Indian Voices 5.2009 (Page 1)

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MULTICULTURAL NEWS FROM AN AMERICAN INDIAN PERSPECTIVEOUR 23RD YEAR DECEMBER 2009

★ LAS VEGAS ★COVERAGE INSIDE

1 Winona La Duke Visits San DiegoPequots Select Rodney Butler

2 Navajo Intern Headed for WhiteHouse

3 Suit alleges Police Steer Homelessto PhoenixPeace and Dignity Journeys

4 Casa del Rey Moro AfricanMuseumDonoma Energy Strategic Alliance

5 Native Mind Creates RenewableInnovations

6 Did You Know?7 Saving Our Endangered Language

Mindoro Hunger Strike8-9 Community Photos:

Winona La Duke LuncheonHarvest Dinner

10 US Mint Announces NativeAmerican Coin

11 Jim Bell Common Sense CommentaryBig Telecom Companies fightingNet Neutrality

13 Crow Creek Sioux Tribe PrayerCeremonyViejas Unveils Gift Card

14 Las Vegas UpTown ViewAntonio “Little Chief” Signsonto Indian Voices

15 US Court Blocks Nevada Gold Mine16 Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza

by Earl Heath

MASHANTUCKET, CT – TheMashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation(MPTN) recently had its elections andthe results landed Rodney A. Butler as itsnew chairman. Butler, a financial analystwho also served as secretary treasurer ofthe tribe, at the age of32 is one of theyoungest chairman Ithe tribes history.

The Mashantucket’shave history in EasternConnecticut that datesback to 10,000 years.Steven Thomas andChrystal Whipple werealso elected to theseven member council.

The council governs the tribe and areoverseers to the Mashantucket Museum,Foxwoods resort Casino and MGMGrand at Foxwoods. The museum is thelargest Native museum in the NorthernHemisphere. Foxwoods is also thelargest casino in North America.

Butler was a former star football play-

er at nearby Montville (CT) High. Healso lettered in the sport at theUniversity of Connecticut where hestudied finance.

“I am honored and deeply humbledthat my family has chosen me asChairman of the Tribal Council,” saidButler. “We have a proud and rich histo-

ry and the membershiphas elected strong repre-sentatives to help drivethe tribe to continuedsuccess. Working withthe Tribal Council, I willlook to protect andadvance the sovereignrights of our TribalNation and strengthenand preserve the social

and economic foundation that will sup-port subsequent generations ofMashantucket Pequot’s.”

Butler can be seen as charismatic,intelligent and somewhat fun at times.But when it comes to taking care ofbusiness, he’s the man. He is present atmany events and participates in fund

raisers such as the “Drive for DiabetesGolf Tourney”.

“These are challenging times on anumber of fronts,” Butler added. “Butthroughout history our nation hasencountered and always emerged on theother side better, stronger and moreindependent than before.”

Mashantucket Pequot Selects Rodney Butler

Native American Author and ActivistWinona LaDuke Visits Pauma Valley, CA

“I am honored anddeeply humbled thatmy family has chosen

me as Chairman of theTribal Council”

by Dr. Joely Proudfit

PAUMA VALLEY, CA – In a NativeAmerican Month event organized by theCalifornia Indian Culture andSovereignty Center (CICSC) at CaliforniaState University, San Marcos, NativeAmerican author, internationallyrenowned environmental activist andformer two-time U.S. vice presidentialcandidate Winona LaDuke visited thePauma Band of Luiseño Indians, theTierra Miguel Foundation and theCSUSM community to speak on envi-ronmental justice.

“It is important to recover our rela-tionship to our food, both indigenouslyand as an American society,” saidLaDuke. “We must, on a spiritual level,ensure that our relatives a have place in

this world and that our respect andregard for them is clear. We must recov-er our health, exercise more and wardoff heart disease, diabetes and other ill-nesses linked to our diet. ... And whenwe talk about sovereignty, we need toremember that sovereignty is not justabout the economy, it is also about beingable to feed our own people.”

LaDuke, an Anishinaabekwe(Ojibwe)-enrolled member of theMississippi Band Anishinaabeg, lives andworks on the White Earth Reservation innorthern Minnesota. She is a leader inculturally based sustainable developmentstrategies, renewable energy and foodsystems, and works to protect indige-nous foods from patenting and geneticengineering.

To kick off her visit, LaDuke visitedthe Pauma Valley, home to the award-winning Tierra Miguel Foundation’sorganic farm and to the Pauma Band ofLuiseño Indians, who have become

State University San MarcosHeld Talk on EnvironmentalJustice

increasingly self-sufficient by organicallycertifying crops on their reservation aswell as investing in a project to powertheir truck fleets with biodiesel.

“What the Pauma Tribe and the TierraMiguel Foundation are doing, what weall should be doing, is using indigenous

SEE Winona LaDuke, page 6

Yolanda Espinoza, Pauma Librarian, CICSC Director, Dr. Joely Proudfit and Guest of HonorWinona LaDuke enjoy the moment at the Pauma Tribal Hall Luncheon.

Indian Voices • December 20092

Multicultural News from an American Indian Perspective

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Navajo Intern Headed for the White House

Daily Times intern goes to CBS,and now the White House

by Brendan Giusti - The Daily Times

FARMINGTON - When the WhiteHouse calls, you do what Charly Edsittydid: Take the job.

Edsitty, a former intern at The DailyTimes, will spend the spring semester asan intern in the Office of PresidentialCorrespondence.

However, the White House isn’t the

pinnacle of her career, her mentors say,but rather a launching pad into theworld of journalism for the BaylorUniversity senior and Navajo journalist.

As an intern at the White House,Edsitty will handle official correspon-dence on behalf of the president, whichcan range from concerns from citizens toletters to elected officials.

She served as a summer internreporter at The Daily Times in the news-paper’s partnership with the American

SEE Navajo Intern, page 10

The Smithsonian’s National Museumof the American Indian opens a 20-panelbanner exhibition, “IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas,”focusing on the seldom-viewed historyand complex lives of people of dualAfrican American and Native Americanancestry. Through the themes of policy,community, creative resistance andlifestyles, the exhibition includes storiesof cultural integration and the struggleto define and preserve identity. Theexhibition will be on view from Nov. 10through May 31, 2010, in the second-floor Sealaska Gallery.

The exhibition addresses the raciallymotivated laws that have been forcedupon Native, African American andmixed-heritage peoples since the time ofChristopher Columbus. Since pre-colo-nial times, Native and African Americanpeoples have built strong communitiesthrough intermarriage, unified efforts topreserve their land and by taking part increative resistance. These communitiesdeveloped constructive survival strate-gies over time, and several have regainedeconomic sustainability through gamingin the 1980s. The daily cultural prac-tices that define the African-NativeAmerican experience through food, lan-guage, writing, music, dance and thevisual arts, will also be highlighted inthe exhibition.

A 10-minute media piece is featuredwith interviews obtained during researchand work on the exhibition with tribalcommunities across North America. Sitework was conducted in Mashpee, Mass.,

with the Mashpee Wampanoag commu-nity, in Los Angeles with the Creek andGarifuna communities, with theCherokee Nation in Tahlequah, Okla.,and at the Tutelo Homecoming Festivalin Ithaca, N.Y., which welcomed theCayuga, Tutelo and Saponi IndianNations.

“The topic of African-NativeAmericans is one that touches a greatnumber of individuals through familyhistories, tribal histories and personalidentities,” said Kevin Gover (Pawnee),director of the museum. “We find com-monalities in our shared past of geno-cide and in the alienation from ourancestral homelands, and it acknowl-edges the strength and resilience we rec-ognize in one another today.”

“The National Museum of AfricanAmerican History and Culture is proudto have contributed to this importantand thoughtful exhibition,” said muse-um director Lonnie Bunch. “AfricanAmerican oral tradition is full of storiesabout ‘Black Indians,’ with many blackfamilies claiming Indian blood.However, there have been few scholarlytreatments of this subject which, in theend, expresses the basic human desire ofbelonging.”

The exhibition is curated by leadingscholars, educators and communityleaders, including Gabrielle Tayac(Piscataway), Robert Keith Collins(African-Choctaw descent), AngelaGonzales (Hopi), Judy Kertèsz, PennyGamble-Williams (ChappaquiddickWampanoag) and Thunder Williams

(Afro-Carib). The accompanying exhibition book,

“IndiVisible: African-Native AmericanLives in the Americas,” edited by Tayac,features 27 essays from authors acrossthe hemisphere sharing first-personaccounts of struggle, adaptation and sur-vival and examines such diverse subjectsas contemporary art, the CherokeeFreedmen issue and the evolution of jazzand blues. The richly illustrated 256-page book is available in Smithsonianmuseum stores and through theBookshop section of the museum’s Web

site atwww.AmericanIndian.si.edu/bookshop.

Following the “IndiVisible” exhibitionrun in Washington, D.C., three copies ofthe exhibition will tour nationwide. TheSmithsonian Institution TravelingExhibition Service (SITES) has venuesbooked through March 2012. TheNational Museum of the AmericanIndian will tour English and Spanishlanguage copies to Native museums, cul-tural centers and other locations.

National Museum of the AmericanIndian Opens “IndiVisible”Exhibition Nov. 2009

SEE IndiVisible, page 6

Seminole Negro Indian Scout descendant Phil Wilkes Fixico (2nd from left) presents a signed copyof the Smithsonian Institute’s recently released “Indivisible”: African-Native Americans in the Americas to Ivan J. Houston: Author of “Black Warriors” , The Buffalo Soldiers of WWII.They are flanked by two WWII Buffalo Soldiers, Trooper James Cooper (left) andTrooper Bruce Dennis (right).

Indian Voices • December 2009 3

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Non-profit program’s week food &blanket long drive with SDSUStudents, elected officials and HiltonHotels galvanizes community

SAN DIEGO, CA – Non profit organ-ization Embrace concluded a successfulweek-long food and blanket drive called“Embrace the Streets” through a partner-ship with San Diego State AssociatedStudents, the Hilton Family Hotels andseveral additional SDSU student organi-zations. From November 1, 2009through November 7, 2009, Embracecalled upon students, The Rock Church,Council Member Marti Emerald, theHilton Family Hotels, and SDSU studentorganizations (Associated StudentGovernment, the Chicano YouthLeadership Camp and the Civilian WorldProject) to lead in collecting food, blan-kets and clothing for the homeless.

SDSU Students assisted Embrace withthe week-long collection of 200 blankets,200 sheets, 130 pillow cases, 95 pieces ofclothing, 29 pairs of new shoes, severalhundred pounds of nonperishable fooditems to be donated to the San DiegoFood Bank and 200 bag lunches to thehomeless residents of San Diego. Thedrive culminated at the corner of 16thand J street in downtown San Diego onTuesday, November 17, 2009 .

