Dan received his eagle feather at language class.  Melvin Grey Owl honored him with the eagle feather.  Dan’s daughter Katie was there to see her father get his eagle feather.  I was honored to give one of my eagle feathers to Dan.  Dan has been finding his native ways and walking the red road.  He served in the war for his country.  He has a wonderful family.  He is involved in his church.  Dan is a MMDC member.  He is  truly a Dakota Warrior.

CONGRATULATIONS!

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sites.google.com/site/showdownpowwow/

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Indian Reservation Mapswww.smarter.com/maps

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Written by Sheila Regan
Tuesday, August 25 2009

Musician Kevin Locke (Lakota/ Anishinaabe) and storyteller Mary Louise Defender Mary Louise Defender/ Bush Award recipientKevin Locke Bush Award recipient(Dakotah/Hidatsa) have each been awarded The Bush Foundation’s $100,000 Enduring Vision Award. A total of three artists received the award this year, with funds to be distributed over the next three to five years.

The Enduring Vision Awards are given to established artists to be an example for present and future generations in their fields, according to a Bush Foundation press release.

It’s purely coincidental that two of the three final winners are Native, as there are no racial or gender quotas in the criteria, according to Kathy Graves, a spokesperson for the Bush Foundation. In 2008, one of the award winners was White Earth Ojibwe painter Frank Big Bear.

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*’“’*:-.,_,.-:*’“’*:-.,_,.-:*’“’*:-.,_,.-:*’“’*
> “I would like to ask you why when we speak you do not listen, and
> when you listen, you do not hear, and when you hear us, you do not
> choose to understand what we say. This is one time that I ask you
> to listen carefully and understand what we have to say.”–Frank
> Fools Crow
> *’“’*:-.,_,.-:*’“’*:-.,_,.-:*’“’*:-.,_,.-:*’“’
>
>
> * Call to Action *
>
> What: Peaceful demonstration in support of Leonard Peltier’s freedom
> When: 05 November 2009; 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
> Where: Washington, DC
>
> President Obama will host his first annual White House Tribal Summit
> on 05 November 2009. The Nations will be given the opportunity to
> interact directly with the president and other top administration
> officials. All of the 564 federally recognized tribes are invited
> to send a representative. This is a prime opportunity to be seen
> and heard on the issue of Leonard Peltier’s wrongful conviction
> and imprisonment. Please plan to attend.
>
> Supporters will gather in Lafayette Park on Pennsylvania Avenue
> (across from the White House) at 6:00 a.m. Bring signs and banners,
> wear Peltier T-Shirts, etc. From Lafayette Park, supporters will
> walk to the Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW, where
> tribal leaders will assemble for their meeting with President Obama.
>
> In support of this action, tribal members are asked to (1) urge your
> Tribal Chairpersons to speak to Obama on Mr. Peltier’s behalf – Free
> Peltier NOW; and (2) lobby your Tribal Councils to pass resolutions
> calling for freedom for Peltier, the release of all case-related
> documents still withheld by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
> (FBI), and a congressional hearing on the government’s role in the
> turmoil on Pine Ridge Reservation during the 1970s.
>
>
> * Do It and Keep Doing It *
>
> Clemency is one path to freedom for Leonard Peltier. However, there
> are other issues that deserve as much attention – an Executive
> Review by Attorney General Eric Holder, for example. We’ve pushed
> for a review recently, as you know. But there are other important
> initiatives that we all need to work on:
>
> –> Congressional Hearing – In the early 70s, the Select Committee to Study
> Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities,
> or the Church Committee, investigated the counterintelligence
> activities of the FBI. The FBI conducted more than 2,000 COINTELPRO
> operations before the programs were officially discontinued in
> April of 1971. (While the programs themselves were discontinued,
> the FBI’s practices that the Church Committee found so objectionable
> were not.) The Church Committee had intended to investigate the
> American Indian Movement as another dissident group targeted by the
> Bureau. Witnesses had been investigated by congressional staff and
> called to provide testimony. However, one day after the firefight
> at Oglala, the Church Committee cancelled the hearings. We need
> to work hard to see that official misconduct in Indian Country -
> past and present – is finally addressed.
>
> –> FOIA Documents – The FBI continues to withhold tens of thousands
> of documents related to the RESMURS investigation. These documents
> are over 25 years old and, at minimum, should be turned over to
> the National Archives. Why are the documents important? You have
> all heard about information uncovered after Mr. Peltier’s trial.
> Given the nature of that evidence -the withheld ballistics report,
> for example – there is every reason to expect that other evidence
> is contained in the documents that may allow Mr. Peltier to appeal
> his conviction.
>
> On his first full day in office, President Obama signed an Executive
> Order with regard to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). He
> encouraged accountability through transparency, and said FOIA should
> be administered with a presumption of openness. Due to subsequent
> guidelines established by AG Holder, the Peltier Legal Team may
> succeed at getting Peltier documents released. But the attorneys
> need your help to make that happen.
>
> We host online petitions on these issues, of course. We urge
> you to sign them. That’s easy. However, petitions are not
> as effective as letters and phone calls to your senators and
> representative in Congress, or to the congressional committees and
> subcommittees responsible for oversight of government agencies and
> their activities. Mr. Peltier needs everyone to work hard toward
> achieving movement in the above areas.
>
> You’ll find Guidance on the above issues on our home page at
> . We’ll provide more information in
> our upcoming digests.

