. . ============================================================ Start of Phil Konstantin's November 2005 Newsletter ============================================================ Greetings, November is on us again. Each November is National American Indian Heritage Month. I have posted both the official proclamation to that effect, and a link to the White House version of it below. I do traffic congestion reports on TV in San Diego on weekday mornings. All throughout this month, I will be mentioning a few historical tidbits to commemorate this event. I also get a chance to give a speech to some federal employees later in the month. That should be fun, at least for me it will. :-) My recovery from my neck operations continues to go along smoothly. I still have the sensation that something is stuck in my throat. It never bothers my breathing, which is good. In another health related matter, I have started a doctor- monitored weight-loss program through my medical coverage. I have been on this liquid diet program for two weeks. So far, I have lost 15 pounds. I'm looking at dropping 60 to 80 pounds in this four month program. I get five protein/vitamin/ mineral shakes a day. i do not feel hungry, but I sure do miss the taste of food. So far, they do not have a salmon flavored drink. As a reminder, in the Random History Dates section at the bottom of the newsletter, you will find links to some of the pictures I have taken at the mentioned sites. If you have not seen them before, you might enjoy getting to look at the places I talk about. I know I have excited to see those places. I know I am late with this newsletter. I'll have another one coming up in a bit to add some more information. That being said, away we go..... Phil =============== X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X =============== The "Link of the Month" for November 2005 is Fort Tours. Fort Tours is an amazing collection of information about the various forts which were established across the United States and Canada. They have pictures, descriptions, maps, and links to other sites for almost each fort listed. There is another section which deals with Battlesites, Massacres and Blood Trails. A lot of work has gone into this site. I think it is well worth a visit. You can find it at: http://www.forttours.com/main.html =============== X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X =============== Treaty of the Month: TREATY WITH THE SIX NATIONS, Nov. 11, 1794. | 7 Stat., 44. | Proclamation, Jan. 21, 1795. This treaty covers "Peace and friendship perpetual; Certain lands secured to Indians; Boundary of lands belonging to the Seneca nation; Six nations never to claim other lands in the United States; Right to make and use a road granted; Present and annuity; and Retaliation restrained. http://digital.library.okstate.edu/kappler/Vol2/treaties/six0034.htm =============== X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X =============== November is National American Indian Heritage Month. You can see a copy of the presidential proclamation on the website below. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051102-16.html I have also posted it below: National American Indian Heritage Month, 2005 A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America National American Indian Heritage Month honors the many contributions and accomplishments of American Indians and Alaska Natives. During November, we remember the legacy of the first Americans and celebrate their vibrant and living traditions. The American Indian experience is central to the American story, and my Administration is committed to helping Native American cultures across the United States continue to flourish. One of the most important ways to ensure a successful future is through education. Over the past 4 years, my Administration has provided more than $1 billion for the construction and renovation of Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. We also offer direct assistance for educator and counselor training to help make sure every classroom has a qualified teacher and every child has the tools he or she needs to succeed. As we work with tribal leaders to provide students with a superior education that respects the unique culture and traditions of the community, we can help ensure every child has the opportunity to realize their dreams. To enhance energy opportunities and strengthen tribal economies, my Administration is working to ease the regulatory barriers associated with tribal energy development. In August, I signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005, allocating $2 billion in the form of grants, loans, and loan guarantees for exploration, development, and production of energy. This legislation will help ensure that latest energy technologies are being used throughout our country. Since the earliest days of our Republic, Native Americans have played a vital role in our country's freedom and security. From the Revolutionary War scouts to the Code Talkers of World War II, Native Americans have served in all branches of America's Armed Forces. Today, that proud tradition continues, with Native Americans bravely defending our country in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and helping to spread liberty around the world. America is grateful to all our service men and women who serve and sacrifice in the defense of freedom. Our young country is home to an ancient, noble, and enduring native culture, and my Administration recognizes the defining principles of tribal sovereignty and the right to self-determination. By working together, government to government, on important education, economic, and energy initiatives, we can strengthen America and build a future of hope and promise for all Native Americans. This month, we pay tribute to the American Indians and Alaska Natives who continue to shape our Nation. I encourage all citizens to learn more about the rich heritage of Native Americans. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2005 as National American Indian Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to commemorate this month with appropriate programs and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirtieth. GEORGE W. BUSH =============== X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X =============== Movie Review: "Into The West" As I mentioned last month, I watched the TBS mini-series "Into The West." It is the story of two fictional families set in the west in the early to late 1800. It has a most white and a mostly Indian family. Their fictional lives are intertwined with real historical events. It has some of the typical romantic interludes, but it is primarily a look at the struggles faced by American Indians, pioneer settlers, the trans-continental railroad and the 1849 gold rush. Without addressing the detailed social structure of the featured Lakota/Sioux, I feel it did a very good job of presenting a lot of the day-to-day struggles of all parties. It showed how young Indians earned a place in society, how hard life was for settlers and people on wagon trains. It also dealt with several battles in a fairly even-handed, almost pro-Indian-version factual basis. It covered the Sand Creek Massacre. Wes Studi finally gets to play a good guy in the person of Black Kettle. Later, it also shows a quick look at the Washita Massacre where Black Kettle, and many others, died at the hands of Custer. The Battle of the Greasy Grass (Little Big Horn) is also presented. Eventually, the story ends with the tragedy at Wounded Knee. In the midst of all this is also an interesting segment on Carlisle School in Pennsylvania. This 12 hour epic is now available on DVD, if you would like to see it. I recommend it as a very good look at history in an entertaining format. The historical accuracy is pretty good from what I saw and know. As a side note, someone I met during my trip through the Northwest in 2003 has a significant part in the early part of the program. David Bald Eagle plays a tribal elder. I though he did a very good job. David invited me to visit his home and a pow-wow on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. He was as good of a host as he is an actor. You will recognize many other actors, too. Much of the program dedicated to the Indians is done in the appropriate local language. While they may not have been perfect, the producers did try to make the Lakota look like Lakota. The same could be said for the Cheyenne and other tribes. Here is the official website for the program. http://alt.tnt.tv/itw/ You can order a copy through Amazon.com at this link. using the link earns me a small referral fee, and costs you exactly the regular price: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000AQ6A9E/onthisdateinn-20/103-0939674-6623830?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2 =============== X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X =============== U.S. Census Bureau Facts for Features American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month: November 2005 This page has lots of interesting facts about American Indians in America. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/005684.html =============== X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X =============== From Ruth Garby Torres: Schaghticoke Petition Attached is a link to a web site calling for an investigation in the reversal of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation's (STN) federal acknowledgment. http://new.PetitionOnline.com/STN06418/petition.html As you may know, the Schaghticokes (their reservation is located in Northwest Connecticut) received their long sought-after Federal Acknowledgment in January 2004, which was immediately appealed by the State of Connecticut and other interested parties. On traditional Columbus Day 2005 the Bureau of Indian Affairs made an unprecedented decision and overturned Schaghticoke's federal status. Schaghticoke filed its letter of intent in 1981 (BEFORE the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act) and filed the documented petition for recognition in 1994. Schaghticoke's opposition claims that the tribe is a "rag tag" group that is only after casino profits [exact quote by Congresswoman Nancy Johnson, R-CT]. However, having Schaghticoke tribal sovereignty acknowledged means so much more than having a casino and is important to the survival of the people. Please sign the petition and then