Embrace attracted over 75 SDSU stu-dent volunteers, dozens of at large mem-bers of the community and CaliforniaAssemblyman Nathan Fletcher (R-SanDiego) to pass out all 800+ donateditems to the homeless. SDSU’s PhysicalPlant joined in the community serviceeffort by hauling the donated itemsdowntown to be handed out. SeveralHilton Hotels donated blankets andsheets and washed all used blankets forhealth purposes.

Embrace CEO Sean Sheppard’s goal is

two-fold: to help the distressing numberof homeless San Diegans and to encour-age college students to become consis-tently involved in community service.Donors, volunteers and recipients wereimpressed with the way the communitycame together to help.

Assembly member Nathan Fletcherand his staff also participated in the eventwith the elected official pushing carts andpersonally handing out blankets tohomeless people. “This is a chance for usto embrace San Diego,” Fletcher said. “It’svery sad we have to hand out blankets,the long-term goal is to get to a pointwhere we don’t have to. But betweennow and that point, we should do every-thing we can everyday to make a differ-ence in people’s lives.”

San Diego City Council member MartiEmerald honored Embrace with an offi-cial Resolution declaring November 1-November 7, 2009, “Embrace The StreetsWeek” in the city of San Diego. “This is a

great organization and a wonderful pub-lic initiative. It’s selfless, really - very, verygenerous and I hope it will provide lead-ership and inspiration to others.”

Long-time San Diego resident,Denton, waited to receive donations andfound out about Embrace’s efforts at alocal homeless shelter. “I just needclothes,” he said. “I don’t need a blanket -I came for clothes.”

The experience was a powerful one forstudents as well. SDSU AssociatedStudent President Tyler Boden stated thefollowing after the entire experience, “itreally hit home in my mind and mademe realize how great Embrace is.”

Nineteen-year-old Fabian Salgadobegan serving the community throughEmbrace several days ago. “Not everyonegets the opportunity to sleep in a warmbed,” he said. “But we’re giving themblankets. No, it’s not the same thing butit’s something that we can do tonight.”

SDSU Student Jazzi Manifold used herFacebook wall to express her thoughtsabout Embrace The Streets by simplywriting, “Tonight I saved lives.”

“Embrace The Streets” delivers big to Homeless population

We are very excited to announce thatthe Peace and Dignity Journeys (PDJ) inSan Diego is organizing a Health andWellness Run for June of 2010!

We need all of your help to make thisa successful fundraiser for PDJ. We aremeeting this Thursday just to work onthis project. All are invited to help usorganize this great event.

6:00 pm Thursday - December 3rd,2009 • Indian Human Resource Center

4265 Fairmont Avenue

Other PDJ News

Thursday- December 10th, 2009 •6:30 pm General PDJ Mtg.

January 8th, 9th, 10th • Road Tripwith Stan Rodriguez

Stan invited all of us to carpool withhim and/or caravan to do outreach in theBaja California Native Communities dur-ing the weekend of the 8th, 9th & 10thof January and promote the unification ofBaja California Native Tribes by organiz-ing a run towards the end of August butstill a work in progress ... and we are allvery excited about Uncle Stan’s proposal.

Cahuilla Run - proposed by VivianHamilton for the month of March 2010.She asked us if we could plan on meet-ing on Cahuilla Reservation to get moreideas or details about logistics of the run.

Intercontinental Indigenous Gathering- June 13, 14, 15, 16. This is the 20thanniversary gathering in Ecuador ... dis-cussion to be continued at next PDJ gen-eral meeting.

News from Peace andDignity Journeys

Suit alleges San Diego police steer homeless to PhoenixThe city of San Diego has reportedly

mounted a campaign to drive the city’shomeless out of downtown and intoArizona.

That’s according to a new lawsuitfiled. The suit claims San Diego policeare tormenting the homeless and throw-ing away their possessions.

One man said he asked an officerwhat he was supposed to do now.

“You can head for the Arizona bor-der,” the officer reportedly replied. “Ihear Phoenix is nice this time of year.”

The suit says police are acting “ruth-lessly.”

The city has yet to respond.


by Roy Cook: Opata- Oodham, US Army

We are on a land of rolling hills, coolmountain spring runs just south of thevillage. We are sitting in the same spaceas our ancestors did for thousands ofyears. Our conversation is about thetime a person saw upstream of thisSanta Ysabel creek an approaching bandof far away people marked for battle andlooking to capture what they could fromthe Ipai. This story has been repeatedfor generations from elder to youth.Values and responsibility are conveyedto those who will and did step forwardand defend the people. Defend this land.Defend this Indian land and people, for-ever.

This year’s honoree is KennethPonchetti, Ipai. He is a United States AirForce veteran from 1957- 1961 activeand 1961-1863 active reserve. UnitedStates Army veteran Ron Chrisman, Ipai,leads Tukuk songs. Invited Honor ColorGuard is the Intertribal American IndianWarrior Association. Memorial bellringer is United States Navy boson JerryReed, Ipai. Virgil Osuna and StanRodriguez coordinated much of the sup-port logistics for this year’s tribute. Bothare US Army and US Navy military vet-erans and Ipai.

Traditional songs are sung for thoseattending and ancient ears to know thatwe are still here. We remember. We loveall who will, forever, rest here in theSanta Ysabel Tribal cemetery. Yes, this isIndian land and many on the muster rollrest here. We, the living, will rememberour relations. Stan Rodriguez read themuster roll of the living and the fallenWarriors.

Later, we gather for a bite to eat onthe original village site and the companyat this table is of a generation of men intheir 60s, 70s and 80s years of age.American Indian Veterans of many con-flicts. Wives and family members recallindividuals and families and tolerated usas ‘boys’. We grew up together walkingthese hills, attending the Mission andbeing bussed to school from K-12. Thisis a perfect day, warm, sunny and joyfulto be alive and recall those boyhoodfriends from this and other reservations.

We live because many of our relationspaid the ultimate price for all of us to bewhat we are, American Indian people.Just a short time ago the muster wascalled of all those who served in the mil-itary: living and passed. The colors werebrought to half-mast and taps wereblown for the fallen. This has been anemotional afternoon sustained by prideand respect for our sisters and brothersin arms.

Good company and good friends torely upon are wonderful. Mattkunkunmehan.

AFRICAN CULTURE AND HISTORYis the daily business at the Old Townlocation of the African Museum, Casadel Rey Moro. With three display rooms,the Museum presents a wealth of knowl-edge covering over 6000 years of Africanhistory on the African continent, with aspecial interest in the African influencesinto the Americas - North, Central andSouth America including the Caribbean,and the mixed heritage of these areas.The Museum also has a Gift Shop andBookstore selling historical books, chartsand artifacts and a large courtyard forthe “African Marketplace” with itemsfrom more than 15 different Africancountries for sale.

Owner Professor Chuck Ambers hasbeen researching and traveling for over30 years, and retired early from Chula

Vista School District to devote fulltime tothe Museum which was opened officiallyin 1998 in the heart of San Diego’s OldTown. On most days, Ambers or hisstaff, including volunteers, can be foundpassionately offering personal tours ofthe Museum’s exhibits, or helping stu-dents from the many local colleges anduniversities that need the Museum’sresearch facilities. On some days,Ambers is out at local sites of schools,libraries, clubs, groups and universitiesgiving multimedia presentations thatoften include him wearing period attireto bring historical figures to life.

Ambers is well known in the academ-ic community where he is active as aconsultant and curriculum developer aswell as a lecturer in high demand. Heprefers to bring groups to the Museuminstead of bringing materials out to thegroups, mainly because there is such awealth of information permanently ondisplay at the museum. Recent groupsincluded over 50 high-school studentsfrom Los Angeles. With that multi-cul-tural group, Ambers emphasized theshared cultural influences of African,Mexican, Spanish and Native-Americanthat give such a rich heritage to beproud of. Students were amazed andhighly interested to complete the Walk-Through-Study Guide that brought them

into contact with each of the featuredfacts and artifacts of the museum’s in-house exhibits. They also had the oppor-tunity to see the beautiful items beingcreated from various African countriesby doing the exercise of “spending animaginary $300” in the AfricanMarketplace in the front courtyard.

The Museum is open to the publicevery day, except Wednesday, from10:30am until 7pm with admission $2for adults and $1 for children. On theFIRST SUNDAY of each month, there arespecial cultural activities in the after-noons. This past November, the programfeatured an Afro-Cuban music group anda world-class Olympic runner fromNigeria who shared her experiences andhopes with the general public whoattended. In December, the programbrought back the Afro-Cuban group bypopular demand and featured a regalAFRICAN FASHION SHOW of bothmen and women’s fashions from aroundthe African Continent.

There is something for everybody atthe African Museum, Casa del Rey Moroat 2471 Congress St, San Diego, CA92110. Call for more information onprograms or to schedule a tour to themuseum or to bring Professor Ambers toyour facility 619-220-0022. Website:www.africanmuseumsandiego.com.

Casa del/Rey Moro – San Diego’s African Museum Santa YsabelTraditional TribalVeterans Day 2009

TEMECULA, CA – In an effort toassure better and more secure financingfor its Native American client’s renew-able energy projects, DONOMA ENER-GY, Indian Country’s first RenewableEnergy Company formed and organizedto provide specialized solar and windenergy products and services specificallyto Native American Tribes, entered into astrategic alliance with a renownednational grant writing firm to navigatethe tumultuous and confusing pathtoward government assisted financingfor Native American solar and windenergy projects.

The grant writing firm, who alreadydedicates 20% of all its own business toNative American needs, will work direct-ly with DONOMA ENERGY’s ChiefFinancial Officer to improve grant writ-ing and financing success rates for solarand wind energy projects. With thefirm’s considerable years of experienceand up-to-minute industry knowledge,they will improve upon DONOMAENERGY’s ability to provide: quality pro-posal development; daily identificationof the best available and most desirablegrant opportunities from federal, state,and foundation databases; and the high-est success rates in writing grants specif-ic to an organization’s type, locality, proj-ect or grant program.

It is DONOMA ENERGY’s sincerebelief that this strategic alliance will gar-ner completely customized quality grantproposals that truly reflects any NativeAmerican organization’s mission andneeds. Through this new synergy,DONOMA ENERGY will better assistNative Americans in obtaining futuregrants all while continuing to deliver themost up to date, cutting edge informa-tion relative to government stimulusmonies and rebates acquisition, budget-ing and financing, product technologies,planning, architectural design andimplementation, and project mainte-nance.

If you would like Donoma Energy towork on your solar or green energy proj-ect contact them at Donoma Energy:www.donomaenergy.com.

