"This is my life. I do not have any control over the pain and brutality of living the life of a dispossessed person. I cannot control when that pain and brutality is going to enter into my life. I have settled with having to deal with racism, pure and simple. But, I was not ready to have my pain appropriated. I am pretty possessive about my pain. It is my pain. I worked hard for it. Some days it is all I have. Some days it is the only thing I can feel. Do not try to take that away from me too." --Patricia Monture, First Nations--Canada
A sorry saga
Obama signs Native American apology resolution; fails to draw attention to it
INDIAN COUNTRY TODAY
WASHINGTON – Is an apology that’s not said out loud really an apology? What if the person expressing the apology doesn’t draw attention to it? Those are questions that some tribal citizens are asking upon learning that President Barack Obama signed off on the Native American Apology Resolution Dec. 19 as part of a defense appropriations spending bill. Full Story At: http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/home/content/81343107.html
Schools in Wisconsin could be fined for $100 to $1,000 for using Indian nicknames, mascots, and images in a bill being introduced Wednesday (1/13) in the legislature. For full story please see: http://tinyurl.com/yk9968h
Applications are available to award up to 20 fellowships in the Tribal Heritage Research Project, a 26-month program sponsored by the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums.
"There is a growing interest on the part of American Indian Nations to research, write and present accurate portrayals of their history," according to Susan Feller, development officer at the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, the coordinating agency for the national initiative.
Applications are available to award up to 20 fellowships in the Tribal Heritage Research Project, a 26-month program sponsored by the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums.
"There is a growing interest on the part of American Indian Nations to research, write and present accurate portrayals of their history," according to Susan Feller, development officer at the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, the coordinating agency for the national initiative.
Feller said the project's goals are to provide a greater understanding of indigenous cultures, contribute valuable materials to tribal archives and provide a tribal interpretation of historical events.
The project will introduce selected research fellows to methods and strategies for designing research projects, identifying sources, and accessing American Indian materials in local, regional and national collections. Participants will also produce a short video documentary using the information collected.
The fellowship opportunity is open to tribal organizations from throughout the nation. Other partnering organizations are the Library of Congress, the National Anthropological Archives, the National Archives and Records Administration and the National Museum of the American Indian.
Application guidelines, forms, and a sample application are available at the Oklahoma Department of Libraries Web site at www.odl.state. ok.us.
Applications are due 5 p.m. Central Standard Time Feb. 1.
For more information, call 405-522-3515 or e-mail tribal@otln.odl.state.ok.us.
Landmark Lawsuit Against United States for Sexual Assault of Native American Teen Settled
RAPID CITY, S.D., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Adam Horowitz, an attorney with Mermelstein & Horowitz, P.A., announced today that a settlement of $650,000 was reached in a landmark case filed against the United States government. The U.S. government appealed a federal court order to pay nearly $600,000 to Lavetta Elk, an Oglala Sioux teenager sexually assaulted by her military recruiter in early 2003. (Elk v. United States, Court of Federal Claims, Case No. 05-186L)
Sgt. Joseph Kopf, a U.S. military recruiter, sexually assaulted Elk, a 19-year-old Oglala Sioux woman, on a remote part of the Pine Ridge reservation. Prior to the assault, Sgt. Kopf had been working with Lavetta to assist her in achieving her lifelong dream of joining the U.S. Army.
Elk's attorneys brought suit in the Court of Federal Claims on her behalf pursuant to the seldom-used "Bad Man" clause of the Treaty of April 29, 1868 between the United States and the Sioux Tribe, which provides: "If bad men among the whites. . . shall commit any wrong upon the person or property of the Indians, the United States will...reimburse the injured person for the loss sustained."
In a landmark decision entered on April 29, 2009, Judge Allegra of the Court of Federal Claims ruled for the first time that a Native American may rely on the Treaty to recover "pain and suffering" damages against the United States. The Treaty had never before been used to recover mental, emotional, or physical damages; it had only been used to reimburse for property losses.
The ruling was appealed by the United States to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. The parties settled before the case was heard by the appellate court.
Miami-based attorney Adam Horowitz said, "Lavetta Elk is a courageous individual. She had the strength to take this case to trial against tremendous odds and adversity. This settlement is a victory for all Native Americans. It leaves intact the Court's ruling that a Native American may recover pain and suffering damages from the United States after being injured by a government employee. This landmark ruling establishes legal rights for Native Americans never before recognized by any U.S. Court."
Indian Health Service Partners with the NMDP
National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) welcomes the partnership of the Indian Health Service (IHS), the Federal Health Program for American Indian and Alaska Natives.
Increased awareness of the need for more donors and adding more donors to the Registry, coupled with NMDP's support services, moves us closer toward the ultimate goal of giving more American Indian and Alaska Natives a second chance at life.
Through this joint effort, the IHS and the NMDP are encouraging more American Indian and Alaska Natives to:
"I'd like to thank the National Marrow Donor Program for initially speaking to me about IHS's help in this worthy effort," said Charles W. Grim, D.D.S., M.H.S.A., Assistant Surgeon General, Indian Health Service. "The creative talents of both organizations represent the best of what can occur when we work in partnership with those pursuing the same goals - improving the health status of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Specifically, I want to recognize Evonne Bennett, Dave Morgan and others on the marrow donor collection team for helping us provide a donor opportunity literally right here on our own doorstep."
What Is a Marrow or Blood Cell Transplant?
A marrow transplant is a life-saving treatment option for many patients with blood, immune system or genetic disorders. A transplant requires matching tissue types between patient and donor.
Why Are More American Indian and Alaska Natives Needed as Donors?
The diseases that may be treated with a marrow or blood cell transplant affect people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. However, American Indian and Alaska Native patients face a greater challenge in finding a donor.
Because tissue types are inherited in the same way as hair or eye color, a patient's best chance of finding a match is with a brother or sister. Only 30 percent of patients have a suitably matched donor in their family. The next best chance of finding a match is between people who share the same racial and ethnic background.
Working Together to Help More Patients
The NMDP and its partner, The Marrow Foundation®, help people who need a life-saving marrow or blood cell transplant. They connect patients, doctors, donors and researchers to resources that help people live longer, healthier lives. Central to their work is the ability to:
- Search the world's largest, most diverse donor and cord blood Registry
- Support patients through every step of the transplant process
- Apply scientific expertise to the match process
Native Youth Public Service Announcements
Cultural center helps Native American students find a home at Stanford
The Native American Cultural Center helps American Indian students thrive academically, culturally and socially by providing a sense of community.
BY CASSANDRA BROOKS
Samantha "Sam" Azure grew up on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. Most of her high school classmates didn't go to college, but her parents pushed her and her brothers to take advantage of opportunities they never had. During her last year of high school she looked at local state colleges and a few top-notch universities, including Stanford. Full story at: http://tinyurl.com/ylf3zez
We invite you to attend the 33rd Annual California Conference on American Indian Education, March 25-27, 2010, at the Santa Clara Marriott Hotel in Santa Clara, CA. The conference theme is “Saving our Language – Saving our Culture.” The conference will showcase 33 years of success and growth of American Indian education in California and the impact the American Indian Education Centers have had in American Indian communities. The deadline for early bird registration is January 21. Additional information is available at our website: www.cieda.org