Monthly Voting Membership Meeting.

Tuesday June 30, at 7:00 pm. Bring a treat if you want. Please bring a member with you. We need more members to come to our monthly meetings.

Pow Wow meeting Tuesday June 30 at 6:00 pm. If you would like to be on the Pow Wow Committee please be here by 6:00 pm.

Mendota Days is on Saturday July 11. We need volunteer ASAP. Hours are around 9:00 am-6:00 pm  maybe later?  If you could volunteer 4 hours or more that would be great!  Please call the office ASAP. Mendota Days is  only a couple of weeks from now. We need someone to organize Mendota Days.   HELP!

Pidamaya

Your Tribal Council.

Open House   -   Sunday June 28, 1:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Celebrate Gideon’s 199^th birthday!  Tours of the house will include details of Gideon’s family and growing up years, and the two apprenticeships that would shape his missionary life. Enjoy birthday cake, and sing Happy Birthday to Gideon himself, portrayed by a costumed reenactor.  Programs and tours are free for children and high school youth and members of the Pond Dakota Heritage Society.  Suggested donation of $2 for non-member adults.

Free Band Concert                           -Sunday June 28, 7:00 p.m.

Bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy a concert by the John Philip Sousa Memorial Band on the south lawn of the Pond House. Formed in 1970, the band’s goal is to recapture the spirit of bands at the turn of the twentieth century, when bands were an integral part of their communities.  The John Philip Sousa Memorial Band consists of 40 Twin Cities musicians who volunteer their talents, some for over 20 years.

The Gideon and Agnes Pond House is located in Pond Dakota Mission Park, 401 East 104th St., Bloomington, between Portland and Nicollet Aves.  For more information contact Mark Morrison at Bloomington Parks and Recreation at 952-563-8693, or after hours call Jay Ludwig at 952-484-0477, or visit www.ci.bloomington.mn.us, keywords “Pond House”.

Coming soon to the Pond House:

Charles Lanman, Frontier Artist
Sunday July 5,  2 – 4 p.m.
Meet landscape painter, outdoorsman and journalist Charles Lanman, an acquaintance of Seth Eastman, portrayed by local artist Paul Boecher.  Uncover your drawing skills as you sketch with the artist, or watch as he paints “plein air” using watercolors and a paint box.  Discover the life of a frontier artist and what it was like to explore uncharted areas of Minnesota.  Sketching  materials will be supplied, or you may bring your own.

Hope you can join us for these great events at the Pond House!

Jay Ludwig

Pond Dakota Heritage Society

Bloomington MN. Global Celebration Sat, June 20 9am – 1:00pm.

Bloomington Civic Plaza, 1800 West Old Shakopee Rd.

Becky Wiggins will be selling her jewelry.

Many culturals  will be there. Native American, Japanese, Philippine, Hmong, etc.

Brass Messengis Band.

Hayor Bibimma.

Farmer Market.

For more information, call 952-563-4957 V/tty.

Chris has a new music C-D in Dakota,  it is wonderful.  Chris will be our language class  guess on June 24, please come and welcome him. POTLUCK

Hello,

Some of you may remember that a little over a year ago, there was 3 days of action protesting the Minnesota Sesquicentennial and the lack of truthful history regarding the cultural, spiritual, emotional and physical cost to the Dakota and all First Nations People of the area in becoming a state, to educate about the genocide of the Dakota people and draw attention to the Treaty of 1805.   One of the actions was to meet the Sesquicentennial Wagon Train at Fort Snelling.

During that protest, several people were arrested and three of us were charged.  The case goes to trial tomorrow and we would be grateful to anyone that can turn out to support us.

Trial begins at 9:00 at the Hennepin County Courthouse Downtown.  I don’t know which courtroom, but I am including the case information below as well as a link to a you tube video of the protest…

Pidamaya ye; Pilamaya ye; Migwetch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9ait0L50yA&feature=PlayList&p=49D56D0B6D2CB80E&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1

Fourth Judicial District Court; Criminal Division

State of Minnesota vs.

Waziyatawin (27-CR-08-26594),

James Anderson (27-CR-08-26599)

Diane Englin-Elliott (27-CR-08-25571)

Joann, the Mendota people want to wish you a very Happy Birthday today.