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This C-D is for one of the singers who passed away in 2009. A Tribute to Hayna Fatz.
There are 17 wonderful songs.
If you are interested in buying a C-D you can call the Mendota Office 651-452-4141 there are no C-D’s at the office. We will get Nation Wright or Pat Mellang to call you.

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Flag this message
Statement concerning Sedona deaths
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 12:45 PM
From:
“Paula Horne-Mullen” View contact details
To:
MINN-IND@LISTS.UMN.EDU
As Keeper of our Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle, I am concerned for
the 2 deaths and illnesses of the many people that participated in a sweat
lodge in Sedona, Arizona that brought our sacred rite under fire in the
news. I would like to clarify that this lodge and many others, are not our
ceremonial way of life, because of the way they are being conducted. My
prayers go out for their families and loved ones for their loss.

Our ceremonies are about life and healing, from the time this ancient
ceremonial rite was given to our people, never has death been a part of our
inikag¹a (life within) when conducted properly. Today the rite is
interpreted as a sweat lodge, it is much more then that. So the term does
not fit our real meaning of purification.

Inikag¹a is the oldest ceremony brought to us by Wakan Tanka (Great Spirit).
19 generations ago, the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Oyate (people), were given
seven sacred rites of healing by a Spirit Woman ­ Pte San Win (White Buffalo
Calf Woman). She brought these rites along with our sacred C¹anupa (pipe) to
our People, when our ancestors were suffering from a difficult time. It was
also brought for the future to help us for much more difficult times to
come. They were brought to help us stay connected to who we are as a
traditional cultural People. The values of conduct are very strict in any
of these ceremonies, because we work with spirit. The way the Creator,
Wakan Tanka told us; that if we stay humble and sincere, we will keep that
connection with the inyan oyate (the stone people), who we call the
Grandfathers, to be able to heal our selves and loved ones. We have a
³gift² of prayer and healing and have to stay humble with our Unc¹i Maka
(Grandmother Earth) and with one another. The inikag¹a is used in all of the
seven sacred rites to prepare and finish the ceremonies, along with the
sacred eagle feather. The feather represents the sacred knowledge of our
ancestors.

Our First Nations People have to earn the right to pour the mini wic¹oni
(water of life) upon the inyan oyate (the stone people) in creating Inikag¹a
- by going on the vision quest for four years and four years Sundance. Then
you are put through a ceremony to be painted – to recognize that you have
now earned that right to take care of someone¹s life through purification.
They should also be able to understand our sacred language, to be able to
understand the messages from the Grandfathers, because they are ancient,
they are our spirit ancestors. They walk and teach the values of our
culture; in being humble, wise, caring and compassionate.

What has happened in the news with the make shift sauna called the sweat
lodge is not our ceremonial way of life!

When you do ceremony – you can not have money on your mind. We deal with the
pure sincere energy to create healing that comes from everyone in that
circle of ceremony. The heart and mind must be connected. When you involve
money, it changes the energy of healing. The person wants to get what they
paid for; the Spirit Grandfathers will not be there, our way of life is now
being exploited! You do more damage then good. No² mention² of monetary
energy should exist in healing, not even with a can of love donations. When
that energy exists, they will not even come. Only Œafter¹ the ceremony,
between the person that is being healed and the Intercessor who has helped
connect with the Great Spirit, the energy of money can be given out of
appreciation. That exchange of energy is from the heart; it is private and
does not involve the Grandfathers! Whatever gift of appreciation the person
who received the help, can now give the Intercessor what ever they feel
their healing is worth.

In our Prophesy of the White Buffalo Calf Woman, she told us that she would
return and stand upon the earth when we are having a hard time. In 1994 this
began to happen with the birth of the white buffalo, not only their nation,
but many animal nations began to show their sacred color, which is white.
She predicted that at this time there would be many changes upon Grandmother
Earth. There would be things that we never experienced or heard of before;
climate changes, earth changes, diseases, disrespect for life and one
another would be shocking and there would be also many false prophets!

