the UPDATED 2009 Vendor Application Form is now available in the downloads section of this website.  HERE

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.

Sugar bush camp should be ready by  Sunday March 22, 2009 ?

Chris Lieth will do the opening ceremony on that day.

Please bring a dish to pass for the feast. They could also use food doing the week.  Please bring only stews,  soups,  fruits, water.  Please no junk food.

Directions: Take highway 12 W to Maple Plaine.  By the water tower, take a right on to Budd St.  Go down about 1 mile, take a left on Pagen Kopf,  go down the hill  to Independence  Rd.  Heading north,  the lake should be on your right,  look for the sugar bush camp. There should be cars parked on the road and down by the camp.

There was no funding this year for the sugar bush camp. Any donations would be greatly appreciated.

They will be tapping trees for 3 to 4 weeks.

More information coming soon.

I would like to say thank you, to all the people who work so hard to make sugar bush a success each year.

Pidamaya ye  Sharon and the tribal council.

Ameyalli was born on Tuesday Jan 6th, 2009. She is so beautiful. What a great way to start a new year.

Congratulation!

Jim and Claudia Anderson

Friends,

This past weekend, Winona’s house had an electrical fire and the house
burnt to the ground. No one was hurt. While the house and its contents
are gone, the blessing is that all five kids and three grandchildren
are safe.

I’m writing to you because I know Winona won’t ask for help, and I also know
she really needs our support.
Winona bought her house about 20 years ago and it was filled with art,
books, music, photos and other collectibles that
reflected her story and the story of her family.
What will be most missed
are these memories, and we can recreate some of them.

Photos: One positive thing about being a public figure is that lots of folks
have photos of you and your children.
We have a good collection at Honor the
Earth but I’m asking if you could go through your pictures and send photos
you have of the family, especially the kids.
Wasey and Ajuwak were born
before the digital age so a lot of the photos of them growing up are gone.

Photos would mean a lot.

Movement T-shirts and Art: The kids all had an amazing collection of
movement t-shirts that comprised the bulk of their wardrobe.
Winona
basically shopped for her kids at the events she attended around the world.

If you have any political message shirts or shirts from historic activist
events in sizes Small, Large or X-Large, I know the kids would cherish them.

Zapatista shirts are a favorite.
Also gone is Winona’s amazing collection of
posters and art from decades past. I know she would appreciate any
no-nukes, safe energy, anti-colonial, no-gmo and Native activist art.

Books: Winona had a library that fed her mind and soul, and that she often
turned to for research material.
If you can send books, fiction and
non-fiction, she can begin her collection again.

Lastly, Winona has a newborn grandson, Little Crow, who along with her two
toddler grandchildren lost all of their clothes and blankets.
Winter is
coming and the family could really use any warm baby clothes along with
clothes and outerwear for a two year old girl and a large two year old boy
(Giwaadan is a size 4 toddler!).

These are the things — photos, t-shirts and art, books and baby/toddler
clothing that I think would be most helpful right now, and would touch the
family most.

Winona and the kids are renting an apartment in Detroit Lakes and will be
staying there over the winter while envisioning building a new home.
Right
now, the best shipping address is White Earth Land Recovery/Honor the Earth
office up in Calloway:

Winona LaDuke
White Earth Land Recovery Project
607 Main Avenue
Callaway, MN 56521

I am so appreciative to have all of you to turn to for support.
I send warm
thoughts and love your way, and deep thanks that we all have such a
wonderful circle of family and friends.

Faye
AgnesFay@aol.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hPra0WY3kc

These people need help now. And help needs to continue month after month. How can people live like this in the USA.

Native American Training Needs:
My name is Colin Robin Wesaw and I have been working for our Native people for many, many years from when I was a young person working at the American Indian Center of Chicago to my later years working and directing the Native American Leadership camp at Wilder Forest, for ten years.  I have worked with the Lifeskills Center for Leadership in Minnesota, for five years.  I have been working for many of our reservations Red Lake, Mille Lacs, Cass Lake and education organizations.
TODAY I AM PUTTING MYSLEF OUT TO OUR COMMUNITIES
If you’re looking for someone that believes in our people, that wants our people to believe in themselves look at me.   I use our history and culture in team building, motivational leadership training, key note speaking, and I am also a storyteller.
Call me for you’re organization or if you and other organizations are untied we can make special arrangements to handle you’re needs.
If you don’t need any of the things I listed above and you believe that a person like me can work for your organization I would love to fill out an application, or if all that doesn’t interest you, I am one heck of a house cleaner.  Oh yea I am also a storyteller.
Phone number 651-491-9321
e-mail   crwesaw@gmail.com

