as well. Dances are done, and prayers and offerings are left in honor of the plant world, and in thanks for the air we breathe, and all the foods and medicines that are gifts from the plant kingdom.
As part of the ritual, a caffeine-laden driver called the Green Corn Medicine or White Drink is made, with a strong emetic effect. It is ingested for ceremonial purification, receiving its name from the white spirit breath that is breathed into it through a bone tube or hollow reed. This is always done by a designated elder or medicine maker. Anthropologists have named this medicine the Black Drink because the liquid itself is very dark in color, though a white froth also forms on the surface of the tea. It consists of a mixture of 7 or more herbs, with the main ingredient being Yaupon Holly*, sometimes called Casseena, a Timuruan Indian word. The mixture differed from tribe to tribe. The Indians knew the most effective means of extracting the caffeine. They roasted the leaves and drank the tea hot, which increases the absorption level. The effects were enhanced by other herbs used in the mixture, and also by fasting.
The White Drink was never prepared or served casually or without ritual. Historically, it was given as a Gift of Good Will, not just to other allied tribes but to enemies as well. It is used as a peacemaking tool to deliberate tribal business and to solidify relations between clans and tribes. In the past, visitors, explorers and naturalists were invited to partake of this drink for the health of all people.
Different herbs have been used since the beginning of time to purge or purify the body. The emetic effects of Yaupon Holly have been carefully studied, hence its Latin name, Ilex Vomitoria. A species of this Holly was found in a 1500-year-old burial of a medicine man in South America. Its use, documented throughout the Americas, has included treatment of lung problems and to bring on menses. It was used in ceremony, and also to divine where the ancestors’ remains had gone. Women drank small amounts without the emetic effects. Men, on the other hand, obtained exact stimulating effects that provided a cultural ritual to reinforce male bonding.
Now that the Cherokee people have dispersed to the four directions, the Green Corn Ceremony is a still a time for coming back together to renew ties with family and the original traditions.
*Caution: Many Hollies are considered potentially toxic. This is a ceremonial drink to be prepared only by people who have been given that right.
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.
This article is the first of a 3-part series on Native women-their reality, role and position in traditional Native culture.
Remembering the Song of
Old Woman
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.
A long time ago when the people and the land were inseparable, the Old Women sang ceremonial songs, danced in ritual, and taught the stories of the Ancient Ones. The women were the keepers of harmony and balance. Extraordinary women such as Spiderwoman, Beloved Woman, and White Buffalo Calf Woman were sacred. They walked the wise woman path, teaching other women the Sacred Dance that only women dance, and learning the songs that only women sing. Spirituality was never viewed as separate from other aspects of life. Beauty was a reality manifested in one’s behavior and her relationship to all living things.
In the traditional Native way, reverence for Mother Earth is reflected in the respect shown toward women as the life-givers. Thought Woman’s medicine, for example, was so powerful that her thoughts alone brought ideas into being. What she imagined preceded all of creation. The creation of all the forces-Sun, Moon, Stars, plants, animals and humans-is complex, and their creation seems a far easier task than maintaining a healthy balance of these energies. Harmony and survival meant that all had to cooperate, and it is the task of women to bring this about.
Sexual and physical differences were honored and celebrated in Native society, therefore there is no stigma attached to being an Indian woman. We are all a mixture of male and female, and the balance of these energies is essential to life. Sky Woman of the Iroquois fell to Earth, bringing forth an abundance of life, but not without the penetrating rays of Father Sun. Among their many roles, women were the peacemakers, life givers and nurturers. Men’s and women’s skills were both highly valued, and they worked in a partnership because survival depended on both. Division of labor was respected, as were women acting in men’s roles. As a woman’s role was not rigidly fixed, some chose never to marry. Some became warriors, and were honored with feathers and the regalia of war. These had much influence and authority over issues of war and politics, and they earned the right to sing and dance with the male warriors. Women also had control of material goods, owning their dwellings and agricultural fields, and they were in charge of the distribution of wealth, food and resources. Captured enemies were taken back to camp where the women or clan mothers decided whether they should live or die.
Some Native societies were matriarchal, and these can be found across North America. The Iroquois trace descent through the mother, believing the female created the world. Native women had greater sexual freedom, could choose their own partners and divorce with relative ease. A Cherokee woman, for example, wanting her husband to leave would put his clothes out on the door step for 3 days, in view of the community. The divorce was final. If a man wanted to leave, however, it was more difficult. He first had to find another man to care for his family. Fidelity in marriage was the norm, however pregnancies before or after marriage were honored. Childless couples adopted babies from their clans, and all children were cared for within the usual extended family lifestyle. The children were raised to be strong, to think and do things for themselves, and ultimately to use their personal talents for the benefit of the nation.