Reclaiming Our Heritage

June 16, 2009

William Mitchell College of Law – Auditorium

875 Summit Avenue

St. Paul, MN 55105

(Corner of Summit and Victoria , Parking available in WMCL Lot )

Theme: “Reclaiming Our Heritage” – Community members and social service professionals will come together to learn how Historical Grief has impacted our Native families. Emphasis will be on how to preserve culture, mandated by ICWA and strengthen families.

PRESENTATIONS:

Nancy Bordeaux, Indigenous Consultant

Interactive Presentation on Values

Panel Presentations

Boarding School Experience

Linda Eagle Speaker – Blackfeet Nation

Louie Foote – Lakota

The Adoption Era – Coming Home

Sandy White Hawk – Sicangu Lakota

AGENDA

8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Welcome and Blessing of the day

Opening Initiative – Nancy Bordeaux

Interactive Presentation on Values – Nancy Bordeaux

Health Break

Panel Presentation – Boarding School Presentation

Questions and Answers

Lunch Break – Meal provided

Scavenger Hunt – Tonya Long

The Adoption Era – Sandy White Hawk

Questions and Answers

Health Break

Group Initiatives – Nancy Bordeaux – Sandy White Hawk

Wrap up

Closing

Please join us as we share the strengths and wisdom within our community

Applying for CEU

Sandy White Hawk
www.geocities.com/fnoac
651-442-4872

City of Mendota Heights and Green River Greening invite you to join us in celebrating and dedication the installation of the interpretive markers.

wodakota.blogspot.com/

Tail Feather Woman

http://www.sctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200906090030/NEWS01/106090013
The Native American boarding schools run by religious orders and the federal government more than 100 years ago were designed to assimilate Indians into white America. Efforts to populate these schools ripped young children from their families and their cultures and left bitter memories of boarding schools in Native American communities. But one story of perseverance at such a school was uncovered recently by a St. Cloud State University adjunct history professor who researched a local boarding school with the nation’s pastime as a backdrop.

Please come and share a few hours with us. We will meet at 1:00pm at Coldwater.  Pot Luck at Coldwater,  not at MMDC.

Lets pray for Mother Earth.

Lets pray for are Country.

Lets pray for Humanity.

Lets pray for Peace and Freedom.

Lets pray to Love one another.

C

There are  two main purposes for the CD.  One, it is to be played at wakes, funerals, and memorials with the hope that the CD will provide comfort, encouragement, and spiritual strength for those who are  in mourning.  For those Dakota individuals who grew up with these Dakota hymns, either from the Presbyterian or the Episcopalian Hymnals, or both,  these hymns are memories.  They are memories of certain places, or at certain times, or of the loved ones who have passed into the spirit world.  For example, p. 97 of the Episcopalian hymnal, “Sweet Bye and Bye” (which is on the CD), always reminds me of my father, Chris Cavender Sr.  This was one of his favorite hymns and it was sung at his graveside.

Two, it is to be used as one of many teaching tools/helps in revitalizing the Dakota language, which is in crisis.  For example, in my community, Yellow Medicine Community, there are only six (6) speakers left in a population of approximately 450 individuals (this is about one percent, or 1%).  I have tried to pronounce (articulate) the words as clearly as I can so that it will be helpful in the teaching of and in the revitalization process.

I have titled the Compact Disc, “Mato Nunpa Ic’icidowan,”  that is “Mato Nunpa Sings With Himself.”  The reason for this title is that I sing all four parts:  the melody (or lead), the tenor, the baritone, and the bass.

Also, I wish to thank Gordon Bird and his wife, Joanne, who encouraged me to do this project and who, also, helped me considerably.  In fact, I don’t think this CD would have materialized without them.  So, I thank them very much!

This has been a labor of love.  Although the CD project cost me close to $3,000, I am giving it free to each Dakota person who wants one.  Also, I am giving it, free of charge, to those non-Dakota individuals who are interested in the CD.  In September 2009, I will be 69 winters.  So, this is a legacy which I leave for the Dakota People of Minnesota.  I want them to say, after I am gone, “Mato Nunpa sang these hymns, and wanted the Dakota Language to live.”

