Alcatraz flag sells for $60K

Alcatraz flag is sold for $60,000"Old Glory's Helper Flag," the largely forgotten banner that flew over a guard tower at Alcatraz at times during the 1969-71 Indian occupation, sold for $60,000 Thursday to a Texas bookstore owner who in recent years has purchased a lock of Che Guevara's hair and a guitar once owned by Jimi Hendrix.

Bill Butler, 61, who lives near Houston, said he bought the flag to add to his collection of artifacts from the 1960s.

"I felt that Old Glory's Helper Flag needed to be in friendly hands," Butler said from his home in Texas. "I'm not an American Indian, but I have always supported the American Indian movement. I think this flag is an important part of that history."

Two tribes vs. many

Here's a 30-second ad that everyone with an opinion about California Indian gaming should see:

Yes on Props 94-97--Two Tribes vs. Many



Comment:  I post this not because I'm trying to push Propositions 94-97 in this blog, but because it makes an important point. The anti-compact forces have made it seem as if most of California's tribes oppose the "sweetheart deals" of the "big four" tribes. Not true, as this video demonstrates. Only two tribes actively oppose the big four's compacts, and they're about as rich as the big four.

Not stated in this video is another reason most tribes support the big four's compacts. The big four exercised their inherent sovereignty in negotiating these deals. Supporting them means supporting each tribe's right to conduct government-to-government relations with the state. That's something every tribe can and should support as a matter of course.

The anti-compact forces' arguments tend to be stereotypical because they portray the big four as rich and greedy. What they don't say is that the big four have prospered by being smart, innovative, and bold. By having capable leaders who know how to negotiate with the state. I'd say that's more accurate than "rich and greedy."

These tribes know that things could change quickly. Congress could amend or overturn the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. California's voters could open the state to non-tribal casinos. People could get tired of gambling as a recreational activity.

Therefore, it makes economic sense to strike while the iron is hot. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for tribes to secure their economic future. They'd be negligent if they didn't try to increase their revenue while they could.

But like any business, they must balance what's good for them with what's good for everyone else. They should support strong government regulations...pay the costs of increased traffic and law enforcement...crack down on problem gambling...give generously to non-gaming tribes and charities...and not disenroll members for financial reasons. We can't force them to do these things, of course, but they should do them anyway because it's good business and good PR.

For more on the subject, see The Facts About Indian Gaming.

Some Sioux honored to be mascots

Some thoughts on whether UND has a mascot or not.

Tribal members:  Why we're honored by nicknameDuring the 1930s, UND officially adopted the name “Fighting Sioux” for its athletic teams. On July 21, 1969, tribal officials, dignitaries, elders, friends and relatives from the Fort Yates Reservation traveled to UND and, in a ceremony with the president of UND, blessed the UND athletic teams and formally gave UND the right to use the name of “Fighting Sioux” for their athletic teams.

Also, we believe it is important for tribal members to know that the present day logo was created by Ben Brien, a Chippewa Indian artist and graduate of UND.

Understandably, there are those who take a different view, one of which is the criticism of a “mascot.” Allow us to make this first point loud and clear: UND athletic teams do not have a mascot, never did have a mascot and never will have a mascot!Comment:  Even if a school like UND doesn't have someone dressed up as a dancing Indian, it arguably has a mascot. The mascot is the abstract entity known as the "Fighting Sioux." It's represented by the "Fighting Sioux" name and logo.

In other words, the name, logo, and mascot concepts are interchangeable. A personified mascot is usually worse than a mascot on a logo, which is usually worse than a mascot embodied in a name only. But they all have the same conceptual problem: representing a three-dimensional people as a one-dimensional symbol.

One also could argue that the Sioux people themselves are UND's mascots. The name and logo refer to them. They're the living symbols of the school's fighting spirit.

That is, the school's desire to crush, kill, and destroy its opponents. In a sporting way, of course. Because the "Fighting Sioux" are all about defeating enemies and nothing else.

Below:  The Fighting Sioux mascot on the UND logo.

Auctioning the Alcatraz flag

Disputed Alcatraz invasion flag on blockSometime during the 19-month American Indian occupation of Alcatraz that began in 1969, a banner called Old Glory's Helper Flag flew from one of the island's guard towers.