forward this email to as many U.S. voters as you can. Don't forget your own family and friends. Time is of the essence. A few hundred signatures will not be cause for notice. Please help Schaghticokes in their goal for over 10,000 supporters. Your assistance is greatly appreciated for STN's continued fight for the federal acknowledgment they rightly deserve. Schaghticokes continue to exercise their self-determination and tribal sovereignty. Thank you for your support. =============== X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X =============== Cultural Tidbits from the Cherokee Nation - Traditional Story: The Raven Mocker The most dreaded of all Cherokee witches is the Raven Mocker, who robs the dying of their life. A Raven Mocker can be of either sex, and there is no real way to know one. They usually look old and withered, because they have added so many lives to their own. During the night when someone is sick or dying, the Raven Mocker goes there to take the life. He flies through the air with his arms outstretched like wings. There will be a wild wind noise around him, and sparks trailing from behind. Every once in awhile he will dive, and make a sound similar to a raven’s cry. All those who hear it are afraid, because they know that someone’s life will soon end. When the Raven Mocker makes it to the dying person’s house, he often finds others of his kind there. Unless there is an Indian Doctor watching out who knows how to drive them off, they will all go inside (they are invisible) and frighten and torment the sick person until they kill him. Sometimes, those who are attending the sick think the person is just fighting for their breath. After the witches take the life, they take out his heart and eat it, and by doing this, they add to their own lives as many days or years as they have taken from his. Nobody who is attending the sick can see them, and there is no scar where they have removed the heart. Upon further examination, they will find that there is no heart left in the body. Only a medicine person with the right kind of medicine can recognize a Raven Mocker, and if that medicine person stays in the room with the sick person, the witches will be afraid to come in. When one of them has been recognized in his right shape, he must die within seven days. Often, when the friends of a traditional Cherokee know that there is no more hope, they will try to have one of these medicine people stay in the house and guard the body until it is buried. Witches will not steal the hearts after burial. Other witches are usually jealous of Raven Mockers and are afraid to enter the same house with one. When a Raven Mocker finally dies, the other witches sometimes take revenge by digging up the body and abusing it. =============== X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X =============== Some historical events for November, picked at random from my files: November 1: 1837: The steamboat Monmouth has 611 Creek Indians on board heading for Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma). During the night, while traveling upstream in a downstream lane of the Mississippi River, it strikes the Trenton, which is being towed downstream. The Monmouth breaks into two pieces and sinks within a few minutes. 311 Creeks are drowned. Because of its old age, the Monmouth has been condemned for normal shipping. This does not stop it from being used to transport the Creeks. Four of Jim Boy's children are among the dead. November 2: 1770: Spanish and Opata Indians forces, led by Bernardo de Gálvez, are on a punitive expedition directed toward the Apache. Early today they discover an Apache camp near the Pecos River in modern Texas. The Spaniards and Opata attack. They kill twenty-eight and capture thirty-six Apaches. They then return to Chihuahua, Mexico. November 3: 1786: The government of Georgia hopes to confirm the Creek Nation boundaries lines. They invite Creek leaders to a conference on Shoulderbone Creek. Only a few chiefs, including Fat King and Tame King, attend. The Georgia militia threatens the attendees with execution if they do not agree to boundary lines favorable to Georgia. A treaty is signed under duress by the Creek Chiefs attending the meeting. This action by the Georgians stokes the flames of the Creeks’ passions against the settlers. November 4: 1493: Columbus lands on Guadaloupe in the Caribbean November 5: 1775: Kumeyaays attack the Mission San Diego de Alcala. The Mission is destroyed in the fighting. November 6: 1867: Engraved on a marker in the Fort Buford (North Dakota) cemetery: "Cornelius Coughing - Private, Company C, Thirty-First Infantry- Nov. 6, 1867 - Killed by Indians . . . one of the wood wagons was attacked by a party of Indians in the thick brush about two miles from the post. There were four guards and a driver with the wagons. The body of Private Coughlin was found this morning in the bushes badly mutilated; he remained with the wagon discharging his piece until killed. The Indians (under Sitting Bull) captured four mules." You can see other headstones in the Fort Buford cemetary on my website at: http://americanindian.net/2003u.html November 7: 604: Palenque Maya Lady Kanal - Ikal dies according to the museum at