Sexual inhibitions did not begin until the Christian missionaries arrived and brought their concept of sin, domination and racism. In Indian society, women are seen as central, as evidenced in stories where women are portrayed as the Creator, wise and powerful. In the Christian story of Adam and Eve, on the other hand, Eve is viewed as a temptress, sinful and deceptive, therefore passing on the stigma that all people born of intercourse share her original sin. In great contrast, the Ancient Ones honored the sometimes uninhibited sexuality of the women, for at times it took crossing the usual boundaries for the good of the nation. There are stories of Yellow Woman or Kochininako, for example, whose sensuality, and not violence, resulted in the salvation of her nation.
Women, to a great extent, were active in all areas of society, and were able to take part according to their abilities and vision.
References:
Daughters of Copper Woman by Anne Cameron,
Press Gang Publishers, Canada, 1981
The Sacred Hoop by Paula Gunn Allen, Beacon Press, Boston, MA,
1986
The Homecoming of the
Kickapoo Nation
by Bill & Doris Emmett
Approximately 4 1/2 years ago, a local historian named Ralph Duvick told us a story of the Grand Village of the Kickapoo. Until we heard the story, we were unaware of the historical significance of the farm we owned, which is on the southwest quarter of the Grand Village site. After learning some of the history, we began researching the Village. We gathered information for approximately a year. Of the many Native Nations that lived in early Illinois, the Kickapoo was among the most populous, occupying a large central area of the state. From the late 1700’s to the early 1800’s, between 2,000 and 3,000 Kickapoo lived on approximately 10 million acres, with a main village-the Grand Village-located in the center of the state between Bloomington and Champaign. Many burial sites lie hidden around the Village and a nearby Indian fort. During this era, the district hosted a timber stand that covered over 14,000 acres, with deer, buffalo and other abundant food sources. There the Kickapoo lived in pole-frame houses covered with elm bark, tapping maple trees for sap sugar, and cultivating garden plots for corn, beans, squash, pumpkins and watermelon. In a treaty signed at Edwardsville in 1819, the Kickapoo were made to give up all rights to their land in Illinois. The nation fought removal for many years, then was forced across the Mississippi River into Missouri and Kansas in 1838. From there, the tribe was later pushed into Oklahoma and Texas, with one band eventually settling across the border in Mexico. Today’s Kickapoo maintain a great reverence for the Grand Village as a religious site, in respect for the ancestors buried there.
One Sunday we learned Heartland Hogs was planning a large hog factory on the north end of the Village, which would have placed a lagoon over the burial site. We felt it was morally wrong to allow this to happen, so we formed a local citizens’ group, "The Kickapoo 4 Association," dedicated to stopping this facility from locating on the Grand Village. We enlisted the help of Mike Haney, chairman of the repatriation committee for the United Indian Nations of Oklahoma, who set up a meeting with the Kickapoo of Oklahoma. After many meetings with the people planning the facility, they decided not to build there. The Kickapoo tried to purchase the land, but the owners changed the price and terms, creating problems the Kickapoo were unable to overcome.
Approximately 1 1/2 years ago, we heard the owners were once again going to sell the land. The Kickapoo were not in a position to purchase it, so we thought about the need to preserve the burial site. Purchasing the site would place a great burden on our family finances; however, we were convinced this was meant to be. Everything surrounding our being on this land convinced us we were being guided by a Greater Power. We knew the site had to be protected, therefore we took possession of the northwestern 160 acres of the Grand Village in January of 1997, thereby currently owning the west half of the Village.
In honor of the Kickapoo, we decided to dedicate one acre of the land as a permanent memorial to the Grand Village in the form of a park. The Kickapoo Chairman of the Tribal Council in Oklahoma testified at one of the series of public hearings necessary to achieve permission for a zoning variance. The Illinois Pork Producers and the Illinois Farm Bureau were both opposed to the park because it would prevent the erection of a hog factory on the unprotected east half of the village. According to current Illinois law, factory hog facilities must be set back at least 1/2 mile from park property. The Zoning Board turned down our request, which then went to the McLean County Board for a final decision. Though the Board turned down our request at first, we were able to obtain a second hearing where we finally prevailed. The park was approved, and a formal dedication will be held at a pow wow on May 30 & 31, 1998.
Eventually it is our hope to preserve the entire village, but we do not have the financial resources to do so. We are praying that an individual, group or foundation will intercede to buy the remaining 240 acres so none of the village will be in danger of desecration.