Whether the tepee-emblazoned flag flew for 10 minutes, 10 months, or more, no one seems to know for sure. But Thursday, the flag, designed by Lulie Nall, a Penobscot Indian who struggled for years to promote it as a American Indian symbol until her death in 1983, is expected to sell for between $100,000 and $150,000 at an auction in San Francisco, according to an auction house.

"It's not just a flag. It's a moment in history," said Bruce MacMakin, a senior vice president with PBA Galleries on Kearny Street, an auction house that specializes in Americana. PBA Galleries is auctioning the flag on behalf of Daniel Hagar, a Florida man identified as the stepson of Nall's nephew.

In the past week, as word has spread among American Indians about the auction of the flag, Nall has been called both a peace activist and an opportunist. Her flag has been deemed insignificant by some and a historical artifact by others. The occupation's key organizers do not seem to remember her or the flag, yet most agree that Old Glory's Helper should be preserved.

A Turok for adults

Review:  Turok RocksWhile traditional American feature animation tends to be toned down for the kids, I was surprised by the degree to which Turok is committed to serving older fans who may prefer 'Ghost in the Shell' to 'Ultimate Avengers'. The action is intense and the violence displayed in a way that would make 300 Spartans cheer. The animation of this movie looks far more beautiful than I expected it to. It's not 'Tekkonkinkreet' but it's definitely a notch or two about recent direct-to-video comic features we've seen.

Likewise, the commitment to showing Turok as a haunted but badass warrior marks it as a mature film. There's no attempt throughout the movie to soften the character's smoldering rage. To the end he is a Native American Jack Bauer, doing the bloody, dirty work to needed save the day.Comment:  Giving Turok a vest is a step up from the usual half-naked depictions of him.

See more screen shots of Turok here.

Indians like Obama

Indian Country Could Back Obama on Super Tuesday“Obama represents a break from the old—something fresh and new,” says Paul DeMain, managing editor of the Northern Wisconsin-based newspaper News from Indian Country. “Native people are looking at him as someone who can empathize with other people of color.”

DeMain has a hunch that those coming out in support of Obama are the young and the highly educated. The younger generation is trying to define itself in new political terms, he explains. “When I looked at who’s on his list, I saw lots of family names I recognized,” he says. For example, the daughter of LaDonna Harris, an outspoken Comanche leader who donated to New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign last year, is now involved with the Obama campaign, says DeMain.Comment:  Too bad the other candidates aren't getting into the news regarding Indians. If they were, they could appear in this blog too.

Yakama vies for Miss America

Yakama contestant heads to the pageantElyse Umemoto, born and raised on the Yakama Indian Reservation in the small town of Wapato, is on her way to the Miss America Pageant at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas Jan. 26. Last July, Washington state crowned her its first American Indian ever in the history of the Miss Washington competition.

Umemoto breaks down her ethnicity by "quads"--one-quarter Yakama Indian, Japanese, Hispanic and German. When asked which one of her quarters she identifies with the most, she proudly declares her Native "quad." Her pageant platform reflects her multicultural upbringing, "embracing diversity, empowering women."

Lapland focuses on Native movies

Sami Meets Choctaw at Inari Indigenous Film FestThe Indigenous Peoples' Film Festival in Finnish Lapland is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a special focus on Native American movies.

In its anniversary year, the Skábmagovat festival has expanded to a six-day event with a new venue and office in one of Finland's northernmost towns.For more on Native movies, see The Best Indian Movies.

Bitchin’ and moanin’

I recently reported on Isuma.TV, a Native film site. Here's more on the subject along with an unnecessary swipe at us information providers.

IsumaTV. Films Made; Films Seen. OnlineThere’s a choice. We can continue to bitch and moan about Hollywood’s stereotypical portrayal of Natives in productions like Comanche Moon and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. We can; and while it’s cathartic, let’s be honest.

All the bitchin’ and moanin’ in the world doesn’t change a damn thing. Change changes things. And changing things starts with empowering Native filmmakers with the money to get their productions completed and, equally important, a medium to get their movies seen by a mass audience.

Organizations like Northwest Indian News and Native American Television (NATV) understand this and are quickly creating an international venue for Native news and cultural expression.