Just a reminder that the Dakota Commemorative March is in progress.  The walkers can use all the support that they can get.  If you can, please try to make it out to walk with them for at least a little while.  If you are unable to walk, please try make the trip and encourage them as they pass.  If it’s easier, maybe meet them to walk the last couple of miles….or at least make a point to stop in at the Concentration Camp or St. Peter’s Church on Thursday. (the route for the next few days has been highlighted below)

This year has been an extremely difficult walk for those out there honoring and remembering the ancestors.   So, please, try to show them your support.  If nothing else, please send supportive emails to waziyatawin@gmail.com

Henana

Pidamaya ye

—–Original Message—–
From: Minnesota Indian Affairs [mailto:MINN-IND@LISTS.UMN.EDU] On Behalf Of Waziyatawin
Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2008 2:51 PM
To: MINN-IND@LISTS.UMN.EDU
Subject: Dakota Commemorative March, Please Help Circulate, updates will follow

“Manipi Hena Owasin Wicunkiksuyapi”

(”We Remember All Those Who Walked”)

Dakota Commemorative March

November 7-13, 2008

On November 7, 2008 we will begin a 150-mile journey in honor of the Dakota men, women, and children who were forcibly removed to concentration camps at Mankato and Fort Snelling in November 1862.

The Route: The march will begin at 7:00 am from the Lower Sioux Agency Interpretive Center, Redwood County Road 2.  The tentative route and schedule is provided below, but this is subject to change.  The website should be consulted for updates and changes, http://www.dakota-march.50megs.com/index.html.

November 7th: Redwood Co. Rd. 2 to 305 St., left turn onto gravel road 305^th St. (continue across Redwood Co.Rd.11. and across MN Hwy 4).  305^th St. becomes Redwood Co.Rd.8. Continue SE on Co. Rd. 8, across MN Hwy 4.  The road then becomes Brown Co.10.  Continue on Co.Rd.10 until the intersection with 290^th St.

November 8th: Leave at 7:00 am to begin march on Brown Co.Rd.10,continue to MN Hwy 29, turn left on Hwy 29, then turn left again on 210th St.(gravel road) to KC Road (gravel road).  Turn right on KC Road to Broadway (in New Ulm).  Turn right on Broadway.  Follow the curve to the left, then turn right on Minnesota Street. Continue on Minnesota St. to 20th South St.

• PM –We will have dinner at Joe Morales’ house (12627 County Road 102, Hanska, MN 56041) and then sleep at Turner Hall (1st South and State Street).

November 9th: Caravan will meet just past the turn-off onto Hwy 68 (take Highway 15/68 out of New Ulm and a left onto 68) at 7:00 a.m.  March will proceed from there, following Highway 68 toward Mankato to its intersection with Highway 169.

• PM –Evening meal and sleep site at the Centenary United Methodist Church (downtown Mankato across from Post Office)

November 10th: Caravan will meet at 7-Mile Creek Park on Highway 169 north of Mankato at 7:30 a.m.  We will continue on US Highway 169, and then take the left turn-off to MN Highway 93 all the way to Henderson.

•Marchers will be hosted in Henderson at the New Country School with meals at the Joseph R Brown Interpretive Center

November 11th: Begin march at 7:30 am in Henderson on MN highway 19 to Henderson Station Road (gravel road).  Curve to right on Scott Co.Rd.51, right on Hwy 1, then left onto Hwy 169. Continue North on US 169 to Jordan.  For lunch we’ll stop along Hwy 169 at Belle Plaine Trail (10.3 miles from Henderson).  After lunch we’ll carpool caravan through the road construction and resume walking on Hwy 169 at Emma Krumbees.  We will continue to the Jordan town sign. Hwy patrol escort.

November 12th: The march will begin at the entrance to Jordan (where we ended the evening before) and veer off to the right to go through the town of Jordon, past St. John the Baptist School on Broadway.  Continue on Co.Rd. 282, then we’ll go left onto Co.Rd.17 (Marschall Rd), then right on Co.Rd.42 to Dakotah Parkway in the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.  Continue on the road that leads to Tiowakan.  Hwy patrol escort.