My Grandmother that passed the bundle to me said I would be the last Keeper
if the Oyate (people) do not straighten up. The assaults upon Grandmother
Earth are horrendous, the assaults toward one another was not in our
culture, the assaults against our People (Oyate) have been termed as
genocide, and now we are experiencing spiritual genocide!

Because of the problems that began to arise with our rebirth of being able
to do our ceremonies in the open since the Freedom of Religion Act of 1978,
our Elders began talking to me about the abuses they seen in our ceremonial
way of life, which was once very strict. After many years of witnessing
their warnings, we held a meeting to address this very issue of lack of
protocol in our ceremonies. After reaching an agreement of addressing the
misconduct of our ceremonies and reminding of the proper protocols, a
statement was made in March 2003. Every effort was made to insure our way
of life of who we are as traditional cultural People was made, because these
ways are for our future and all life upon the Grandmother Earth (Mitakuye
Oyasin ­ All my relations), so that they may have good health. Because these
atrocities are being mocked and practiced all over the world, there was even
a film we made called ³Spirits for Sale².

The non-native people have a right to seek help from our ³First Nation
Intercessors² for good health and well-being, it is up to that Intercessor.
That is a privilege for all People that we gift for being able to have good
health and understand that their protocol is to have respect and appreciate
what we have to share. The First Nations Intercessor has to earn that right
to our ceremonial way of life in the ways I have explained.

At this time, I would like to ask all Nations upon Grandmother Earth to
please respect our sacred ceremonial way of life and stop the exploitation
of our Tunka Oyate (Spiritual Grandfathers).

In a Sacred Hoop of Life, where there is no ending and no beginning!

Namah¹u yo (hear my words),
Chief Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White
Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle.

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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — An Arizona homicide investigation now includes
three deaths after a woman died more than a week after participating in
a sweat lodge ceremony that hospitalized nearly two dozen people.

Liz Neuman of Minnesota died Saturday at a Flagstaff hospital, Yavapai
County sheriff’s spokesman Dwight D’Evelyn said.

The 49-year-old suffered multiple organ damage during the Oct. 8
ceremony at a resort near Sedona, a resort town 115 miles north of
Phoenix that draws many in the New Age spiritual movement.

Authorities were treating all three deaths as homicides, but no charges
have been filed.

D’Evelyn did not provide a city of residence for Neuman, but public
records showed an address in Prior Lake, about 25 miles southwest of
Minneapolis.

Neuman was among more than 50 people crowded inside the sweat lodge run
by self-help guru James Arthur Ray. An emergency call two hours after
they entered the lodge reported two people not breathing.

Twenty-one people were taken to area hospitals with illnesses ranging
from dehydration to kidney failure. Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y.,
and James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee died upon arrival at a hospital.

No one else remains hospitalized.

Authorities haven’t determined what caused the deaths. Autopsy results
on Brown and Shore are pending further testing.

The Rev. Meredith Ann Murray of Bellingham, Wash., who has completed all
of Ray’s retreats, said Neuman was among Ray’s earliest followers and
had attended dozens of his events.

According to Ray’s Web site, Neuman was the leader of the
Minneapolis- area “Journey Expansion Team.” The teams, developed by Ray’s
friends and followers around the country, meet to exchange ideas on his
principles. The next Minneapolis- area meeting is scheduled for Oct. 23.

Ray had rented the Angel Valley Retreat Center for his five-day
“Spiritual Warrior” event that culminated in the sweat lodge ceremony.
Participants paid between $9,000 and $10,000 to attend the retreat.

Ray declined to be interviewed by the sheriff’s office on the night of
the incident and Arizona authorities said he had not spoken to them as
of Thursday. In his first public appearance Tuesday in Los Angeles, Ray
told a crowd of about 200 that he has hired his own investigative team
to determine what went wrong.

His spokesman, Howard Bragman, has said that Ray’s team and Ray’s
attorney are cooperating with the sheriff’s investigators.

More than 100 people attended the funeral for Brown on Saturday at Holy
Name of Jesus Church in Otisville, N.Y., according to The Times
Herald-Record in Middletown, N.Y. The avid hiker and surfer who had a
passion for art was remembered as a spiritual seeker.

Services for Shore were held late Saturday afternoon at the Hubbard
Lodge in Milwaukee.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Related articles

Third ’sweat lodge’ victim dies

Times Online – 5 hours ago

Sheriff says sweat lodge deaths “not accidental”

The Associated Press – 2 days ago

A New Age tragedy in Sedona

guardian.co. uk – 3 days ago

Sweat Lodge Tragedy
CBS – ?Oct 16, 2009?
A spiritual retreat by Philosopher James Arthur Ray turned into a
horrific scene after two people died during a sweat lodge ceremony. Ben
Tracy Reports.