DONOMA ENERGY Strategic Alliance WithRenowned National Grant Writing Firm

FREE CONCERTBarbara Tobler, soprano soloistCris O’Bryan, pianist; Justin

Grinell, string bassistPerforming Songs of Inspiration

Date: Sunday, January 17, 2010Time: 7:00 p.m.Description: This evening promis-

es to be a delightful program high-lighting Barbara’s entrancing voiceand engaging stage presence. Pianist,Cris O’Bryan, and bassist, JustinGrinell, will be accompanying her.The inspirational music will be takenfrom opera, musical theater andsacred repertoire. Except for oneLatin text all the songs will be sungin English. You will be blessed bythis performance.

Child care is available for thoseunder age six.

Location: Sanctuary, La JollaPresbyterian Church

7715 Draper Avenue, La Jolla, CA92037

Free underground parkingaccessed from Kline St.

Concert Line: RecordedInformation (858) 729-5531

www.ljpresmusic.comNo tickets required for this con-

cert. A free-will offering will betaken.

Owner Chuck Ambers oversees the historicalcollection


by Cherrie Richardson Collazo

Closing this year on a most powerfulnote, Indian Voices will let you get toknow, probably one of Indian Countrieshidden examples of just how great theOriginal people stand.

How many people do you knowwould actually be able to tell you thatthe first ever globally used Solar Panelwas invented by the brain of a man with

a Native American lineage? And whowould have guessed that aside of thisother inventions that just recently beganto make a global in your face stir alsocame from the very same man?

Allow us here at Indian Voices to giveyou the reader, a glimpse at Samuel M.Hay III aka Bearded Wolf Taneska of theWolf Clan Cherokee.

Sam is a personal friend and mentorof mine and it is with great pleasure andadmiration that I was preparing thispiece for Indian Voices to demonstratethat the ending of this year will still andongoing carry on the greatness that lieswithin Native minds.

Born to a Native American Cherokeeand Scottish linage to Samuel M. Hay, Jr.and Lois Thornley Hay.

His known Native Ancestors were:Paternal, Salieta E. Dobbs, great greatgrandmother. Maternal, Eula Dillard,great grandmother.

Sam Hay was raised in Covington, GAin an area rich in native history and anenvironment conducive to love of thenative culture, resonance and experi-ences which built upon environmentalstrengths and interests due to the largeundeveloped areas with many rivers andstreams.

He attended Newton County HighSchool, Southeastern Tech and WestGeorgia University, where it becameapparent very early that a brilliant mindwas lingering within this young man.

Sam’s Family owned three newspa-pers in the suburban Atlanta marketwhere Sam started to work at age 13 theimportance of work was strongly

enforced and Sam’s duties ranged fromfloor sweeper to photographer and thenobituary writer by age 15, his full timeemployment after college until age 26.

Sam then moved on to the DekalbNew Era, Decatur, GA, ultimately reach-ing the position of General Manager andEditor. Time spent with former GAGovernor S. Marvin Griffin, publisher ofthe Bainbridge (GA) Post-Searchlight wasanother experience where Sam, as

Managing Editor, explored manyNative sites and learned of thehistory of the Seminoles earlytimes in Southwest Georgiaaround Lake Seminole. Sam alsowas employed by CoxEnterprises, Inc. in a top man-agement position with theirnewspaper group in NewOrleans, LA which was also veryenlightening in terms of the for-mer Native occupation of south-east Lousiana.

Early experiences related toSam’s Native past included a tripto Cherokee, NC at age five withhis parents to secure a ‘Nativename’ and a headband from theChief there at the time. Samreturned home “Bearded WolfTaneska.”

At age 13 Sam went into the forestsnear his home in Covington and wasplanning to stay for a period of twoweeks, on his own. With only a knife,fishing line and hooks, he returnedhome on the eleventh day. Sam decidedat that point if he didn’t go ahead andreturn home, he may not want to returnat all due to the sincere love for the lifehe was experiencing.

His family life at home could not havebeen any better for anyone. Sam todaystill explains that his mom was “GeneralPatton with a smile” and as friend toCongressmen, Presidents and Governorswas a political activist. Sam’s father wasa veteran of WWII, having served in theArmy Air Corps. Mr. Hay was a regis-tered pharmacist, Clerk of the SuperiorCourt, Newton County, GA, a newspaperowner and a professional magician. Heand Mrs. Hay often performed shows forcharitable organizations, mostlychildren’s’ hospitals, but never turneddown any invitation to entertain. Sam’smaternal grandmother was fluent inCherokee language and came to live withhis family when Sam was around nineyears old and was a huge influence onhis future life as a Native advocate andenvironmentalist. Sam has said manytimes that he never heard a harsh wordfrom his mom in his entire life and thatboth his father, grandmother, and UncleThomas Hay, who directed the opera-tions of the family newspapers were themost nurturing of kin.

Sam’s initial foray into environmentalendeavors was at age 19 when, as hestates, “Every bureaucrat, engineer and

expert in the known world” came toCovington and stated, “If you channelizethe Alcovy River from its inception toLake Jackson (Around 25 miles) you willhave more farmland and more land tobuild homes on by draining all the wet-lands.” Sam said, “NO!” At one point,during lunch, his father told him that,“If you don’t shut up about this riverthing someone is going to shoot you.” Towhich, Sam replied, “Well I guess I willjust have to be shot.” At that point hismom got on the phone and spoke with aCongressman who was involved in theproject and said, “I want it stopped.”And with that, it was stopped saving oneof the most pristine rivers in the entirestate.

Following are the accomplishmentsthat today are the newest innovationsand applicable innovations that sprungforth from a Native man.

In 1962, at age 20, Sam built a prede-cessor of what is now known as the ‘fuelcell’. No one ‘got it’ and so, frustrated,Sam sent his designs to Dr.Van Braun atNASA in Huntsville, ALA. Shortly afterthat, the first fuel cell powered electronicequipment aboard a space flight.

In 1967, Sam built his first solar pan-els. This particular panel is still, eventoday, the most efficient panel everdesigned.

After returning home from NewOrleans to Covington, Sam entered intothe solar manufacturing industry fulltime and after a successful (brief) period,he early retired and has spent 20 yearsdoing volunteer environmental workaround the world and several years ofNative Advocacy work.

Sam’s worldwide connections haveenabled him to learn the values of manycultures and to have a platform to teachother cultures about our Native heritage.

His family members, two sons andthree daughters, (the youngest two beinghomeschooled by Sam) now total 16kids and grandkids. Last Christmas, allthe grandkids got their Native name.This Christmas, Sam is building all six ofthem traditional Native bows made fromOsage Orange. Sam’s family is proud tobe Wolf Clan, Cherokee.

He has been honored on occasion byhis tribal friends and introduced at festi-vals for his work in assisting our Nativepeoples in the plights of many.

Having adopted, financially, strugglingNative families over the years, Sam saysyou can’t out give The Great Spirit.

His run for Governor of the State ofGeorgia was, in his words, “An opportu-nity to inform Georgians of the impend-ing water shortages which occurred sev-eral years later. He was then asked towrite the water legislation for the Stateafter his unsuccessful bid for Governor.Mission accomplished.

Court battles and other battles onmany subjects brought Sam into thecourtroom to fight his own fights. Being

able to read almost 6000 wpm and witha photographic memory, his is a formida-ble foe to any attorney who opposeshim. He talks of one battle to stop anindustrial park from being constructed atthe headwaters of Little River in theGeorgia Piedmont as being the mostgratifying and the most disappointing, atthe same time. Sam said he was lookingacross the courtroom at seven attorneys,some from the powerful King andSpalding firm who has over 400 attor-neys on staff. At the end of the trial, theJudge stated, “Sam that was about thebest case I have heard during my timeon the bench, but I’m going to have tofind in favor of the industrial park.”

Three days later, upon filing hisappeal of the Judge’s decision, the Judgesaw him in the court house and tookhim to the side and said, “Sam, we allknow what they are doing is illegal but Ihad so much pressure on me from theGovernor on down, I had no choice.”

Sam’s latest work includes an auto-mobile which was designed with safetyfor its occupants being the primary crite-ria. This design has so many new fea-tures that it even amazes his patentattorney staff...and it produces no emis-sions.

As you can see feel and clearly hearthis Indian Voice, all of Sam’s endeavorshave a foundation in environmentalinterests and a better life for all peopleand creatures. A structure that is deeplyembedded into Natives DNA but assuredfound its way to be openly exposed thruSam’s brilliant mind!

Staying true to his overall believe andnature even his home is in the middle ofa swamp, known to his friends as “WolfVilla” and Sam says its getting harderand harder for him to leave the place heloves so much to travel the way he usedto in order to be able to fight the goodfight. Although this is what he SAYS, heis always ready to help out most anyonewith his love, knowledge, and under-standing of the human condition and hisheart speaks to him to continue on eventhough he has put in his time and hopesfor younger advocates to take up thebanner. This even led him to go toPorcupine SD and offer his knowledge inassistance to the projects there just thispast September.

One thing that has been paramount inhis life is that he is also one who believesthat, “Only the Native peoples have theheart and the knowledge to save theplanet.” And that it is within the handsof those that are called to duty to makesure that our children’s dreams are notin vein to love from within our hearts,passed our minds and beyond our souls... this our mother earth and all of it’sinhabitants 2 legged, 4 legged andwinged from the depth of the Oceans tothe highest mountain peeks ... follow theechoes of Indian Voices into 2010 …and beyond.

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The New 10-Question SurveyShortest U.S. History

The U.S. Census Bureau has begunprinting 2010 Census questionnaires asthe agency continues preparations fornext year’s count of the U.S. population.The new questionnaire, which every res-idential address will receive, is designedas the shortest since the Census began in1790, asking just 10 questions and tak-ing about 10 minutes to complete.

“Our goal is to count everyone livingin the United States once, only once,and in the right place,” said CensusBureau Director Robert M. Groves.“Making that happen begins with the

2010 Census questionnaire, a powerfultool that provides critical data that willguide representation in Congress and thedistribution of more than $400 billion infederal funds to state, local and tribalgovernments every year.”

Beginning in mid-March 2010, morethan 120 million questionnaires will bedelivered to U.S. residential addresses.To meet the goal, the Census Bureau willprint more than 1.5 million documentsevery day.

“The Census Bureau has gone to greatlengths to make the printing process asefficient and eco-friendly as possible,”Groves said. “The printing of 2010Census questionnaires uses 30 percentless ink than 10 years ago and will be

printed on 30 percent recycled paper.”Another critical factor in the success

of this census is the quality of theaddress list used for delivering the ques-tionnaires next March. Last spring,Census Bureau workers walked everystreet in the nation to match actual resi-dential addresses on the ground withthose provided in lists from the U.S.Postal Service and local governments.

The 140,000 workers who verifiedaddresses operated out of 151 local cen-sus offices in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.By the end of 2009, an additional 344local census offices will open. TheCensus Bureau will hire approximately

The exhibition is produced in collab-oration with the National Museum ofAfrican American History and Cultureand SITES. Support for the exhibitionwas provided by the Akaloa ResourceFoundation and the Latino InitiativesPool, administered by the SmithsonianLatino Center.