November 13th: Caravan to Cub Foods parking lot at the intersection of Hwy 42 and MN Hwy 13 at 8:30 am to begin march.  We’ll follow MN Hwy 13 as it joins 169 and travel through the Savage area.  We’ll stop for lunch at the turn-off near Famous Dave’s.  After lunch, we’ll carpool caravan through the major highway intersections (across both 35W and 77 exits).  Just past the stoplight at Silver Bell Trail, we’ll resume walking on MN Hwy 13.  We’ll turn left on Mendota Heights Rd (Sibley Memorial Highway) and then turn North onto MN Hwy 55 across Mendota Bridge. Walkers continue down from the bridge into Fort Snelling State Park concentration camp site. Car caravans go across the Mendota Bridge and exit west onto MN 5,continue past the airport exit, and exit Post Road.  At the top of the exit ramp,cars turn left,across the freeway,into Fort Snelling State Park. Hwy patrol escort.

•Closing Dinner will be held at St.Peter’s Church in Mendota (1405 Highway 13, Mendota, MN 55150-0679)

Instructions for Marchers:

The Beginning of the March: The march will leave on November 7, 2008 at 7:00 a.m. from the Lower Sioux Agency Interpretive Center on Redwood County Road 2.

What to Bring: If you plan to use the accommodations we are arranging, please bring your own bedding, towel, and personal hygiene items.  We have a supply of 6″ foam mattresses available for those who wish to use them and these will be available on a first-come basis.  The mattresses will be transported from location to location by truck.

Transportation: We usually have plenty of drivers in a caravan behind the walkers, so if you need transportation to a vehicle drop-off or pick-up point, we should be able to assist you.

Meals: We have arranged for three meals a day for all of the marchers.  While we do our best to provide a balanced meal for the marchers, we cannot accommodate special diets.

Cell Phone Contacts: Waziyatawin at 320-444-5643, Gwen Griffin at 507-382-1960.  Please note that in the past our cell phones have not worked during sections of the march.  That means we may not be able to return calls until we can find a place where there is cell phone reception or when we reach our destination for the night.  Because this is a spiritual walk, we want to keep cell phone conversations to a minimum.  If you are trying to find the marchers en route, please consult the itinerary for the day and trace the course of the route described on the website.  This is usually the best way to find us.  Please only call if you have tried all other options.

We look forward to seeing you in November!

For further information, or to send donations, contact Waziyatawin at 320-564-4241 (home) or 320-444-5643 (cell) and waziyatawin@gmail.com or Gabrielle Tateyuskanskan at PO Box 183, Waubay, SD 57273, (605)947-3419.

November 5, 2008

My Relatives and Friends,

Last night a change in this country took place that not too long
ago many people said would never happen. An African-American was
elected to the White House and by a major landslide, which gives
him a mandate by the public to fulfill his promises. This landslide
indicates the people have placed their hope with this man they call
their president for a change in this country.

HOPE. There have been times if I can even recall what it really
means to have hope that justice is right around the corner. I’ve
been mislead and disappointed so many times that I would soon
see justice and to have it denied upon a technicality in legal
appeals. Or like what happened eight years ago. Everyone placed
their hope and trust with a couple named Bill and Hillary, but we
were betrayed at the last minute. I know that many of my friends,
family and supporters were crushed. I began to feel the weight
and pressure of a lifetime being unjustly imprisoned began to
crowd me into a corner of my cell and then in my mind. But, it
was this thing that has been our battle cry for so many years,
“In the Spirit of Crazy Horse”. I remembered what he stood for and
remained a warrior until his last breath. It is a strength that we
stand upon when we are right. We were right to be in Oglala and we
were right to be prepared to defend ourselves. What wasn’t right is
that a jury never got to hear any of this testimony, and the rest
of the trial was a product of the fabrication and then manipulation
of the FBI. This spirit of Crazy Horse is a spirit of being in total
resistance to the wrongs perpetuated towards your people, community,
family and yourself. Some of us called it outrage, but that is just
merely an emotion without resolving the issue. It is when we make
a conscious choice to try and balance the wrongs in this society
that we are being compelled by this spirit of resistance to stand
in defense of the wronged.

That spirit cannot be conquered, and I refused to submit and give in
when it appeared there may be no hope. It was because of the letters
of support and encouragement from so many people that I continued
on for another eight years. And now people seem to feel there is
a change blowing in the wind and that the election of Obama is a
manifestation of that change.