The Buffalo Staff-
Midwest SOARRING’s Official Symbol
by Clare Farrell
Midwest SOARRING was proud to present its own official staff for the first time at the Third Annual Harvest Pow Wow. The Buffalo Staff is a unique creation, suggested in design by Board Advisor, Curly Bear Wagner of the Blackfeet Nation, and put together with personal ingenuity by Carol Kelly, a dedicated SOARRING member.
The raw material is, first and foremost, one of a kind. The staff is made from a young tree trunk donated by the Heider farm in Janesville, Wisconsin, home of the white buffalo calf, Miracle, now 3-years-old. This tree had served as a scratching post for the buffalo herd there, and the bark is embedded with fur. Blond-colored hairs were discovered upon construction of the staff, implying that Miracle’s reality joins with the meaning we give to this symbol. Traditionally, the buffalo (correctly, the American bison) covered an extensive area of the country, sustaining the lives of many Native Nations, with the white buffalo recognized as sacred to some of the Plains tribes. The central staff area is wrapped in buffalo hide, with red wool flanking the upper and lower portions, and a buffalo tail is hung from the lower of two top branches. At the top of the staff is an eagle feather, symbol of the Creator, and a medicine circle, symbol of the universe, the four directions, the four colors of humankind, and the unity of all that is-Great Mystery. Below the eagle feather is a red-tailed hawk feather, commemorating the beginnings of Midwest SOARRING at the New Lenox site, where the red-tail would circle whenever the Honor Guard was present.
We extend great thanks to the Heiders, the tree, buffalo, eagle and hawk nations, and to Carol Kelly for their joint cooperation and gift to SOARRING of this wonderful staff.
Thoughts from the President...
Aanii, boozhoo,
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all of the volunteers who contributed time, energy and resources to make our Third Annual Harvest Pow Wow a huge success. A special thanks goes to Dianne and Gordon Gleich, and Georgia and John Ness for the use of their campers which served as our food booths; to Ron Kelly for his labor converting the campers as well as making two new beautiful flag stands; to Carol Kelly for her work on our eagle staff; to Gregg Kamen for the many hours of planning, cooking and carpentry; to the Pow Wow Committee as a whole, and to names too numerous to mention. Again and again, miigwech. I send a sincere thank you, as well, to the board of Immanuel Lutheran Church for all its efforts to make our event possible in such a scenic area as its picnic grounds. I strongly embrace your sprits for the kindness and generosity you showed all our people.
On October 4, 1997, the Illinois Stewardship Alliance held a rally before the Farm Aid Concert to bring attention to the plight of family farms versus factory farms, and the environmental damage that factory farms inherently manifest. I was honored to be one of the ten speakers who spoke at the rally, expressing our particular concerns regarding factory farms, and I had the opportunity to thank Willie Nelson for his efforts to save family farms.
As I am writing this, the early fall colors are beginning to appear, and leaves are falling back to the skin of our mother earth. I look skyward, hearing the sound of the wingeds on their long journey south, wondering how many of them would return in the Spring. I think about the eternal sacredness of these cycles/circles, and how they interconnect with the many circles of life. I am led to think of the factory farms, whose owners disregard the meanings of these sacred circles, and the unconscionable treatment of the creatures within their confines. Imagine rows of animals upright in pens and boxes that allow no natural freedom of movement, a lifestyle that erodes the spirit of the unfortunate creatures, with greed as the only motive for their being. On this trail of misery, the consumer buys the plastic-wrapped or boxed container of these creatures with eroded spirits. Long before we actually eat this spiritually-tainted flesh, something happens to us: we become ourselves creatures of apathy. Only apathy can allow the desecration of these animal brothers and sisters without protest. We must treatment this cancer of the spirit with awareness of the many circles of life, and how all living and growing beings relate to each other. This awareness will bring forth the action that can stop this ongoing abuse with the powerful healing that comes from the heart.
We are all warned of the state of our country as a whole, for to quote Gandhi: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
Midwest SOARRING entered a new organizational year with the beginning of October, with the promise of many new areas of work beginning as our circle expands.
Stay strong, and walk in a good way.
Miigwech,
Joseph Standing Bear
Joe Standing Bear Speaks At Farm Aid Rally
On October 4, 1997, Farm Aid, established by Willie Nelson, presented its concert in support of family farms at the World Theater in Tinley Park, Illinois. Chirag Mehta of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, invited Midwest SOARRING to make a statement at the rally before the concert, expressing the Native view on this issue. Joe Standing Bear stated our two-fold concerns:
First, the land that tends to be purchased for factory farms is in full sections, in outlying areas, along bluffs, places most likely to include Native American village and burial sites. The lack of respect for life institutionalized in industrial-type farming warns of a lack of consideration for the natural preservation that would most affect Native people
Second, in the common Native tradition that all created beings have a spirit and are related, we honor all our animal relatives, and choose to support a healthy living environment for their well-being
Joe spoke briefly with Willie Nelson after the rally, thanking him for his efforts.