In a related west coast event, theIndiVisible Exhibition and book washighlighted at a book signing event forIvan J. Houston at the UCLA Charles E.Young Research Library PresentationRoom. Facilitated by Gary E. Strong,UCLA Librarian, the event broughttogether members of the Buffalo Soldiersand interested parties. Trooper PhilFixico who is featured in the IndiVisibleExhibition and book has placed a highpriority on facilitating the alignment ofthe IndiVisible stars outside of theBeltway. As an active academic and com-munity organizer, Fixico has taken onthe task of publicizing the project bybringing it to the attention of the stakeholders that he associates with in hisabundantly busy life.

He is pictured here with fellow BlackBuffalo Soldiers presenting Ivan J.Houston, author of Black Warriors: TheBuffalo Soldiers of World War II with acopy of the IndiVisible book.

Black Warriors chronicles Houston’sexperiences in World War II’s first allblack combat infantry regiment, the370th of the segregated Ninety-SecondInfantry Division, also know as thefamed Buffalo Soldiers, on which SpikeLee’s film Miracle at St. Anna was based.Houston’s book reveals his personaljourney in war torn Italy as a youngblack infantryman and the odyssey of isregiment of four thousand men, whosemission was to break through the Nazi’infamous “Gothic Line.” For his bravery,he received the Bronze Stare, PurpleHeart, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, andthree Battle Stars.

IndiVisibleContinued from page 2

ways of thinking to sustain our survival,”said LaDuke, who was impressed by thefarm’s fruitful growing season and gener-ous use of local resources.

Tierra Miguel Farm Manager MilKrecu guided LaDuke’s morning tourthrough the farm, while the Pauma Tribehosted a luncheon where Pauma Casinochefs prepared a variety of cuisine usingorganic ingredients grown at TierraMiguel Farm. Members of Indian HealthCouncil, California Indian LegalServices, neighboring tribal communi-ties, tribal youth programs, and localschools and universities joined PaumaTribal members to attend the luncheonat Pauma Tribal Hall. Tribal membersthen welcomed LaDuke and presentedher with gifts. LaDuke, greeted andsigned books for those who could notattend her evening talk at CSUSM.

LaDuke, founder of the award-win-ning White Earth Land Recovery Project(one of the largest reservation-based,nonprofit organizations in the country)and Executive Program Director of theNative-led activist organization Honorthe Earth, has written extensively onNative American and environmentalissues such as struggles to restore culture

and regain land. A graduate of Harvardand Antioch universities, she is theauthor of five books, including“Recovering the Sacred,” “All ourRelations” and “Last Standing Woman.”

A meet-and-greet reception was heldfor LaDuke at CSUSM. LaDuke beganher evening talk at the CSUSM campus,filling a room at the M. Gordon ClarkeField House/University Student Union tostanding room only. Guests includedstudents and faculty from a variety ofCalifornia State universities and PalomarCollege.

“This is the first event by the newlyestablished California Indian Cultureand Sovereignty Center, and it was well-attended with more than 300 people,”said CSUSM sociology/native studiesprofessor and CICSC Director Dr. JoelyProudfit.

During her talk, LaDuke highlightedthe vast potential for military veterans touse their diverse skill set, for example inengineering, toward careers in environ-mental industries like organic farming.She also discussed support for regainingtribal lands, gardening locally and grow-ing foods free from genetic contamina-tion.

“I was encouraged [by] the entire lec-ture,” wrote CSUSM student and IraqWar veteran Ken Vanterpool in an e-mail. “This complex world needs to

know of more women [like] Ms.LaDuke.”

Students sought LaDuke’s recommen-dations on how they could make a dif-ference and what small steps they couldtake to be more environmentally con-scious. Advice ranged from studying andparticipating in sustainable farmingefforts to substituting disposable coffeecups and water bottles with refillable,reusable containers. LaDuke also empha-sized respecting the cyclical relationshipsamong people, animals and plants, andconsidering the impact of our actions onfuture generations. She followed her talkwith a book signing, which lasted twohours until all the books were gone.

“Several [students] came up after andthanked me for scheduling the class sothey could hear her speak,” said CSUSMvisual arts professor Deborah Small.“They were very inspired.”

LaDuke’s talk was sponsored by theSouthern California Tribal Chairmen’sAssociation, the CSUSM Arts andLectures department, The BurpeeFoundation and The San Diego Zoo’sInstitute for Conservation Research.Additional co-sponsors included theCSUSM American Indian StudentAssociation, the Office of the TribalLiaison, the Women’s Studies and NativeStudies departments and the AssociatedStudents Inc. Campus Activities Board.

Winona LaDukeContinued from page 1

SEE 2010 Census, page 13

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Barona Cultural Center &Museum’s Inter-Tribal DictionaryExhibition Opens for NovemberNative American Month

SAN DIEGO, CA – Seven years in themaking, the monumental 696-pageBarona Inter-Tribal Dictionary is now ondisplay at the Barona Cultural Center &Museum. The new exhibition, ‘Iipay AaTiipay Aa Uumall’ More Than Words:Saving Our Endangered Language, is partof the museum’s calendar of activities insupport of Native American HeritageMonth in November.

The new dictionary, comprising thou-sands of more familiar as well as long-lost words and phrases, is aimed atassisting Yuman language speakers of theSan Diego County Tribes in revitalizingtheir traditional native tongue.

A revised and enhanced version of theoriginal 48-page Barona dictionary proj-ect completed some 20 years ago, the

expansive and updated edition containsa number of innovative features such ashistory of the project, biographies of themain contributors and a map of the lan-guage area.

The heart of the voluminous book is467 pages of word entries with detaileddefinitions, sentence examples and vari-ous dialects and forms. And because thelanguage is so complex and unfamiliar,there’s also a pronunciation key and in-depth grammar guide.

This definitive dictionary, however, ismore than just mere words. “It is theculture of the Barona people,” saysBarona Museum Director Cheryl Hinton.

Many indigenous American languages– including ‘Iipay Aa spoken by theBarona Band of Mission Indians andthose of many other California Tribes –face extinction. The dictionary, currentlythe only written documentation, standsas a powerful tool in preserving the lan-guage and the entire culture, explainsHinton.

“The Barona people suffered severelanguage loss through the mission sys-tem, boarding schools, urbanization andassimilation projects,” she says. “Thisenormous dictionary undertaking is aneffort to preserve an original native lan-guage for a people who came very closeto losing it.”

The dictionary is the first publicationof the newly founded Barona MuseumPress, which is working on publishingother historical and contemporary mate-rials related to Barona and the 17 otherNative American Tribes in San DiegoCounty.

The dictionary exhibition also featuresother Barona Museum programs dedicat-ed to cultural preservation and languagerevitalization, including the history ofthe ‘Iipay Tiipay branch of the Yumanlanguages.

“It is fascinating to examine word ori-gins and developments within the histo-ry of the Barona people,” notes Hinton.“Words tell stories and help keep both

the language and traditions alive.”Dedicated to preserving the Native

American history of San Diego County,the Barona Cultural Center & Museumhouses more than 3,000 artifacts, photo-graphic displays and archives. The muse-um showcases many Indian traditions,such as birdsongs, language, gatherings,gaming and artwork and highlights theBarona Band of Mission Indians.

In addition, the Barona Museumoffers classes and tours for public andprivate schools, civic groups, clubs andother organizations.

The Barona Cultural Center &Museum, located at 1095 Barona Roadin Lakeside, just one mile north of theBarona Resort & Casino, is open Tuesdaythrough Friday from noon to 5 p.m. andon Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Themuseum is closed on Sundays andMondays to focus on creating new exhi-bitions and providing community out-reach.

Admission is free and there is nocharge for tours. For more information,visit www.baronamuseum.org or call619-443-7003, ext. 2.

More Than Words: Saving Our Endangered Language

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The 25hunger strikers from Mindoro are notgoing home just yet.

This despite the order made byEnvironment Secretary Lito AtienzaWednesday suspending the environmen-tal clearance he issued to IntexResources to mine 11,216.6 hectares ofland in Mindoro, the Alyansa Laban saMina (ALAMIN, Alliance AgainstMining) said.

Some critical agreements made dur-ing the dialogue with Atienza were notcontained in the order the formerManila mayor issued after meeting withprotesters, the alliance told INQUIR-ER.net in a text message.

For this reason, the hunger strike of25 Mindoreños, mostly Mangyans, willcontinue, the alliance said.

Oriental Mindoro Vice GovernorEstela Aceron said the local govern-ments of Mindoro were stressing theiropposition to large scale mining on theisland.

“We are reiterating our position thatmining is not welcome in Mindoro. Weexpect Secretary Atienza to respect this,”Aceron said.

Oriental Mindoro has passed a 25-year mining moratorium ordinance in2002 prohibiting the entry of all large-scale mining in the province. InOccidental Mindoro, similar miningmoratorium ordinances were passed bythe municipal governments of Sablayan,

Abra de Ilog, Paluan, Looc and Lubang.Eight out of 11 municipalities inOccidental Mindoro passed a resolutionagainst the mining project.

Aceron, who was with the group thatmet with Atienza Wednesday afternoon,said the environment chief was in effectadmitting he issued the environmentalcompliance certificate to Intex althoughthe Norwegian firm has yet to complywith all the requirements needed beforethe mining clearance could be issued.

“I’m disappointed that SecretaryAtienza issued the ECC on October 14even without the required documents athand,” she said.

She said that during the dialogueAtienza expressed his dismay on learn-ing that there was no prior consultationmade with the local governments andthe affected communities.

Aceron said that Atienza even agreedthat a committee be formed—composedof environment officials and local gov-ernment executives—to look into theissues raised during the dialogue.

But this is never contained in theorder Atienza released later, she said.

“We are really disappointed with hisorder of suspension. We understandthat he is resigning before filing his cer-tificate of candidacy so we want ananswer before he leaves the office,” shesaid.

Atienza has hinted at his comebackbid in Manila politics where he servedas mayor from 1998 to 2007.

Local officials on the island ofMindoro had opposed the project sayingtheir sentiments had been disregardedand the issuance of the ECC was “irreg-ular” and violated a moratorium onmining on the island.

They also said it would displacearound 20,000 members of indigenous

MindoroHunger StrikeContinues

tribes, affect the agricultural output andfood security of the island and threatenconservation areas of the PhilippineTamaraw and tourist spots like the pop-

ular Puerto Galera beach.Twenty-five members of indigenous

tribes, priests and residents of the islandstarted a hunger strike.


WINONA LUNCHEON

Pauma CasinoChefs prepare anorganic feast for

special guestWinona LaDuke

The ingredients forthe organic mealwas grown and

gathered from thegarden at the Tierra

Miguel Farm


Harvest DinnerOnce again the Soul of the San Diego IndigenousCommunity came together to share, laugh, networkand continue the empowering process.