Add another change agent to the list: www.isuma.tv, a new website providing a video portal for Indigenous filmmakers. A collaborative effort started by Igloolik Isuma Productions, Nunavut Independent TV Network (NITV), imagineNATIVE Film+Media Arts Festival, and Vtape, the new site brings the Indigenous perspective to a worldwide audience. At no cost to either the filmmaker or the viewer.Comment:  I couldn't disagree more with the opening remarks in this item. Bitchin’ and moanin’ don’t change a damn thing? Wrong.

Information is the first step in any process of change. First you identify what the problem is, then you decide how to fix it. If Eloise Cobell hadn't "bitched and moaned" about the Indian Trust Fund scandal, for instance, no lawsuits would've been filed. Few Indians would've received what the government owed them.

Do Indians still live in tipis? Are Indians underrepresented in the media? Are Indian mascots offensive to people? Until someone answers these and other questions with facts and evidence, there's no reason to expect people to act. Because no one will try to solve a problem until they believe a problem exists.

So that's why I and others (e.g., PECHANGA.net, Indianz.com, Indian Country Today) spend our time disseminating information. We're taking the first step necessary to change the world. Information is power, so the saying goes. Without it, we're powerless.

Ever since the first storytellers, bards, and town criers, informing people has been an honored role. Indians recognized this and so did many others. "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government," said Thomas Jefferson, "I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."

I frequently hear from people how they've learned from my website and newsletters and blogs. The word for this is education. It may be a slow process--changing the world a person at a time--but it is happening. Some 50,000 people are visiting this site alone every day.

A hundred years ago, most people thought Indians were ignorant savages. Now many people have a more enlightened view. They didn't get that perspective from Isuma.TV. They got it from thousands of activists, authors, and others who have striven to correct the record.

Of course, I'm also creating Native-oriented fiction. But if I weren't, I wouldn't feel bad about being "only" a reporter. The people who gather, organize, and share information--researchers, librarians, teachers, journalists, bloggers--are near the top in my estimation. Their work is essential in promoting change.

Below:  The opening image for Isuma.TV.

Native-themed film nominated for Oscar

A short film based on a story by Elmore Leonard:

Short Film (Live Action)The Tonto Woman
Daniel Barber and Matthew Brown

ACADEMY AWARDS HISTORY
These are the first Academy Award nominations for Daniel Barber and Matthew Brown.

FILM SYNOPSIS
A cattle rustler meets a woman who is living in isolation after being held prisoner for eleven years by the Mojave Indians.More on the story:

The Tonto Woman and Other Western StoriesBefore Elmore Leonard was writing some of the best crime fiction in America, he wrote westerns. Some might argue that he has never stopped writing westerns, as even his crime fiction contains all the elements. What cannot be argued is that Leonard is one of the best at what he does.

Leonard proves his mastery of the short format with his first story, "The Tonto Woman." In a mere fifteen pages he weaves a tale of a woman scorned by white society, by her Mojave markings. These are tattoo marking on her cheeks and chin that the Indians gave her. Since Indians aren't looked kindly upon in the West, she is banished by her husband to a small plot of land on the outskirts of her spouses' property. Enter Ruben Vega, a cattle thief who has come to steal her husband's herd. They quickly fall for each other, which enrages her husband and leads to a fantastic nail-biting climax. This title piece is a great story as we see Elmore's craft of cutting a story down to its base elements shine through. It also showcases another of his talents; his characters are cool. Ruben Vega is a Clint Eastwood-like cowboy who is just too cool for his own good. Part of the allure of a Leonard novel is his ability to create characters that you want to be like. Unflinching, self-confident and yes, cool.Comment:  I don't know if there are any actual Indians in this film. But the white woman has been tattooed like a Mojave and may share the Mojave values.

Note:  The volume is too low on these videos to follow them easily, but at least you can appreciate the visuals.

Marching for King in Gallup

Celebration of diversity

Rainbow of people join in MLK Day marchThe prayer circle kicked off the event as representatives from Baha’i, Islamic, Christian, Jewish, and Native American faiths took turns reading a prayer to the gathered crowd. Everyone then lined up and marched down Historic Route 66, across the Ford overpass, and down Montoya to the Larry Brian Mitchell Recreation Center.

