AIM: Native American ' No Bear Hunt' resolutions submitted to Nevada governor

 

 

American Indian Movement (AIM)

Western and Northern Nevada Chapters

Contact: Buck Sampson, President, AIM of Western Nevada

Contact: Johanna Emm, Member, AIM of Northern Nevada

Posted at Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

PETITIONS OPPOSING BEAR HUNT SIGNED BY 713 NATIVE AMERICANS SUBMITTED TO GOVERNOR TODAY

Bear is “sacred animal” for Nevada Native Americans

Members of two Native American groups submitted petitions opposing the Nevada bear hunt to Governor Brian Sandoval today. The petitions state that Nevada’s Native Americans consider the bear a “sacred animal” and that they oppose the bear hunt for religious reasons. The petitions ask for the bear hunt to be permanently stopped, and are signed by approximately 713 Nevada Native Americans.

Members from all four of the Great Basin Tribes in Nevada signed the petitions (Northern and Southern Paiute, Shoshone and Washoe), as well as other tribes. It is estimated that 713 signatures represent almost 10% of the Native American voting population in Nevada.

The signatures were gathered primarily at Nevada Indian Pow Wows all around the State during the period April - September 2012.

Accompanying these petitions were resolutions opposing the bear hunt in Nevada from 11 different tribal councils within Nevada, as well as a resolution opposing the bear hunt from the Nevada Inter Tribal Council.

Both AIM groups support the Intertribal Council Resolution opposing the bear hunt, as well as the resolutions of individual Nevada tribal councils. 

Also see
ACLU intervenes in targeting of AIM by FBI: 
 http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/09/aclu-intervenes-in-targeting-of-aim-and.html

Siléí in Flagstaff: Support Native youth empowerment

Organizations Join Forces to Purchase Center for Community Arts and Activism Contributions Needed for 'Crowdfunding' Campaign

By Klee Benally
sileiproject@gmail.com
www.oybm.org/silei

French translation, thank you Chris Prat

translated (with reproductions of folder and CD cover)

http://www.chrisp.lautre.net/wpblog/?p=980

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Outta Your Backpack Media (OYBM) and Táala Hooghan Infoshop have joined forces with a new non-profit group called Siléí Community Empowerment Project (SCEP) to purchase a 4,500 sq ft community center for social and environmental activism.

For 5 years OYBM and Táala Hooghan have worked together to provide access to arts, activist resources, Indigenous youth empowerment, an all ages venue for musicians, and much more.
"We’ve thought deeply, had hours and hours of meetings, consulted with other organizations and elders, and decided that not only is this possible, but this will enable us to have assured longevity of our vision and enable us to be more effective in our work." said Klee Benally, a volunteer with SCEP. "We are deeply committed to ensuring that this community resource lives for generations to come."
"We've already received a great amount of support and encouragement from our friends and neighbors," said Ned Del Cajello a volunteer with OYBM and Táala Hooghan. "We are confident that through donations, community fundraisers, lending forward or 'borrowing' opportunities, matching funds, and other creative fundraising activities, we will secure the purchase of the building."
Currently the groups have initiated a crowdfunding campaign through Rockethub.com. They have until October 3, 2012 to raise $10,000.00 for costs including an initial downpayment.
By donating through the crowdfunding site contributors can get rewards such as a benefit compilation CD, signed books, heirloom seed packets, a limited edition t-shirt, even personal filmmaking workshops and more.
The campaign was 12% funded as of September 14, 2012.
SCEP will retain and manage the facility to ensure that the goals and vision of the center will be sustained for years to come. This will include a plan to maintain the building and property only for social and environmental justice community purposes beyond any perceived lifetime of current projects such as OYBM or Táala Hooghan.
OYBM will become a media justice and arts institute for Indigenous Youth that will facilitate year-round training in media justice and audio/visual production to support cultural and ecological justice in and around the southwest.
Táala Hooghan Infoshop will carry out its action statement for the “empowerment for youth and the greater community into action in favor of a more just and sustainable world” by having a more reliable, safe space that people know to go to for information and resources.
"Right now there exists no other community action resource center in Arizona, so it's imperative that a space like Táala Hooghan becomes more sustainable so information about grassroots efforts overlooked by the media continue to circulate within Arizona." stated Hailey Sherwood, a volunteer with Táala Hooghan.
BACKGROUND
Since 2004, Outta Your Backpack Media (OYBM) has been growing and blossoming dynamically year by year. We have empowered hundreds of Indigenous youth to share their stories through our unique, free movie making workshops. In 2011, OYBM was one of a handful of youth organizations that were responsible for Flagstaff being recognized with the “100 Best Communities for Young People Award.”
In 2007 we partnered with Indigenous Action Media and Táala Hooghan infoshop to create our very own Youth Media Arts Center.
Every part of both organizations’ effort has been 100% volunteer and supported by creative community based fundraisers.
More information about SCEP: www.oybm.org/silei
Outta Your Backpack Media: www.oybm.org
Táala Hooghan infoshop: www.taalahooghan.org
Video about the campaign: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfbR3rTkvbs&feature=share&list=UUxcUQ5NVyH2-vjTGx0bZulQ
Rockethub.com campaign site: http://www.rockethub.com/projects/10536-silei-community-empowerment-project