November 14, 2009 the Harvest dinner was held atthe Barrio Station Auditorium. Facilitated by PaulaBrim, the gathering went smoothly largely due to thearmy of volunteers who made sure that that all needswere met. The festive occasion was educational andentertaining with Abel Silvas, ‘Running Grunion’,Shirley Apple Murphy and Tracy Nelson on the pro-gram.

The success of a venue of this magnitude demandsstrong leadership,commitment and volunteerism.Paula Brim, Southern California American IndianResource, SCAIR, San Diego Council of AmericanIndian Organizations the Indian Human ResourceCenter, and the multitude of volunteers from theeducational institutions and Urban Community allcontributed to make this Harvest Dinner a worth-while and memorial occasion.


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For all the folks with cell phones.(This should be printed and kept inyour car, purse, and wallet. Good infor-mation to have with you.)

There are a few things that can bedone in times of grave emergencies.

Your mobile phone can actually be alife saver or an emergency tool for sur-vival. Check out the things that you cando with it:

FIRST EmergencyThe Emergency Number worldwide

for Mobile is 112. If you find Yourselfout of the coverage area of your mobilenetwork and there is an Emergency, dial112 and the mobile will search anyexisting network to Establish the emer-gency number for you, and interestingly,this number 112 can be dialed even ifthe keypad is locked. Try it out.

SECOND Have you locked your keys in thecar?

Does your car have remote keylessentry? This may come in handy some-day. Good reason to own a cell phone: Ifyou lock your keys In the car and thespare keys are at home, call someone athome on their cell phone from your cellphone. Hold your cell phone about afoot from your car door and have theperson at your home press the unlockbutton, holding it near the mobile phoneon their end. Your car will unlock. Savessomeone from having to drive your keysto you. Distance is no object. You couldbe hundreds of miles away, and if youcan reach someone who has the other‘remote’ for your car, you can unlock thedoors (or the trunk).

Editor’s Note: It works fine! We triedit out and it unlocked our car over a cellphone!

THIRD Hidden Battery Power

Imagine your cell battery is very low.To activate, press the keys* 3370#. Yourcell phone will restart with this reserveand the instrument will show a 50%increase in battery. This reserve will getcharged when you charge your cellphone next time.

FOURTH How to disable a STOLEN mobilephone?

To check your Mobile phone’s serialnumber, key in the following Digits onyour phone: *#06#. A 15-digit code willappear on the screen. This number isunique to your handset. Write it downand keep it somewhere safe.

If your phone gets stolen, you canphone your service provider and givethem this code. They will then be able toblock your handset so even if the thiefchanges the SIM card, your phone willbe totally useless. You probably won’ tget your phone back, but at least youknow that whoever stole it can’t use/sellit either. If everybody does this, therewould be no point in people stealingmobile phones.

And Finally.....

FIFTH Free Directory Service for Cells

Cell phone companies are charging us$1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 informa-tion calls when they don’t have to. Mostof us do not carry a telephone directoryin our vehicle, which makes this situa-tion even more of a problem. When youneed to use the 411 information option,simply dial: (800)FREE411, or (800)373-3411 without incurring any chargeat all. Program this into your cell phonenow.

5 Things You Never Knew Your Cell Phone Could Do

WASHINGTON, DC – The UnitedStates Mint today announced the newdesign that Americans will see on thereverse (tails side) of Native American$1 Coins next year. The design, basedon the theme “Government - The GreatTree of Peace,” depicts the Hiawatha Beltwith five arrows bound together, withthe inscriptions UNITED STATES OFAMERICA, $1, Haudenosaunee andGreat Law of Peace. The United StatesMint will commence issuing these coinsin January 2010, and they will be avail-able throughout 2010.

The Hiawatha Belt is a visual recordof the creation of the Haudenosaunee,also known as the Iroquois Confederacy,with five symbols representing the fiveoriginal Nations. The central figure onthe belt, the Great White Pine, repre-

sents the Onondaga Nation with thefour square symbols representing theMohawk, Oneida, Cayuga and SenecaNations. The bundle of arrows symbol-izes strength in unity for the IroquoisConfederacy. The design is by ArtisticInfusion Program Master DesignerThomas Cleveland.

Featured on the obverse (heads side)of the 2010 Native American $1 Coin isthe familiar “Sacagawea” design bysculptor Glenna Goodacre, first pro-duced in 2000. Inscriptions on theobverse are LIBERTY and IN GOD WETRUST. Like the Presidential $1 Coins,the Native American $1 Coins are mint-ed in the distinctive golden color withthe year, mint mark and E PLURIBUSUNUM edge-lettered on the rim.

Indian Journalism Institute, which helpsplace American Indian journalism stu-dents into partner newsrooms. Shehelped cover such stories as the ConnieMack World Series and the NationalHigh School Finals Rodeo while inFarmington.

“This is a great honor for Charly andit’s richly deserved,” said Jack Marsh,vice president of the Freedom Forumand Diversity Institute, which overseethe partnerships.

Daily Times Editor Troy Turneragreed.

“We’re proud of the partnershipbecause it helps us hire two AmericanIndian interns each summer,” Turnersaid. “We’re also very proud of Charly.She did a great job while here and she’soff to a great start in her career. I’d lovefor us to have her back on staff heresomeday. She’s a wonderful person and awonderful writer.”

As a journalist, it’s important tounderstand the culture and communityyou’re writing about, Edsitty said. As aNavajo, it may have worked to heradvantage in Farmington.

“If you don’t understand how the cul-ture works, then you’re not doing yourjob,” Edsitty said. “I think that was reallyimportant for me while I was workingfor The Daily Times.”

After leaving the Farmington intern-ship, Edsitty took an autumn internshipwith CBS in New York City where sheworked with publicists for the televisionnetwork’s shows, which include 60Minutes and 48 Hours.

“I hit the ground running,” Edsittysaid.

And the Arizona native hopes to keepher momentum and make major changesin the news business, whether it be printor broadcast journalism.

“It’s important to have a good diversegroup in there that can accurately coverall the issues that may arise,” Edsitty saidof newsrooms. “On a national level that’sdefinitely something that’s missing.That’s something that needs to bechanged.”

Edsitty’s skill level garnered her sup-port from previous editors and produc-ers, as well as many in academics.

“Charly is among the strongest stu-dents we’ve ever had in that program,”Marsh said of her time in the AmericanIndian Journalism Institute.

Navajo InternContinued from page 2

United States Mint Announces 2010Native American $1 Coin Design


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In Southern California, NativeAmerican tribes, the CaliforniaDepartment of Transportation(Caltrans), and the San DiegoAssociation of Governments

(SANDAG) are taking an activeapproach to building relationships

and improving coordination in trans-portation planning. Tribal govern-ments established the Reservation

Transportation Authority (RTA), a con-sortium of 24 tribes, in order to pool

resources and more effectively coordi-nate on transportation issues.

Reservation TransportationAuthority

28860 Old Town Front StreetTemecula, CA.

Phone: 951-308-1442

ReservationTransportationAuthorityServing Southern California Tribes

A Jim Bell & Common SenseCommentary – www.jimbell.com

It’s as simple as this, all of us, justdoing what we do, are destroying ourplanet’s life- support system. To be morecorrect, it’s not so much about what weare doing, but about how we now do it.Just to survive, we need water and food.We also need energy to live contempo-rary lives.

The problem is that the way we nowget energy, water and food and mosteverything else, is eroding the possibilityof having a secure supply of energy,water and food and the things of mod-ern life, in the future.

What should we do?The answer is to develop ways to live

and make livings that are life-supportsustaining, ways that heal and nourisheach other and our planet’s life-supportsystem. This is the least we must do ifwe want to leave our descendents thebirthright of a happy, healthy, prosper-ous, and completely life-support sustain-ing world. The first step toward achiev-ing this goal is to become renewableenergy self-sufficient. When a home,community, city, county, region, state orcountry controls its energy supply andprice, it controls its economy, its ways oflife, and most everything else – no mat-ter what happens to the price and sup-ply of energy on global and nationalmarkets.

Because solar energy in its variousforms is free and even delivered free,there is no cost for fuel to benefit fromit. The technologies to save energy andproduce what we can’t save do have acost. But given that our inventors/devel-opers are still getting better at savingenergy and converting various forms ofsolar energy into electricity, the price ofefficiency improvements and renewablygenerated electricity will continue to fall.Every level of becoming renewable ener-gy self-sufficient creates opportunities. InSan Diego County, where I live, there isan abundance of direct sunlight.Additionally, the county has substantialwind, biomass, ocean current, wave andtidal energy from which electricity canbe produced.

But, even if direct sunlight was itsonly resource, and assuming 40 kWh ofelectricity, natural gas and transportationfuels are consumed directly or indirectlyper capita per day, San Diego Countycould become renewable energy self-suf-ficient by increasing energy use efficien-cy by 40% and covering 43% of its roofsand parking lots with 15% efficient PVpanels.

Economically, becoming renewableenergy self-sufficient will increase coun-tywide economic activity by over $175billion over a forty year implementation

period and create over 1 million job-years of employment in the process.

What about cost?Actually, becoming renewable energy

self-sufficient will cost less than continu-ing our dependences on imported energy– especially if we make the transforma-tion with a little intelligence and grace.

Assuming an average cost of 10 centsper kWh over 40 years, making SanDiego County renewable electricity self-sufficient alone would save the county$24 billion.* Since electricity makes uparound 40% of the energy the averageperson uses per day, it follows that arenewably energy self-sufficient SanDiego County would save around $60billion over a 40 year transition periodto renewable energy self-sufficiency.Additionally, the higher the cost thatelectricity rises above10 cent per kWhon the open market, the greater theCounty’s positive the cash-flow andresulting economic multiplier benefitwill be.

For details on this investment strategy,go to www.jimbell.com, click on “GreenPapers”. Although this paper focuses onrenewable electricity self-sufficiency inSan Diego County, the investment strate-gies it develops can be used to becomerenewable energy self-sufficient forgaseous and liquid fuels as well.Additionally, this strategy can workalmost anywhere on our planet, modi-fied for climate, renewable energysources available and other local condi-tions. With modifications, it will alsowork for becoming water and food self-sufficient as well.

Step two - become renewable water self-suf-ficient.

Water is essential to life. It is essentialto the water rich lifestyle most people inthe developed world already have andthat people in the developing worldwould like to have.

Using San Diego County as an exam-ple, increasing the coverage of its roofsand parking lots with 15% efficient PVpanels by another 5%, or from 43% to48%, will allow it to become renewableenergy and water self-sufficient. Theaddition electricity will power reverseosmosis (RO) pumps to force saltwateragainst membranes that let freshwaterthrough, but block salt, other mineralsand most pollutants.