Criminal probe into Arizona “sweat dome” deaths

PHOENIX (Reuters) – Police have begun a criminal investigation into the
deaths of two people who fell ill in a sauna-like “sweat dome” at a
retreat in *…*

‘Sweat lodge’ deaths being investigated as homicides

Times Online – ?Oct 15, 2009?
The deaths of two people in a ’sweat lodge’ at a self-help retreat in
the United States are being investigated as homicides. Author James
Arthur Ray, *…

*
Self-help guru calls sweat lodge participants

The Associated Press – Felicia Fonseca
-
?Oct 15, 2009?
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Motivational speaker James Arthur Ray has held a
telephone conference call with many of the participants in a sweat lodge
ceremony that *…*

Desperate 911 Call: First Glimpse Into Angel Valley Sweat Lodge Deaths

CBS News – Edecio Martinez
-
?Oct 15, 2009?
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (CBS/AP) A newly released 911 call is now offering a
first glimpse into what really happened inside an Arizona sweat lodge, *…

*
A New Age tragedy in Sedona

guardian.co. uk – ?Oct 15, 2009?
Were the deaths at a ’sweat lodge’ in Arizona the inevitable result of
misappropriation of ritual, or is the story more complex? This piece
first appeared *…*

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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Perry Altendorfer is now a member of the Mendota Community. I think Perry will be a great asset to our community. He knows a lot of our genealogy. He is willing to volunteer some of his time to help at the center.
Welcome Perry!
Sharon
And the tribal council

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http://www.ndsu.edu/news/features/dakota_studies_courses_offered/

(Note: I couldn’t find the original date on this, but I think it came out a few months ago. -Beth)

Clifford Canku will lead the Dakota courses at NDSU. He has taught at Sisseton-Wahpeton College in Agency Village, S.D., University of Minnesota-Morris and Southwestern State University in Marshall, Minn. He is an enrolled member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate.
Linguists worldwide are trying to save languages, and nowhere are they dying more quickly than in North America. With 25,000 speakers on 15 U.S. and Canadian reservations, Dakota is considered an “unsafe” language in terms of longevity.
“[Languages] are dying here,” said Bruce Maylath, professor of English. “That’s what we are trying to avoid happening to Dakota.”

In an effort to help keep the language from becoming endangered further, NDSU has begun offering courses in Dakota Studies this year to complement the long-standing Native American programs in engineering and pharmacy.

Courses during the 2009-2010 academic year include Dakota language, tribal history, Dakota sociology and anthropology and Dakota religious studies. The classes are open to all students for credit.

The courses will be taught by assistant professor of practice, Clifford Canku (pronounced Changku), an experienced teacher of Dakota courses at Sisseton-Wahpeton College in Agency Village, S.D., University of Minnesota-Morris and Southwestern State University in Marshall, Minn. He is an enrolled member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate. He has a bachelor’s in sociology from University of Minnesota, Morris, and a master of divinity from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in Iowa. He also holds an honorary doctorate from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.

“When we were first looking to recruit someone, it was just for Dakota language courses,” said Maylath. “Then when we were referred to [Canku], we discovered a gold mine …. He’s qualified to teach sociology, anthropology and religious studies. It’s interesting how he compares Christianity and Dakota spirituality. He’s grown up with both.”

Canku sees himself as in the fifth stage of life – an educator who wants to give back to the people what he was given. He designs his own curriculum for Beginning Dakota Language I and Dakota Language II He wants young people to have opportunities and a strong foundation.

“NDSU is a strategic place for doing Native American studies,” Canku said. “We want to establish a healthy presence for Native American students at NDSU so that NDSU can be a great asset to the surrounding tribes of Native Americans.”
Canku will live on campus during the week through the Faculty-in-Residence program and will run study groups and culture sharing events for singing and dancing.

“Part of my job would be to coordinate events that are happening locally so students could feel home away from home, a sense of belonging,” Canku said.
Canku is set to teach for one year, but hopes are to have him continue as long as he is able.

The Dakota courses are part of President Joseph Chapman’s goal to reach out to tribal colleges in the state to set up articulation agreements so students can earn associates degrees at the tribal college and continue on toward four-year degrees at NDSU.

“[NDSU has] a lot of resources that we could benefit from, dealing with the future of our young people,” Canku said. “To couple those things together would be a real benefit for Native Americans.”

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