Cindy Bloom Speaks At Whole Life Expo
The Whole Life Expo was held on October 10-12 at the Rosemont Convention Center in Chicago. Speakers came from all over the world to teach about optimal health, spiritual and personal growth, and global change. Ten thousand people were expected to attend over the weekend, with healthy international cuisine, and 250 exhibits ranging from alternative health therapies and natural products, to a body work pavilion and a children’s activity center.
Speakers included Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Louis Hay and a Tibetan monk, Ldading Rinpodne. Sacred music and dance from all parts of the globe were seen and heard for "world healing." A Visionary Art Gallery was extraordinary, and the Expo Book Store offered a variety of concepts on spiritual, emotional and physical health. Tibetan monks in the tradition of Tantric Buddhism created a sand mandela as visitors looked on.
Central to our concerns, Native speakers from the Americas were also featured. Kachinas Kutenia, Apache, spoke about women taking back their power, and for men to honor the female energy so that balance can be restored in the universe. SOARRING’s Vice President, Cindy Bloom, gave a talk entitled Honoring The Ancestors. It encompassed traditional Cherokee teachings on healing, stressing that our lack of connection to family, community, earth and the ancestors results in discord. She emphasized that the Indian nations will not become whole again spiritually, emotionally and physically until all the ancestral remains are reburied, and that we honor the ancestors by bringing them back to the earth to continue their journeys in peace.
Dunning II-Historic
Cemetery Desecration
by Clare Farrell
In mid-August, SOARRING learned that an historic cemetery had been excavated at Beardstown, Illinois. Midwest SOARRING respects the spirits of all the ancestors, and the struggle to protect Native American burial sites encompasses the endeavor to protect all. The event was unknown to any officials until a local Beardstown resident noted bone lying on the construction area. Upon examination by the coroner, it was discovered to be human remains, at which time the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) was notified. By this time, however, the site had been worked for 5-7 days, with an area 130’ X 50’ and 1’-5’ deep already dug out, the dirt being dumped as fill in outside areas. Up to 40 grave sites had been excavated, part of a recorded cemetery from the 1830’s through the 1880’s or ‘90’s. The black dirt piles now require screening to retrieve an unknown amount of remains.
SOARRING contacted the developer, Martin Newman, to protest this wanton destruction. Mr. Newman rejected all blame for the occurrence, stating that he had been unaware of the remaining graves since records stated they should have been transferred in the early 1900’s when the nearby school was built. Newspaper articles, however, report the unearthing of a man and his coffin from the school yard in 1974 during repair work, and that other grave sites were known to remain there.
Most disturbing is the fact that after the damage was done and no further ancestral remains were found at the development site, current regulations allowed the IHPA to grant a permit for continued building, with no restrictions or penalties issued. By analogy, this is comparable to murdering one’s mother and then collecting the inheritance.
Midwest SOARRING wrote the Cass County State’s Attorney requesting that legal action be taken against the developer, but no reply was given. A subsequent letter was written to the Attorney General, invoking the example of the Dunning cemetery in Chicago where over a hundred remains had been bulldozed, leading to at least a minimal fine. It may require extensive exposure via the press and public concern to bring any action on this case.
History reveals again and again that what is done to a minority people will eventually come home to the majority, and respect for one group must include respect for all if any protection can be expected.
Silence From the
Governor’s Office
by Clare Farrell
On February 4, 1997, Midwest SOARRING had a teleconference with three assistants to the Governor, stating its goals and objectives. We were told at that time that the matter of a state burial board was still being researched by the governor, an issue under discussion since the fall of 1994. We had, in February, requested a meeting with the governor to further this cause and the other critical concerns of burial site protection. By August, we wrote the Governor at length, again stating that a burial board was long overdue, and again requesting a meeting with him. We were told that he would be free to meet with us in September.
By late October, however, we have had no communication from the Governor’s office, with our phone calls consistently unanswered. Coupled with the silence that the American Indian Council of Illinois has met regarding its requests as well, it has become clear that the state of Illinois is continuing its historical pattern of ignoring the Native American voice of its people. Except for some highlighted spots at ethnic festivals and the necessity of conforming to the federal laws that address our rights, Illinois has not considered our needs.
We are watching this trail of abuse, and we, ourselves, will not be silent...