Indigenous Solidarity for Arctic Protection: Ban offshore drilling

Beluga whales

ALASKA INTER-TRIBAL COUNCIL STATEMENT OF INDIGENOUS SOLIDARITY FOR ARCTIC PROTECTION

Press statement
Posted at Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

The Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, North Aleutian Basin (Bristol Bay) and Cook Inlet are critical habitat for many subsistence resources including bowhead whale, beluga whale and other marine mammal species central to the health, well-being and cultural survival of our people.
Off Shore Industrial oil and gas activities present agrave threat to Alaska marine environment and Alaska Native Subsistence cultures who rely strongly on their ability to utilize our oceans, inlandwaters, and lands for subsistence in which the whales, marine mammals, bird sand fish migrate to and from, through our oceans and lands.
Alaska Inter-Tribal Council supports the JOINT STATEMENT OF INDIGENOUS SOLIDARITY FOR ARCTIC PROTECTION where  the representatives of the Indigenous Peoples of the North, the participants of the international conference “Arctic Oil: Exploring the Impacts on Indigenous Communities”, held August 14-16, 2012, in Usinsk, Komi Republic, Russia,address to all Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic, governments of Arctic nations, governments of other nations of the world and international organizations.
In solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic we stand together in our Call for a ban for the Arctic Off-Shore Drilling on the Shelf.  We do not accept the ecological risks and destructive impacts of oil spills, chemical spills in our seas and our lands. 
There is significant global evidence of irresponsible practices of oil companies that provide us with evidence that oil spills in any marine environment is inevitable and there is no proven method to clean up oil in the freezing, icy arctic conditions.
*References:
Alaska Inter-Tribal Council Resolution 2009-02-06: Titled:  Oppose Leasing, Exploration and Development of Alaska's Outer Continental Shelf
Alaska Inter-Tribal Council Resolution #2005-12:  Titled: Support of reinstating the moratorium on offshore oil and gas development in lease site 92 in the Bristol Bay Region
Alaska Inter-Tribal Council Resolution #2005-08:  Titled:  Oppose Development of Oil and Gas in the 1002 area of the ANWR and Offshore Waters of the Arctic Ocean, Chukchi Sea, and Beaufort Sea.

We, the representatives of the Indigenous Peoples of the North, the participants of the international conference “Arctic Oil: Exploring the Impacts on Indigenous Communities”, held August 14-16, 2012, in Usinsk, Komi Republic, Russia, address to all Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic, governments of Arctic nations, governments of other nations of the world and international organizations.
JOINT STATEMENT OF INDIGENOUS SOLIDARITY FOR ARCTIC PROTECTION
We the Peoples of the North have for too long experienced the oppression of our Peoples and the barbaric destruction of our land. It is time that we join forces and demands that the oil companies and the Arctic States change their path and start to listen to the voices of the Indigenous Peoples residing in these lands.