Assuming the worst case scenario ofzero rainfall and zero imported water,five percent coverage of San DiegoCounty’s roofs and parking lots with15% efficient PV panels would makeenough electricity to produce 776,000acre ft. of water each year. San DiegoCounty now uses around 600,000 acreft. of water each year. By installing PVpanels over 8% of its roofs and parking

lots, San Diego County could become asubstantial water exporter.

Sea life will be protected from ROprocessing by extracting saltwater to beused through sand filtration as inextracting saltwater from coastal wellsand through sea bottom sand filtration.Wastewater or brine left over from theRO process will be evaporated in shallowopen ponds so salt and other mineralsleft behind can be mined. If any ROwastewater is returned to the sea, itwould have to be diluted by sand filteredsalt water to be less than 20% saltierthan is natural seawater. As a furtherprecaution, it would be released into theocean diffusely.

Step three – become renewable food self-suf-ficient.

With renewable energy and waterself-sufficiency, comes the ability tobecome renewable food self-sufficient. Italso allows for the growth of a great dealof the fiber and lumber.

To make this real, it is essential thatwe protect our agricultural soils fromdevelopment and other miss uses. Myresearch indicates that we still haveenough agricultural soil in the world tofeed everyone a nutritious diet of tastyfood with lots of variety. With renewableenergy powered RO, this is still true forSan Diego County. Unfortunately, neitherof these statements will be true for long,if we do not protect and preserve ourbest agricultural soils for life-supportsustaining agriculture.

Step fourMake a personal decision to be the

parent of no more than two childrenunless your child dies before reproduc-ing them self. If the world’s populationdropped 1% per year, in 100 years itwould be down to around 2.5 billion,the world’s population in the early1950s.

Step fiveDevelop a Space Debris Detection and

Defense System. We are the first genera-tions of people who have the technologyto locate any earth orbit crossing spaceobjects we might be threatened by. Wealso have the technology to nudgeobjects large enough to cause seriouslife-support harm if they collide with us,into earth safe orbits. We can even cap-ture such objects in moon and earthorbits for scientific study and to mine forvaluable minerals.

As I said before, if we want to leavethe birthright of a happy, healthy, pros-perous life-supporting sustaining futureto our young and future generations,these 5 steps are the minimum we mustdo, and the sooner the better.

We’ve come so far, so why blow itnow. We know what to do, some of us

know how to do it. The rest of us canlearn. If the living generations, over thenext 60 years or so, develop life-supportsustaining economies and ways of lifeplanet wide, there is little to stop usfrom colonizing space in our own galaxyand beyond.

If we don’t develop a supporting(symbiotic) relationship with our plan-et’s life-support system soon, we will fol-low the footsteps of the great civiliza-tions of the past that utterly failed at theheight of their greatest achievementsbecause their civilizations had feet ofclay. This is because they were based onthe exploitation of others and the unsus-tainable use of the life-support systemupon which their civilization rested.

The least we must do


First casino gift card of its kind isthe perfect stocking stuffer

SAN DIEGO, CA – Viejas todayannounced the launch of the new ViejasGift Card, which can be used property-wide – for gaming, shopping, diningand more – at both the Viejas Casinoand the Viejas Outlet Center.

The new Viejas Gift Card is the firstof its kind in California. “Just in time forthe holidays, we wanted to offer a giftcard that could be used across our entireproperty and provides our guests withthe maximum in convenience and flexi-

bility,” said Viejas Casino GeneralManager Jack McGinty. “At the casino,the card is seamless. Our guests who are18 and up can use it in their favoriteslot machines, or present it for bingo ortable games play. At the Viejas OutletCenter, the gift card can be used at theretail shops, restaurants or even at thenew Viejas Bowl.”

The Viejas Gift Cards, sold in a vari-ety of denominations, can be purchasedat the Viejas Casino, Viejas OutletCenter management office, or online atwww.viejas.com. For complete details,pick up a brochure at any V Club Boothat the Viejas Casino.

Viejas Unveils Gift Card for Gaming,Dining & Shopping

The Joe and Vi Jacobs Center, 404Euclid Avenue, San Diego, was GroundZero for an alive and animated commu-nity organizing event.

The morning of December 5th a mas-sive gathering of neighborhood represen-tatives came together to celebrate andplan for the future.

(CNC) was created in 1994 as aneighborhood unification and empower-ment strategy. The CNC provides com-munity members the skills, knowledgeand opportunities needed to effectneighborhood change and acts as aresource and information sharing net-

work for the 23 neighborhoodcouncils in southeastern SanDiego. The CNC also serves asa forum for community andcitywide concerns, creating aunited voice for residents ofsoutheastern San Diego.

Southeastern San Diego isone of the most culturallydiverse communities in SanDiego County, and the CNCstrives represent the communi-ties that it serves, actively pro-moting diversity in our generalmembership, staff, and boardof directors. CNC’s general

membership currently includes ethnical-ly and socially-diverse resident leadersfrom southeastern San Diego’s 23 neigh-borhood councils. Rounding out thegrassroots participation in the CNC areadditional southeastern San Diego resi-dents not yet affiliated with a neighbor-hood council, leaders of community-based organizations serving the commu-nity, and other individuals committed toresident-led community developments.

The breakfast was a inspiring andempowering event that assured those inattendance that the future is indeedbright.

Society of Singers“This organization was founded by

Ginny Mancini and Gilda MaikenAnderson because they discovered thatmany singers had nowhere to go forhelp - no pension, no union, no any-thing. SOS is here to fill that void.” JerryF. Sharell, President & CEO, SOS.

SOS has been vital to the health, well-ness and survival of more than 3,000professional singers since our inceptionin 1984. Through our programs andservices we have rescued numeroussingers by providing emergency grantsduring times of crisis. We have come tothe aid of displaced performers duringtimes of critical disaster and devastationsuch as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.SOS also offers annual scholarships toMasters students pursuing their graduatedegrees and future careers in the VocalArts.

Ongoing support from individual

members, corporate sponsors, and fundsraised from our gala events have enabledSOS to offer free comprehensive servicesto singers meeting eligibility guidelines.Recipients of aid must have earned theirprimary living as professional singers forfive years and more. They represent allages, ethnic and socio-economic back-grounds, and all genres of performance.

All services provided under the aus-pices of our Human Services departmentare carried out with compassion and arekept strictly confidential. SOS respectsthe pride of all singers whose talent,energy, courage and determination havea vital impact in the world of entertain-ment, culture and the arts.

“Without the singer, our industrywould have no voice.”

Bob Fead, Executive VP, SOS, Pres.Burt Bacharach Music & Sr. VP, WarnerChappel Music.

15456 Ventura Blvd., Suite 304,Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

San Diego Coalition of NeighborhoodCouncils Holds Organizing Breakfast

For advertising opportunities contact:BLACKROSE COMMUNICATIONS

Email: [email protected] • Website: blackrosecommunications.com(619) 234-4753

Edwina Welch Director UCSD Cross-Cultural Center wasone of many participants in the organizing event.

But the big phone and cable compa-nies want to get rid of Net Neutralityand control how the public accesses theInternet.

This threat to Internet freedom isn’thypothetical. Verizon got caught block-ing text messages sent by the pro-choicegroup NARAL to its own members –backing down only in response to publicpressure. Comcast has also illegallyinterfered with file-sharing on its net-work, a practice that earned the compa-ny a rebuke from the FCC.

Even though President Obamapledged that he would “take a back seatto no one” on Net Neutrality, the bigphone and cable companies are pullingout all the stops to derail it, including

deploying Karl Rove-style scare tacticswithin our communities and using theirmassive resources to block Obama’sagenda.

In the first nine months of 2009, theyemployed nearly 500 lobbyists andspent some $74 million to influenceCongress and the FCC. Their misinfor-mation has even convinced Glenn Beckthat Net Neutrality is an attempt byPresident Obama to take over theInternet.

Who will protect the online rights ofmarginalized communities against theraw profit motive of big business? Weurge leaders not to yield to the under-handed scare tactics that corporationslike AT&T have used on our communities.

Telecom Companies Want to CreateSecond-Class “Netizens”


What: Indian EducationOpportunities Program College Tour.The selected university/colleges haveprograms for American Indian andAlaskan Native students. Clark CountySchool District (CCSD) and IndianEducation Opportunities Program(IEOP) will cover all expenses exclud-ing meals which will be the responsi-bility of the student.

Who: Eligible American Indian andAlaskan Native students enrolled in theClark County School District in grade8-12 during the 2009-2010 school-year.

When: March 29 - April 1, 2010(CCSD Spring Break)

Where: New MexicoWhy: To encourage American Indian

and Alaskan Native students to setgoals for postsecondary education.

How: Interested students should callthe IEOP at (702) 799-8515 or emailthe staff [email protected] toverify eligibility before completing theapplication.

Applicants must submit a completedapplication. The content must be in thefollowing order:

1. Application Form2. A typed essay explaining why the

student wants to participate in theCollege Tour and what the studenthopes to gain by attending. Essayshould be in 12 point font, doublespaced (Refer to College Tour Scoring

Rubric).3. Two letters of recommendation:

one from a current teacher, the secondfrom a community or church leader(letters must be on appropriate letter-head).

The deadline for submitting applica-tions to the Indian EducationOpportunities Program is 3:30 PMon/or before Wednesday, November 25,2009. Applications received after thisdate and time will not be considered.Applications may be sent via US mail,school mail or hand-delivered to theIEOP office by the above deadline. Nofaxes will be accepted. Submit applica-tions to 3950 S. Pecos-McLeod, Suite 1-B, Las Vegas, NV 89121.

• Do not submit applications to theschool counselor’s office or any otherlocation.

IMPORTANT DATES• October 9-10, 2009 Parent

Information Night• November 25, 2009 Deadline for

submission• December 14, 2009 Letters sent to

students• Jan. 25- Feb. 5, 2010 Interviews• February 26, 2010 Notification of

final selection• March 12-13, 2010 Mandatory

Student/Parent orientations; must RSVPby March 9, 2010. Failure of Studentand parent to attend this meeting willeliminate your child from this trip.

Clark County School District Equity and Diversity Education Department

Indian Education Opportunities Program2010 American Indian/Alaskan Native College Tour

The Equity and Diversity EducationDepartment (EDE) is happy toannounce an extension of the IndianEducation Opportunities Program(IEOP) College Tour application.Applications have been extendedthrough December 17,2009. Pleaseadvise all American Indian/AlaskaNative students 8-12th grade there is

still time to complete the IEOPCollege Tour application.

The completed application must besubmitted to the Equity and DiversityEducation Department Office, 3950 SPecos-McLeod Suite 1-b Office 127, LasVegas Nevada 89121, by December 17,2009. For additional information con-tact the EDE office at 702-799-8484.

