Hello to All My Relatives,

As a supporter of Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc of the Twin Cities area, I am forwarding this information on the 5th Annual Chalchiutlique Environmental Summit & Cultural Celebration, May 29 -31, 2009.  I participated in last years celebration and had the privilege of dancing in Ceremonia Chalchiutlique with the danzantes to honor all water.

This is an awesome conference and beautiful Mexica ceremony.  Please forward to all your contacts.  Tlazocamati!  Thank you!

Sincerely,

Renee Sans Souci
Shonge Xube Wau
Manitou Ishti Duhmoo Quay
(Sacred Horse Woman)
Omaha Nation

Check out my blog:  http://sacredhorsewoman.blogspot.com

We could use 2 dump trucks of class 5 dirt. To build up around the Inipi. If you know where we can get some dirt as a donation. Please let us know asap.

Thank You, Jim Anderson cultural person for the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community. 651-452-4141

http://bitsandpieces.us/2009/03/31/music-jukebox/

http://www.buffalowasna.com/

What is Wasna?

Usually made with dried meat and crushed berries. There are two varieties of wasna: buffalo wasna is made with dried buffalo meat, and cornmeal wasna is made with cornmeal as a substitute to dried meat.

Happy Birthday to Joe Lennartson 4/23

Happy Birthday to Leena LeClaire 4/28

Happy Birthday to Russell LaClaire 4/29

Happy Birthday to John Martineau 4/30

Happy Birthday to all of you from the Mendota Community.

GRANITE FALLS — The Rev. Gary Clyde “Sungi’’ Cavender, 69, of Granite Falls died Friday at home.

The service will be 1 p.m. today at the Upper Sioux Multi-Purpose Building, rural Granite Falls. Burial will be Doncaster Cemetery.

An all-night wake continues until the time of service today. Wing-Bain Funeral Home of Granite Falls is handling arrangements.

Sungi (Red Fox) Gary Clyde Cavender was born Dec., 23, 1939.

The son of Verna Cavender-Ross, he was raised by William and Eliza Cavender of Granite Falls. He entered the Navy in 1961 and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1965 as a crypto-radio operator, serving three tours of duty in Vietnam where he operated near the China border with long range reconnaissance patrols. He left the military due to injuries.

He lived in Minneapolis where he met his wife, Irene. They were foster parents to several Indian children. He attended the University of Minnesota where he received a degree in geriatric psychology and where he taught for several years. He attended United Theological Seminary and earned a degree in comparative spiritualities and religion. He served as an Episcopal priest in Minneapolis, Prairie Island, Morton, Shakopee and Omaha, Neb. They returned to Granite Falls three years ago.

He is survived by his wife; children: Robin (and Ward) Emery of Minneapolis, Chris (and Amy) Oak Grove of Granite Falls, Isaac Cavender of Granite Falls, and Steve Smith of Minneapolis; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and siblings: Carolynn Schommer, Tom (and Maureen) Ross, Richard (and Stephanie) Ross, Elroy (and Jill) Ross, James (and Nikkie) Ross, Joe Sam (and Kristi) Ross, Diana Cavender, Marlys (and James) Fluto, Candy (and Chuck) Hamilton, Carol Blackhawk and Geri Standing Bear.

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petition overview | letter

The White Buffalo Prophecy tells of a time when a white buffalo calf would be born, and that birth would signal a time of Great Healing for All Nations. That white buffalo calf – the first of many -  was born in Janesville, Wisconsin in 1994. Her name was Miracle.

It is in the spirit of the White Bison Prophecy, that we call upon all peoples to join us in signing this petition supporting a US apology and healing for the widespread abuse of Native American children at the nearly 500 schools funded by the US government to assimilate Native American people.

There is a growing body of evidence that the trauma Native American children carried home with them from the schools is an underlying cause of the suicides and substance abuse-related deaths that are killing young Native people today in alarming numbers.

This petition will be hand delivered to Washington, D.C., following a 6,800-mile, cross-country journey by White Bison to 23 present and former Indian school sites (http://www.wellbrietyjourney.org/). The vision is to promote awareness, dialogue and forgiveness for what happened at the schools so that we can collectively heal from this tragic chapter in United States history.

This petition calls upon the President of the United States to issue a formal apology for what the US government allowed to happen to Native American children at the schools and for the intergenerational trauma that is still negatively affecting Native individuals, families  & communities to this day.

White Bison, Inc., is a non-profit organization that for the last 20 years has provided culturally-relevant assistance and resources to

Filmmaker Chris Eyre recently visited an American Indian school in Oregon . Part Cheyenne and part Arapaho, the award-winning director asked the young students to name their heroes.

A hand went up. The first hero named was P. Diddy.

“That’s great,” Eyre said. “I like P. Diddy. I listen to his music sometimes. Well, I’m thinking of a native hero. Who are your heroes?”

Another hand went up. The next hero was Tiger Woods.

“That’s getting closer,” Eyre told them. “OK, that’s getting there.”