The Peoples of the North will no longer be bought with dimes and cents to stand silently by while the oil companies destroy our native land. Our culture and history cannot be bought off and replaced with pipelines and drill rigs. Our way of living defines who we are and we will stand up and fight for our nature and environment. Too many have been reduced to depend on the generosity of the oil companies. Our rights and ability to sustain ourselves must not be trampled by others’ endless hunger for profits. Our lands and culture must be preserved for the generations to come.

If divided, we will not be able to withstand the pressure from oil producing companies to open up our homes for destruction. Today we gather our forces and refuse to continue to stand silently by, witnessing the destruction of our land.
We stand together in our call for:

· A ban on all offshore oil drilling in the Arctic shelf. We cannot accept the ecological risks and destructive impacts of a spill on our lands and in our seas. The irresponsible practices of oil companies everywhere have provided us with more than enough evidence that oil spills in the Arctic seas will be inevitable. At the same time there are no effective and tested methods to prevent or clean up oil spills in the freezing Arctic seas.
· A moratorium on onshore oil drilling in the Arctic. Oil companies have repeatedly shown that they have no respect for anything other than their profits. Until the oil companies and the national governments of the Arctic take the responsibility for the destructive impacts on the environment, the Indigenous lands must be closed for them.
· All extraction and industrialization on Indigenous land should only be carried out with the explicit consent of the Peoples of the land. Furthermore, Indigenous communities must benefit socially and economically from any industrial extraction. We will not let the Arctic become another industrial area, destroyed to produce profit for the industry.


We call for all Arctic Indigenous Peoples to join us and support this resolution.

Also see: Protesters block Shell Headquarters
with giant icy pyramid

http://www.treehugger.com/environmental-policy/protestors-block-entrance-shell-hq-giant-icy-pyramid.html

Rhonda Holy Bear Lakota Doll Artist

Rhonda Holy Bear - Lakota Doll Artist

There were 938 shares of this poster on Facebook as soon as it was posted. Rhonda says, "I am stunned!" Poster copyright Rhonda Holy Bear.

Rhonda Holy Bear Lakota Doll Artist
Posted with permission at Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

Rhonda Holy Bear is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. She was born in South Dakota, at Old Cheyenne River Agency--also known as "Chief Martin Charger's Camp." Rhonda grew up in extreme poverty and was raised mainly by her grandparents, DeSmet and Angeline [Soft] Holy Bear. Rhonda's earliest dolls were a hammer and a clothespin. She sometimes even dressed up her cats and dogs and pretended they were babies. One day, she made a doll from some scraps of cloth she found around the house. "Look Grandma! I made a doll!" she said, handing her creation to her Grandmother Angeline, who was almost completely blind. Her grandmother examined the doll in her hands and told Rhonda the story that has inspired her to create dolls to this very day:

Rhonda's Grandma, Angeline, had been orphaned as a young child and had been raised by her Grandmother. Angeline's Grandmother, like many of the women of her time, was skilled in the traditional arts of quilling and beading. Around 1923, when Angeline was 5 years old, her grandmother brought her to a tribal gathering in South Dakota. Some affluent tourists visited their tipi. They had a little girl who was similar in age to young Angeline. While the adults talked in the tipi, the two little girls played with a traditional Lakota doll that Angeline's grandmother had made for her. Angeline loved that doll as if it were her little friend. It was made of buckskin and was adorned with beadwork. Grandmother had even stitched clippings of Angeline's hair to the doll's head.
Read more
http://www.rhondaholybear.com/
Thanks to Rhonda for allowing Censored News to share this. The above poster can be ordered at:
rhonda@rhondaholybear.com