Indian Education Program College Tour Extension

Dear Tribal Leader,By now, you have read that IRS auc-

tioned off 7100 acres of land owned bythe Crow Creek Farm, a Corporationunder the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. IRSsold the land to pay for employmenttaxes unpaid by the Tribe after the Tribewas informed by a BIA official (erro-neous advice) that they did not have topay taxes because the Tribe was a feder-ally recognized sovereign nation.. TheTribe was negotiating a loan at the timeIRS auctioned the land.

Chairman Brandon Sazue and theTribe are setting up Camp on the Landand Chairman Sazue will“Hemblaca”(Fast and Pray) for “as longas it takes!”

I am receiving many e-mails frompeople who wish to help. In case youwish to travel to Crow Creek to Pray andsupport the Crow Creek Sioux, the loca-tion is below.

Chairman Sazue states: “I am nowmarking the spot,”SIOUX LAND IS NOTFOR SALE”, 2 miles west of theCrowCreek High school ( HWY 34).”The land is located North ofFt.Thompson, on highway 34, west of

Stephan ( CrowCreek High School ).Between Stephan and the BigBendDistrict.Maybe 5 or so miles west ofStephan on highway 34.

It is Winter and the Temperature incentral SD is bitterly cold with expectedhighs around 0 to 5 degrees only. Thewind can blow on the Prairie, creatingeven more extreme severe cold. Thosewho enter into Hemblaca (Prayer offer-ing and sacrifice) will give all that theyhave to the Creator, for the land is notfor sale. The Tribe has no money or rich-es to give to the Creator, just themselvesto offer. The Crow Creek reservation ison the poorest County in the UnitedStates. How does one explain the truemeaning of what our land where ourancestors lay, means to us as SiouxPeople? In this day of greed(“wasinicu”takes the fat!) and the Megeneration, there is no way to relate ourfeeling for our land. Your Prayers areappreciated.

Please join in Prayer!PilamayayeA. Gay [email protected]

Information on Prayer Ceremony, “Hemblaca”and location of Camp for Ceremony

1.4 million people to conduct the 2010Census, including a follow up withhouseholds that do not return theirquestionnaire.

During this decennial, the CensusBureau has also created an extensivePartnership Program employing thou-sands of Partnership Specialists andAssistants across the nation to addressthe perceived undercount, targeting whatthe Census Bureau calls “Hard to Count”communities. American Indian andAlaskan Native Tribes and TribalOrganizations along with other culturallydiverse communities are working handin hand with the Census, helping every-

one to be counted on Census Day, April1st, 2010. This program is serving as anearly grassroots awareness campaignwithin many of our diverse regionsthroughout the nation.

The 2010 Census is easy, importantand safe. If your community is one thatis under counted, chances are it will alsobe under funded, and or under repre-sented. “The Census Bureau is ready toundertake this massive domestic opera-tion and looks forward to everyone’s par-ticipation in the national count.”

To find out more information aboutthe 2010 Census or would like to bepart of this historic effort, please go towww.2010census.gov , or interested inbeing a census worker in your commu-nity, go to www.2010censusjobs.gov orcall 1-866-861-2010.

2010 CensusContinued from page 6

Happy Holidays from Arigon StarrArigon Starr is an enrolled member of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma. She

grew up on the road as part of a military family. Her parents, Ken and RuthWahpecome (Creek-Cherokee-Seneca) supported her artistic expressions, encour-aging her to learn as much as possible about music, composition, art, and drama.Starr relocated to Los Angeles, where she worked behind the scenes at entertain-ment companies like Viacom Productions and Showtime Networks. In 1996, sheleft her corporate job behind and became a full-time musician.

She is reaching out to all of her fans for the HolidayWacky Productions Unlimited.PO Box 46158 West Hollywood CA 90046-0158Phone 323-650-7781www.arigon starr.com [email protected] ❄❄


UPTOWN VIEWEdited by Kena Adams • 702-787-6365 • [email protected]

KENA ADAMSCitizen Journalist...shaping the futureof communitynews and information.

V I E W O F T H E 7 0 2

Where can I get my copy ofINDIAN VOICES in Nevada

• Paiute Smoke Shop-702.387.6433• Las Vegas Indian Center-702.647.5842• Big Mama’s Rib Shack-702.597.1616 • Public libraries in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas,

Clark County and Henderson-702.938.4000-702.633-1070

• Las Vegas City Hall-702.229.6011• Grant Sawyer Building-702.486.2800• Moapa Travel Plaza-702.864.2400• University of Nevada Las Vegas-702.774.4119• Las Vegas Paiute Golf & Resort-800.711.2833• Moapa Indian Reservation-702.865-2787• Wireless Toys-702.932.8222• Mario’s Westside Market-702.648.1482• Moapa Band of Paiutes Vocational

Rehabilitation702.307.6971• The Las Vegas Tribune-702.369.6508• Native American Community Services-702.443.3719• Comprehensive Cancer Center’s of Nevada-

702.952.3444• Indoor Swap Meet (Lake Mead Drive)• Nevada Desert Experience• Urban Voice Magazine-702.696.0043• CSN Tax Service-702-237-1733• Dairy Queen-702.737.0700• Rick’s Sahara Square Smoke Shop-702.737.0655• Family Motorcycle Club• Dahuru Motorcycle Club• Ahern Rentals-702.636.8822• Metro PCS • Colors of Lupus-702.688.0951• Lloyd D. George Building/Senator Harry Reid-

702.388.5020• Assemblyman Harvey Munford-702.375.0601• Motorcycle Tire Center-702.382.8824• American Family Insurance-702.658.7536• Philly Steak Xpress-702.838.3300• The Town Tavern-702.647.3995• Blueberry Hill Family Restaurants-702.219.8089• Long Life Vege Restaurant-702.436.4488

I would like to invite all of you tosome exciting events taking place thismonth The Cultural Corridor’s annualDecember to Remember event, celebrat-ing the holiday season with culturaldiversity. I assisted with the kick off; aday-long festival of family activities, art,music, food and fun on Saturday, Dec. 5.The Cultural Corridor, located on LasVegas Boulevard between Bonanza Roadand Washington Avenue, is a nonprofitcoalition of seven institutions: CashmanCenter, Las Vegas Natural HistoryMuseum, Las Vegas Library, Lied

Discovery Children’s Museum, NeonMuseum, Old Las Vegas Mormon FortState Historic Park and Reed WhippleCultural Center. December to Rememberis the corridor’s annual holiday celebra-tion, a month-long program offeringongoing exhibits, performances, films,special events and hands-on activitiesthat show how the diverse cultures ofthe world celebrate this special time ofyear.

For more information, visit www.cul-turalcorridorvegas.org.

I would also like to make aware of

the grand opening of a new business atEdmond Town Center, Amaya’s BeautySupply.

Edmond Town Center has alsoannounced the lease for 6,000 squarefeet by Rainbow Apparel. As a leader inpopular priced apparel, Rainbow USAInc. is a national chain that specializes injunior, plus sizes, and children’s apparel.This new retailer will help bring in newjobs and stimulate the local economy.

I have been working diligently toattract new businesses to West Las Vegas

Ward 5 Councilman Ricky Barlow Announces a Non Profit Coalitionto Empower the Ward 5 Business Community and Cultural Corridor

My name is Antonio Gering, I’m 23and I live in Las Vegas, NV. I am Pueblofrom San Felipe Pueblo, NM. I am aSergeant in the United States MarineCorps and have recently returned from acombat deployment to Iraq with Fox Co.2/23. I joined the Marines right after highschool, leaving 5 days after I graduated.Since joining I have traveled to Ukraine,Israel, and Iraq. Now that I am back homeI am continuing school at the Universityof Nevada Las Vegas and pursuing adegree in Communications. Before I leftschool to deploy I was president of theNative American StudentAssociation/Native Rebs at the Universityof Nevada Las Vegas.

I never planned to join the Marineswhen I was younger, in fact I objected tojoining the Corps and it wasn’t until thesummer before my senior year that Idecided I wanted to become a Marine. Ieventually joined for multiple reasons, Icraved for excitement in my life and beingan infantrymen would provide lots of

excitement for me. Also my mother’s unclewas drafted into the Army back inVietnam and I wanted to honor him. Noone else in my family has ever been aMarine, so I decided I wanted to be thefirst. Now a days our people don’t havewarriors like in the old days that protectedthe people and the village, great men thatwent to battle against enemies. Becominga Marine and going to fight would give methe chance to go and fight for my people,my reservation, and my country. So manyNatives have done great things during thetimes of war, and I wanted to join theranks.

Since being with Fox Co. I have beenone of two Natives, the first being a Siouxman, but he got out a few years back. Inever experienced much hardship beingNative because my company has such awide range of races and religions. Oncemy fellow Marines found out my ethnicityI was given the nickname “Little Chief”due to my height, me being one of theshortest in the company and me being

Native. Thatname has stuckfor 4 years.

I deployed toRamadi, Iraq atthe beginningof the springthis year. Inever reallyknew what toexpect because the war has changed somuch since the invasion, but while I wasthere I can say I had some of the mostmemorial times of my life. Sure, there wasa degree of danger and the possibility ofdeath, but I wouldn’t have traded theexperience for the world. In June of nextyear my contract will be fulfilled to theMarine Corps, but I have no intentions tore-enlist. I plan to pursue a career in theAir Force as a Pararescuemen and finishmy degree in Communications at UNLV.

I look forward to utilizing my organiza-tional and life skills to assist with thegrowth and development of Indian Voices.

Antonio “Little Chief” Gering Signs on to Assist Indian Voices

CARSON CITY, NV — A ski tourwhich began Dec. 7th brought traveljournalists to Reno and Lake Tahoe for aweek of skiing, shopping, entertainmentand outdoor recreation to promote theregion in the lucrative Mexico tourismmarket, Lt. Gov. Brian K. Krolickiannounced

The familiarization tour, Dec. 7-12,included five journalists from travelmagazines and newspapers in MexicoCity and Monterrey, a representative ofAdnova, the company that promotesNevada tourism in Mexico, and an offi-cial of United Airlines, which is flyingthe group to Reno.

“Mexico is the No. 3 largest interna-tional travel market for Nevada, and weare working to entice more visitors fromthis neighboring country,” Krolicki,chair of the Nevada Commission onTourism (NCOT), said. “Travel storiesand photos by journalists who haveenjoyed first-hand the fun, excitementand natural beauty of Reno and LakeTahoe are a great way to sway visitors.”

Hosting the tour wereNCOT andtourism partners, including the AtlantisResort Spa Casino, Circus Circus Renohotel-casino, Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe, Cal-Neva Resort, Spa and Casino, MontBleuResort, Edgewood Tahoe golf course,Lake Tahoe Cruises, Heavenly Gondola,Heavenly Mountain Resort, EldoradoHotel Casino Reno and the Silver LegacyResort Casino.