He believes these students and the rest of the country will get even closer after seeing the five-part “American Experience” documentary series “We Shall Remain.” Directed by Eyre and Ric Burns, these 90-minute PBS films explore history from the American Indian perspective.

The first installment, the Eyre-directed “After the Mayflower,” begins in 1620 with the arrival of English settlers in New England . It airs at 9 p.m. Monday on WVIZ Channel 25 and WEAO Channel 49.

TV PREVIEW
American Experience

What: “We Shall Remain” is a five-part documentary series about the Ameri can Indian experience.

When: 9 p.m. Monday (remaining chapters air at 9 p.m. Mondays through May 11).

Where: PBS (WVIZ Channel 25 and WEAO Channel 49).

The remaining four installments air at the same time on Mondays through May 11: “Tecumseh’s Vision” (April 20), focusing on the Shawnee leader’s attempts to create an independent American Indian state; “Trail of Tears” (April 27), examining the story of the Cherokee Nation; “Geronimo” (May 4), looking at the Apache leader; and “Wounded Knee” (May 11), documenting the 1973 standoff. Channel 49 will air its ” One State — Many Nations: Native Americans in Ohio ” at 10:30 p.m. Monday, following the premiere of “After the Mayflower.”

“It’s hard to get away from the tragedy when you tell this kind of story,” Eyre said. “But I think there are so many heroes within the characters here. . . . This is not a series about oppression.”

It is a series about getting away from the usual stereotypes of American Indians being presented as either fierce warriors or peaceable lovers of the land.

“American history is often presented in extremes, either a bright story of freedom, an opportunity, or a dark one of dispossession and subjugation,” said Mark Samels, executive producer of “American Experience.” “It’s seldom that simple. Nowhere is this more true than in the story of Native Americans.”

Burns, the writer and director behind such PBS projects as “The Way West” and ” New York : A Documentary Film,” grew up in Michigan , eight miles from the town of Tecumseh . As a boy, he had no idea why the town was named Tecumseh.

“Tecumseh, I believe, is a hero just not to Native Americans, but should be seen as a hero to all Americans,” Burns said. “The story of Tecumseh is a story of a man in the generation after the Revolution who upheld the principles of the Revolution — love of country, love of liberty, the love of the right to self-determination.”

The challenge for Burns is to make the history heartfelt and accurate: “You don’t want to just replace a kind of counterhistory for history. You want to get at the truth . . . Every one of our programs, up to the ears, was absolutely vetted for accuracy and plausibility . . . As a filmmaker, I have to say that the biggest challenge for any project is bringing the past alive . . . It’s dead until that spark leaps from the past and from the dry documents and the statistics, and is reignited in somebody’s heart.”

Monday May 11^th 3pm

American Indian Family Center

579 Wells Street

St. Paul, MN 55130

Everyone is welcome

Please bring a dish to share, and an item or two for the giveaway

Please call with any questions

651-793-3803

(MNRRA) has announced that there will be no further public meetings planned concerning the disposition of the Coldwater Spring property. A further meeting had been announced for mid-April, but that meeting will not take place. The decision appears to be the result of what happened at the Open House on February 23, 2009, at which some of those attending insisted on speaking publicly on the various issues involved in front of all those gathered, rather than speaking individually to the officials present. The decision was announced in an email to several of those interested in what happens to the Coldwater/Bureau of Mines property.

more at www.minnesotahistory.net

_______________________________________________

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmfue_pjwho

Someone just told me about this YouTube video, “Left in the Cold” about folks having their power turned off in the winter on Crow Creek.  When is the genocide of the Dakota People going to stop?  That is a death sentence in those conditions, especially for the young and the sick.  If you feel moved to send this out, I’m sure you can frame it in the best way, so I thought I’d just send you the info.  Check it out:

Many people have been asking Jim to do culture class again. So starting April 29, we will have our first culture class this year. Jim will do culture class the last Wednesday of each month. Once in a while we will have guest speaker. If you know of someone you would like to see be a guest speaker call the office. I would like to see Chris Lieth come a few times. Sharon

http://www.d.umn.edu/enigikendaasoyang/symposium/documents/Tentative2009Agenda3.pdf

Get them while they last!

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Jim Albrecht arranged to privately label our MMDC logo on bottled spring water. These collector bottles will help teach the Dakota language. New Dakota words or phrases will appear every 25 cases. Jim will donate a portion of his profits back to the Community to support our Dakota language programs. For only $2.00 each you can get yours at the MMDC office. This is an easy way to help preserve our Dakota heritage and learn our language.

Tell your friends and relatives!

If you know someone who is interested in private labeling their own bottled water (companies, events, organizations, etc.) call George Crothers at 651-274-2250.

Tell him you were referred by MMDC and he will donate 50% of the net profit to MMDC.

Saturday, April 25^th

Pilot Knob Restoration Event

North of Highway 13 at Acacia Blvd. and Pilot Knob Rd.

Mendota heights, MN

8:30am-12:30pm

Please contact  Mark Turbak volunteer programs manager for more information.

mturbak@greatrivergreening.org

651-665-9500