Palenque. You can see pictures from the Palenque museum on my website at: http://americanindian.net/mayae.html November 8: 755: Maya King K'ak' Ukalaw Chan Chaak (Smoking Axe) ascends to the throne of Naranjo in Guatemala November 9: 1761: The Mi’kmaq of La Heve sign a treaty with the British of Nova Scotia November 10: 1970: Today and tomorrow, the first college graduate is elected President of the Navajos. November 11: 1865: Medicine Bottle and Little Shakopee, two of the leaders of the Santee Sioux uprising are executed at Pine Knob. They both had escaped to Canada, but officials there aided Americans in their kidnapping, and return to the United States. November 12: 1602: Sebastian Vizcaino’s expedition stops in modern San Diego, California. Cautiously, the Kumeyaay briefly contact the Spaniards. November 13: 1833: Just before sunrise, there is a phenomenal meteor shower, which is seen all over North America. This event is recorded on Kiowa picture calendars as the most significant event of the year. November 14: 1638: According to some sources, the first Indian reservation is established at Trumbull Connecticut. November 15: 1876: Colonel Ranald Mackenzie, ten troops of cavalry, eleven companies of infantry, and four companies of artillery, leave Fort Fetterman, in eastern Wyoming, en route to the Big Horn Mountains, and the Powder River. This is called the "Powder River Expedition" by the army. You can see the remnants of Fort Fetterman on my website at: http://americanindian.net/2003n.html November 16: 1990: The Native American Grave Protection Act takes place. November 17: 1938: An election is authorized to approve a Constitution and By-Laws for the Thlopthlocco Tribal Town of the Creek Indian Nation of the State of Oklahoma by Oscar Chapman, Assistant Secretary of the Interior. The election is held on December 27, 1938. November 18: 864: The Great Ballcourt at Chichen Itza is dedicated by the Maya. You can see pictures of the Chichen Itza ballcourt on my website at: http://americanindian.net/mayaa.html November 19: 1923: The "Treaty Between His Majesty the King and the Mississauga Indians of Rice Lake, Mud Lake, Scugog Lake and Alderville" is signed in Canada. November 20: 1965: An election for an amendment to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians is held. It is approved by a vote of 32 to 11. November 21: 1978: Amendments V through VIII to the Revised Constitution and By-Laws of the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota become effective when they are approved by the Area Director, Aberdeen Area Office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Harley Zephier. November 22: 1873: President Grant, by Executive Order, adds to the Colorado River Agency. The land is at the old northern boundary to within six miles of Ehrenberg, Arizona. This is east of the river to the "mountains and mesas." It is eventually 376 square miles in size. It is home to: Chemehuevi, Walapai, Kowia, Cocopa, Mohave and Yuma Indians. November 23: 1872: Comanche Ten Bears dies on the reservation. Ten Bears represented the Comanches on a visit to Washington, and at many great councils. November 24: 1812: As a young boy, Spemicalawba (called Captain Logan or High Horn), is captured by General James Logan. General Logan raises him until he is returned to the Shawnee during a prisoner exchange. Tecumseh's nephew, he tries to temper Tecumseh's feelings toward the Europeans. Spemicalawba scouts for the Americans during the war of 1812. He is killed on this date during a scouting expedition. Buried with military honors, Logansport, Indiana is named after him. November 25: 1894: Members of the Gusgimukw tribe hold a "winter fest" at Fort Rupert on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. November 26: 411: Maya King Siyaj Chan K'awill II (Stormy Sky) ascends the Tikal throne in Guatemala. You can see my pictures of Tikal on my website at : http://americanindian.net/mexico20.html November 27: 1915: Private Albert Mountain Horse is buried in Fort Macleod, Alberta. He is the only Blood Indian to go to the front lines in World War One. He dies due to exposure to poison gas on the battlefield. November 28: 1862: A skirmish involving pro-confederacy Indians takes place near Cane Hill in Arkansas. November 29: 1836: Five years ago, several Nez Perce travel to St. Louis to ask for someone to come to their land to teach them about religion. In response to that request missionary Henry Harmon Spalding travels to Idaho. He sets up a mission today on some land given him by the Nez Perce, 12 miles south of modern Lewiston. You can see my pictures of this area on my website at: http://americanindian.net/2003.html November 30: 1769: Gaspar de Portolá has led an expedition to explore parts of the central California coastline. While near San Jose Creek, a group of local Indians provides them with some food. ------------------------------- That's it for this newsletter. Have a great month. Phil Konstantin http://americanindian.net ========================================================== End of Phil Konstantin's November 2005 Newsletter ========================================================== . . . .
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