The Gallup Fire Department Honor Guard led the group, carrying the flag as passing drivers honked their horns in support. Even drivers on Interstate Highway 40 who passed under the procession honked in support.

Lisa Frazier, who described herself as being Native American and Mexican, marched with her 5-year-old daughter. She said that she’s marched every year with her daughter, and this was the first year her daughter wasn’t in a stroller. She said that King’s message embraced all cultures.

“Dr. King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech gave us a vision for what we need for everybody,” she said.

Intimidation defense doesn't fly

Three Columbus Day parade protesters found guiltyThe first three of more than 80 protesters to be tried for blocking a Columbus Day parade in October were found guilty in Denver District Court on Tuesday.

Sentenced to fines were University of Colorado political science professor Glenn Morris; the Rev. Julie Todd, a Methodist minister; and Koreena Montoya, of Denver.The defense attorney tries another tack:Lane asked the four-woman, five-man jury to consider that the protesters had no other way to make known their point that celebrating Columbus is offensive to Indians, who see the explorer as someone who caused the near extermination of their people.

Lane told the jurors that the delay of the Columbus Day parade was insignificant compared with the suffering of Indians since Columbus landed.Comment:  Try waving a sign, distributing a flyer, or writing a blog next time, people. If there's ever an excuse for interfering with someone's freedom of speech and assembly, this wasn't it.

Every tribe invited to capital

562 Federally Recognized Indian Tribes Invited to Meet in Washington, DCAssistant Secretary–Indian Affairs Carl J. Artman this week invited leaders from the 562 federally recognized tribes to attend a national meeting in Washington, D.C., on January 30, 2008, on the Indian Affairs Modernization Initiative. The one-day event will take place at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Horizon Room, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST).

“Your expressions of frustration with the current delivery of Indian Affairs services illustrate the necessity for a review of the Indian Affairs structure and business processes,” Artman said in his January 14 letter to tribal leaders. “As we have stated since the start of this dialogue, the modernization effort must be tribally driven to ensure that any revisions are directly responsive to tribal concerns.”Comment:  I believe there are 563 or 564 federally recognized tribes at present, not 562. The number is difficult to verify since every source gives a conflicting or out-of-date answer.

Obama talks about Indians

Sen. Obama addresses Indian issues in NevadaSen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) said he would meet regularly with tribal leaders if he were elected president.

At a campaign stop in Nevada, Manuel Couchum of the Te-Moak Tribe asked Obama what he would do to help tribal members. Obama said he would first address the "tragic history" between tribes and the U.S.

"We have not always abided by treaties. We have not always been honest and truthful in our dealings and that's something that's history that we have to acknowledge if we are going to be fair and honest about moving forward," he said.

Obama also said he the Bureau of Indian Affairs won't be the only entity that deals with tribes. He said the White House would create a relationship of "dignity and respect" with Indian Country.Comment:  Addressing Indians' "tragic history" is also known as "bitchin' and moanin' about the past" by some people.

Did Indians endanger soldiers?

Did defective helmets endanger lives?An Indian tribe named Spirit Lake Tribe owns a defense firm name Sioux Manufacturing Corporation. This company was paid $53 million to supply Kevlar shields to be used in helmets worn by the military.

The government contract had specifications dictating that a certain number of woven yarns be of finished protective synthetic fiber cloth, known as Kevlar. The contract also required Sioux Manufacturing to certify on each invoice that the required number of strands were used.

In June 2006, federal agents raided the plant based upon allegations by two employees of the company that Sioux Manufacturing was not always meeting the number of strands of woven yarns.

After completing its investigation, the government concluded that the company failed to follow contract specifications by reducing the amount of Kevlar.

Sources for Comanche Moon

Here's what Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana apparently based the events of Comanche Moon on:

Great Raid of 1840The Great Raid of 1840 was the largest raid ever mounted by Native Americans on white cities in what is now the United States. It followed the Council House Fight, in which Republic of Texas officials attempted to capture and take prisoner 33 Comanche chiefs who had come to negotiate a peace treaty, killing them together with two dozen of their family and followers. The Texas Officials were determined to force the Comanche to release all white captives among them. To avenge what the Comanche viewed as a bitter betrayal by the Texans, the Comanche war chief Buffalo Hump raised a huge war party of many of the bands of the Comanche, and raided deep into white-settled areas of Southeast Texas.