I sincerely hope so, because I am now 64 years old and coming up
on my 33 year of being confined and fighting for justice and my
freedom, Obama may be my last chance at securing my freedom. If
there is one thing I learned from earlier campaigns on my clemency is
that he won’t just be able to do it by himself. He is going to need
your support in the form of public opinion on the case. That isn’t
going to happen until we can create education and awareness on the
circumstances of my case across this country and send letters. Be
a Branch Support Group to help create public opinion. My case
has to be a national issue on justice denied, it may sound easy,
but it isn’t. The FBI has been an opposing force in attempting to
discredit my cause and that of Native people since they focused
their attention on the American Indian Movement in the 1970’s. When
it appeared that Clinton might actually grant clemency, the agents
went and demonstrated at the White House and utilized their resources
to create doubt in the mind of Clinton.

So in the national awareness goals of the branch support groups it is
going to be your challenge to keep the public interest focused. It
is also another hope that with a whole generation of people who
were born after my wrongful conviction that there will be a renewed
source of energy and actions.

One point that I would like everyone to focus on right now is a
“30 year law” regarding my sentence and parole. At the time I was
convicted, the guidelines said:

“Any prisoner, .shall be released on parole. after serving thirty
years of each consecutive term or terms of more than forty-five years
including any life term, whichever is earlier: Provided, however,
That the Commission shall not release such prisoner if it determines
that he has seriously or frequently violated institution rules and
regulations or that there is a reasonable probability that he will
commit any Federal, State, or local crime.” 28 U.S.C. section 28
U.S.C.  4206(d)

I’ve served more than 30 years of this sentence and have been
considered a model prisoner And the likelihood of committing any
crimes is non-existent due to my age and the humanitarian work I’ve
pursued to help my people since my incarceration. According to this
law, they have to grant me a parole to my next sentence. But as we’ve
learned from the past, we cannot take anything for granted so your
letters should be focused on this law to the parole commission and
congressional leaders. If the commission complies with the letter
and spirit of this law, we will have made a significant step towards
my freedom and we will need to maintain and increase this momentum.

The Committee and I have been discussing several ideas and projects
to make this a pro-active campaign. We are currently rebuilding the
former LPSG’s into LPBSG’s. This is necessary due to a breakdown
with the former Leonard Peltier Defense Committee. I had to turn
to my sister and niece to help me rebuild my defense committee
from scratch. We had no files, records, and merchandise. We have
not been able to make contact with the former coordinator of the
LPDC. We are still hoping to resolve this issue, but until then we
needed to keep moving with the campaign.

We still need all of our former contacts and supporters to reconnect
with us and to update the information so that my Committee can
handle correspondence and contributions. We need everyone who has
supported me to contact the LPDOC and sign onto our listserv so
that you can be updated with information on progress or activities
needed in my campaign.

I will need everyone to work with my Committee and clear any action
with the appropriate people within the Committee. It is important
that we all work together cohesively, instead of scattering our
efforts or resources. We do not intend to discourage ideas or
creativity, but we would like to incorporate such ideas into a
unified larger effort and not act prematurely on some plans we may
have not disclosed due to timing or details being worked out.

Some of the projects we have discussed are conducting rides, walks,
runs and events across the country to create this awareness of my
case. We are initiating efforts to ask bands and artists to host
fundraisers in their area. We’ve talked about strategies we could
undertake to further my cause, but a lot will depend on how quickly
people come to form my BSG and start organizing in their area.

I also understand that some of us have personality issues with
other people. I hope that many of you can pray or find a way to
rise above this obstacle and work together for one common purpose. I
would like to see so many of my supporters come together in a show
of solidarity. If there really is a change in the air, we will
need each other to bring about change in so many other areas. For
me it has been about our culture and right to be who we are, but
foremost it has been the children and the next generation. WE were
supposed to leave a better world behind for them and how much have we
accomplished? I know that somehow and someway my sacrifice will not
be in vain and that the years I’ve endured this pain of loneliness
and suffering in confinement will make a better world for those
children and coming generations. That along with my freedom is my
hope, but I will not be able to fulfill it without you. So take a
few minutes and educate yourself on the injustices of my case. It may
shock and outrage you, but you can do something about it, so join us.

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,

Leonard Peltier

http://www.dakota-march.50megs.com/index.html.

People on the walk need some food, if you can help, go to this website. I wll be posting more information asap.