Chris Mato Nunpa Dakota, Wahpetunwan, “Dwellers In the Leaves”

Member, Pezihuta Zizi Otunwe,  Can Kaga Otida, “Loghouse Dwellers” (My Ospaye, or kinship unit, or clan)

“Yellow Medicine Community”

(BIA terms, Upper Sioux Community)

Steven’s mom was a white woman with light brown hair. Sometimes, she wore animal skins but mostly clothing a white woman would wear.
His father was Native American from the Lakota tribe and was the tribe’s chief. He had long hair often in a ponytail. When he wore his traditional clothing, he wore a blue cloth that he folded up and put it below his shoulder on the top of his arm.
His grandma often wore dark animal skins with an animal tooth on her neck and mostly kept her hair braided with animal skins.
His grandpa wore light skins and had a rock necklace at first, he threw the rock in the fire, and the fire carved shapes into the rock.
His older sister, Last Moon, wore dark animal skins that had sewn in white lines and she mostly kept her hair braided.
His younger brother, Akeesh was a baby and was younger than 1 winter. When Steven was born, he lived in a birch bark house in the forests. When he was about three winters old, he, and his family moved south into the parries with his tribe. When the buffalo skins were all sewn together, his grandma and grandpa tied the buffalo skins close to the bottom of the trees and him and his sister would jump on the buffalo skins to stretch them out. Over the years, Steven’s family and the tribe lived in the prairie in tepees and in the forests in a birch bark house.
Before the Pow Wow, the men who hunted for food would stomp on the grass to flatten it out and made a fire pit, bring over the drums, and invite everyone over when it started to get dark. The elders, mostly men, would sing and play on the drums. All the other people in the tribe danced around the fire. Most Pow Wows lasted all night. In Steven’s tribe after the winning of a battle, the warriors would go up to their dead, smear their blood onto their chest and run to the end of the battlefield where the last white men stood. The reason for that was so their dead warriors could be there with them celebrating the winning of the battle.
When Steven’s parents found out the English were looking for them, (why he do not know) they had to split away from the tribe so they do not put his tribe at risk. They moved away from the tribe, bringing his grandparents. In front of his house, there were grass plains, and in the back, there was a small forest, which led to a river. Behind his house there was a fence connected to his home that held six horses.
One morning, Steven and his mother were by a river. He was covering his long hair in an old hat he found near the town and he put on clothing a white child would wear but all ripped up because it was old and they found it also near the town. Steven put his hand in the river and spread dirt all over his body, so when him and his mother went into the town, people would see him as a dirty white kid then a Native American. He had to pretend he was deaf and could not speak so they could not hear his accent. Him and his mother went into a store, bought food, and then went onto their horses to go meet up with the rest of the family already by the red and brownish mountains talking to a chief named Standing Bear. Standing Bear’s face was round and he was tall. He had his hair in a ponytail and he had two feathers at the back of his head that was white and black at the tip. Steven’s mom handed Standing Bear food and Steven and his family rode on their horses home. Steven and his family were in the house playing games when they heard the bugle comment their house was set on fire. Last Moon, Steven’s sister grabbed the baby and ran out the backdoor. Steven was right behind her when he looked back he saw the English soldiers shooting at them. Their clothing was red long jackets with a white X in the front white pants black boot and a black hat. As he was running away he could hear his grandma and mother screaming in fear and crying aloud as they were trying to run to a safe place. His Dad and grandpa could not fight back because they did not have any weapons. The sun was setting and Steven looked at is hands his right hand was covered in blood. He made it to the river when he heard the shot that hit his sister’s right shoulder she fell to the ground still holding her baby brother. Then another shot Steven fell to ground, he felt the pain in his lower left shoulder his thoughts went to his family. Lying on the ground, he heard more shots and felt his family’s bodies hit the ground.
He woke up in a tipi. He saw a chief standing over him behind the chief where two more people. It was dark outside. The chief wore light skins with red lines across his chest. He wore a necklace the colors where red and black not sure if the beads where out wood or stone.
Then Steven looked to his left and saw his little baby brother Akeesh. He closed his eyes forever. He was 15 winters old.

Happy belated Birthday, thanks for all you do for Mendota’s language class.

Margaret Hill funeral is over. Just letting people now.

This is not our Maggie,  Margaret Hill from Mpls.