Ski tour promotes Renoand Lake Tahoe withlucrative Mexicotourism market

“Reno-Tahoe is a destination that real-ly sells itself, once the visitors arrive,”NCOT Director Dann Lewis said. “Manypeople are familiar with Las Vegas, butless aware of the vibrant new attractionsand ambience of 21st century Reno andthe exceptional skiing and snowboardingat 18 resorts around Lake Tahoe. Ourjob is to motivate visitors to come andexperience what’s new and unexpected,and then to come back for more.”

The journalists represent Publiturtravel trade magazine of Monterrey andfour Mexico City publications: Milenioand Reforma newspapers and theirrespective Sunday tourism supplements

TornaVuelta and De Viaje!, Deep lifestyleentertainment and tourism magazineand Bleu & Blanc tourism-focused mag-azine. Hotels and attractions providecomplimentary lodging, meals, enter-tainment and activities for NCOT’sfamiliarization tours.

Tour activities will included lodging,dining and a visit to the Atlantis resortand spa, shopping at Legends at theSparks Marina and The Summit malls,dining at Circus Circus, skiing at Mt.Rose, lake-view dining and lodging atthe Cal-Neva and a tour of the hotel’snotorious tunnel where Frank Sinatraand Marilyn Monroe dashed to their cot-

tages, dining, night-clubbing and lodg-ing at MontBleu, an après-ski party atEdgewood, cruising Lake Tahoe on theM.S. Dixie II, riding the HeavenlyGondola to the mountain top for skiing,lodging at the Silver Legacy and dinnerand the Holiday Ice Spectacular show atthe Eldorado hotel.

Mexico ranks just behind Canada andthe United Kingdom in the number ofinternational visitors to Nevada.

SEE Ward Five, page 15


by Sen. Harry Reid, Special to Indian Voices

Nevada’s tribal communities are facingthe same challenges as all Nevadans dur-ing this difficult year for our state. Toooften tribes are hit hardest by unemploy-ment, rising health care costs and inade-quate housing. These challenges are onlyworsened when tribes are underservedby inadequate formula funding from thefederal government. I strongly encourageNevada’s Native communities to partici-pate in the Census. Filling out theCensus ensures communities fair repre-sentation and funding. When we have acount of tribal members the governmentis able to accurately allocate resources toaddress the needs of tribal communities.

I have worked hard over the years inconjunction with the Senate Committeeon Indian Affairs to get appropriationsthat benefit Nevada’s tribes, but often

funding that is directed to NativeAmerican groups is divided up by a for-mula. Population is heavily consideredin that formula. The Census allows rep-resentatives in the federal government toaccurately allocate this formula funding.Census data directly affects more than$300 billion a year in federal and statefunding – such as Job TrainingPartnership Act, Grants to LocalEducation Agencies for IndianEducation, and family violence preven-tion services.

For every Nevadan left uncounted bythe Census, the state will lose $917 ayear. This is especially important to ruralareas and the hospitals, schools, high-ways, and service centers that ruralcounties and Indian Reservations dependon. The 2010 Census could mean thedifference between three and four repre-sentatives in Congress and between five

and six electoral votes for presidentialraces.

The U.S. Census bureau as a part ofthe U.S. government acts in compliancewith the trust relationship and recog-nizes the unique government-to-govern-ment communication that relationshiprequires. The Census bureau will consultand work with tribal governments beforemaking decisions on any programs thatcould affect tribal communities. Thiscommitment represents the governmentworking with tribes to accurately recordtribal identity and to share completedcensus data with tribes.

Simply put, the Census is an invest-ment in your community. It doesn’t usedata for law or court enforcement. Itdoesn’t use data for immigration or taxpurposes. The Census Bureau count willtake place on April 1, 2010, and every-one must be counted, and a report onstate population totals will be submittedto the president by December 31, 2010.I urge all of Nevada’s tribal communitiesto make sure that their communities arecounted as the vibrant part of Nevadathat they are.

Senator Reid Advises:Take Part in the Census

Wild horses getreprieve fromroundup THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CARSON CITY – The Bureau of LandManagement has postponed a plannedroundup of thousands of wild horses inNevada because of a lawsuit and toallow time for appeals of its decision.

BLM spokeswoman JoLynn Worley inReno confirmed Wednesday that theroundup, set to begin Dec. 7, has beendelayed until Dec. 28.

Worley said the agency still will issuea formal decision Tuesday on its plan toround up 2,700 horses from a range 100miles north of Reno. It is part of a planto remove more than 30,000 horsesfrom federal lands in the West to dealwith soaring numbers of the animalsand the growing costs to manage them.

The group In Defense of Animalsfiled a lawsuit Monday seeking to blockthe action and challenging the use ofhelicopters in roundups.

The lawsuit also argued that the useof helicopters in roundups is illegalbecause they “traumatize, injure andkill” some of the animals.

“We welcome this moratorium on thecapture and inhumane treatment of theCalico horses,” said William Spriggs, anattorney representing plaintiffs in thelawsuit, who include Craig Downer, arenowned wildlife ecologist.

“We are confident that the court willagree that America’s wild horses are pro-tected by law from BLM’s plan to indis-criminately chase and stampede theminto corrals for indeterminate warehous-ing away from their established habitat,”Spriggs said.

RENO, NV – A federal appeals courton Thursday temporarily blocked con-struction of a massive gold mine projectin northeast Nevada that critics saywould harm the environment and ruin amountain that several tribes considersacred.

In a rare legal setback for the miningindustry in the nation’s largest gold-pro-ducing state, a three-judge panel of the9th Circuit Court of Appeals granted aninjunction to force Barrick Gold Corp. topostpone digging a 2,000-foot deepopen pit at the Cortez Hills mine.

Nevada trails only China, SouthAfrica and Australia in terms of world-wide gold production.

In reversing an earlier ruling, thejudges in San Francisco said the U.S.Bureau of Land Management failed toadequately analyze the mine’s potentialto pollute the air with mercury emis-sions and dry up scarce water resourcesin Nevada’s high desert. The project islocated on Mount Tenabo, about 250miles east of Reno.

The appellate judges concluded BLM’sreview was inadequate under theNational Environmental Policy Act,which requires a thorough examinationof large-scale projects on federal land.They said the agency didn’t fully consid-er the air quality impacts resulting fromtransporting ore to an off-site processingfacility 70 miles away.

The judges also said the review didn’tdo enough to examine the likelihoodthat pumping water out of the pit wouldcause the groundwater level to drop andpotentially dry up more than a dozenstreams and springs.

The ruling Thursday sends the caseback to federal court in Reno until theBLM revises its environmental impactstatement.

In the ruling, the appellate courtupheld a federal judge’s finding thatopponents of the mine failed to provethey were likely to prevail on claims themine would cause visual harm to MountTenabo and create a substantial burdenon the tribes’ ability to exercise their reli-gion.

Several Native American tribes saytheir people have been worshipping atTenabo for centuries.

Lawyers for Barrick - the largest goldmining company in the world - arguedthat postponing digging the mine wouldcause undue financial hardship on thecompany and its workers during tougheconomic times.

But the appeals court said any eco-nomic hardship “may for the most partbe temporary.”

“Congress’s determination in enactingNEPA was that the public interestrequires careful consideration of envi-ronmental impacts before major federalprojects may be go forward,” the judgeswrote. “Suspending a project until thatconsideration has occurred thus com-ports with the public interest.”

John Hadder, executive director of theReno-based environmental watchdoggroup the Great Basin Mine Watch, saidthe court rightly concluded BLM hadfailed in its legal responsibility to “pro-tect the air, water and ecological valuesof the area as well as the religious free-dom of Western Shoshone” tribe.

“None of us are opposed to mining if

it is done responsibility. However, thisproject is as irresponsible as it gets,” hesaid. In addition to the Mine Watch, theplaintiffs included the Western ShoshoneDefense Project and three tribes.

BLM spokeswoman JoLynn Worleysaid the agency was reviewing the rulingand had no comment Thursday.

Vincent Borg, Barrick’s executive vicepresident for corporate communications,said the company was pleased the appel-late court upheld the lower court rulingregarding religious freedom.

“The district court will now have toconsider the extent of any injunctiverelief” in regard to the other parts of theruling the judges overturned, he said.

Barrick began construction in Januaryon the mine, which would be one of thelargest open-pit, cyanide heap leach goldmines in the United States. Companyofficials said at the time they were pre-pared to spend $640,000 a day on theproject for the next 15 months.

“It is unfortunate the company decid-ed to push this forward without address-ing all concerns, especially those of theShoshone people,” said Larson Bill, amember of the Te-Moak Tribe.

Carrie Dann, of the WesternShoshone, said the project would drainthe water from the mountain.

“The destruction of the water is likethe destruction of the blood of theearth,” Dann said. “You are destroyinglife of the earth and the people andwildlife that depend on it.”

US court blocks huge gold mine project in Nevada

and have been traveling around theUnited States speaking to various retail-ers about development opportunities inWard 5. Through my relationship withMr. Edmond and by assisting with fol-lowing up on various developmentleads, this partnership with RainbowApparel was able to be forged.

What this lease agreement means isthat even in an economy that’s not sobright, there is still an opportunity with-in the inner city for a company such asRainbow Apparel to come in andemploy individuals from the neighbor-hood so they’re not only gainfullyemployed but to give them the chanceto walk to work due to the store beingright inside their community. It alsogives the surrounding residents anopportunity to shop right inside of theirneighborhood versus going outside oftheir neighborhood, which will generatenew dollars right inside our community.

Ward FiveContinued from page 14


The Moapa Band of Paiute Indians resides on theMoapa River Reservation. We are a recognizedIndian tribe organized under a Constitution

approved by the Secretary of the Interior on April 17,1942.

The tribal lands origi-nally set aside in 1874consisted of two millionacres, but in 1876 it was reduced to athousand acres. In December 1980, underthe Carter Administration, an additional70,000 acres were provided. The currenttotal land base is 71,954 acres.

The tribe’s primary business enterprisecenters on the Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza,which includes a casino, conveniencestore, cafe, gas station, and firework storewith the largest and most comprehensiveselection of fireworks in the West.

Tribal Council governs the tribe.

The Land

Moapa Valley is the prehistoric floodplain of the Muddy River, which flowsthrough the valley and drains into Lake

Mead. The region surrounding the reservation is famous for its sand-stone rock formations. Nearby Valley of Fire is a sacred area.

Moapa Band of Paiutes Business Office:1 Lincoln StP.O. Box 340 Moapa, NV 89025Hours: (8:00 AM to 4:30 PM)(702) 865-2787

Moapa Paiute TravelPlaza, which includes acasino, convenience store,

cafe, gas station, and firework storewith the largest and most compre-hensive selection of fireworks in theWest.

Come visit the Moapa PaiuteTravel Plaza, exit 75 on Interstate 15, just 30 miles north of theLas Vegas Valley.

The Moapa Reservation is located about eight miles west ofGlendale, junction of State Route 168 and I-15, near the Valley ofFire State Park.

Documents

Indian Voices 5.2009 (Page 1)