The Great Raid of 1840 was the largest Indian raid on white cities in the history of what is now the United States—though technically when it occurred it was in the Republic of Texas and not in the United States. The war party literally burned one city to the ground. They stole over 3,000 horses and mules, and hundreds of thousands of dollars of other plunder, ranging from silver to cloth and mirrors.Battle of Plum CreekThe Battle of Plum Creek was a clash between militia and Rangers of the Republic of Texas and a huge Comanche war party under Chief Buffalo Hump, which took place near Lockhart, Texas on August 12, 1840, following the Great Raid of 1840 as the Comanche war party returned back to West Texas.

Texas history says the Rangers won this battle, although the Indians got away with a great many of the stolen horses and most of their plunder. However, 80 Comanches were reported killed in the running gun battle, unusually heavy casualties for the Indians (although the Texans only recovered 12 bodies).Buffalo HumpIn early 1844, Buffalo Hump and other Comanche leaders signed a treaty at Tehuacana Creek in which they agreed to surrender white captives in toto, and to cease raiding Texan settlements. In exchange for this, the Texans would cease military action against the tribe, establish more trading posts, and recognize the boundary between Texas and Comanchería. Comanche allies, including the Wacos, Tawakonis, Kiowi, Kiowi Apache and Wichitas, also agreed to join in the treaty. Unfortunately, the boundary provision was deleted by the Texas Senate in the final version, which caused Buffalo Hump to repudiate the treaty, and soon a resumption of hostilities occurred.

Finally, in May 1846 Buffalo Hump became convinced that even he could not continue to defy the massed might of the United States, and the State of Texas, so he led the Comanche delegation to the treaty talks at Council Springs that signed a treaty with the United States.

As war chief of the Penateka Comanches, Buffalo Hump dealt peacefully with American officials throughout the late 1840s and 1850s. In 1849 he guided John S. Ford's expedition part of the way from San Antonio to El Paso, and in 1856 he sadly and finally led his people to the newly established Comanche reservation on the Brazos River.Comment:  Let's compare the facts to the fictions in Comanche Moon:

Buffalo Hump's big raids occurred in 1840, not 1858.

The raids occurred five months after the Council House Fight, not 50 years after it. It's ridiculous to portray Indians as so full of hatred they hold grudges for half a century.

As far as I can tell, the Comanches never mounted a major attack on Austin, the capitol of the Texas Republic. Their raids may have been bad, but they weren't "assault on the seat of power" or "attempt to destroy the Republic" bad. In other words, the goal wasn't to eliminate white people from Texas.

The Comanches primarily used guns, not primitive weapons.

From what I read, I gather the Comanches killed 12 people in Victoria and three in Linnville. As Wikipedia notes, other people "fled prudently." This relatively light death toll is a far cry from what looks like a massacre in Comanche Moon.

The Texas Rangers followed Buffalo Hump's Comanches and got a measure of revenge at Plum Creek. The Comanches didn't get away scot-free.

Buffalo Hump continued to raid Texas settlements, but not with a genocidal hatred of whites. He also continued to seek peace with the double-dealing Texans.

So...Comanche Moon gives us 50 years of genocidal hatred, raping and massacring with primitive weapons, and no efforts to make peace. In other words, it makes the Indians look much worse than they really were. It stereotypes them as savages and killers.

YurokVoices.com

New Web site networks info for off-reservation YuroksTwo brothers said increasing frustration at the choppy flow of information from the Yurok Tribe to out-of-the-area tribal members prompted them to launch a Web site providing a forum to share information.

Santa Cruz resident Larry Sanders and his brother, James Dunlap, of Sacramento launched YurokVoices.com in mid-January in an effort to provide off-reservation tribal members with information--particularly updates the brothers say aren't finding their way from the tribal headquarters in Klamath to members living elsewhere.

The most recent example of that information void, Dunlap said, was the result of the vote on how the settlement monies would be dispersed. While the result of the vote could have been placed on the tribe's Web site, Dunlap said it hasn't been updated for more than a year.

In fact, the impetus for the site--launched Jan. 11--was a discussion on the Times-Standard Web site comment section related to the story on the settlement vote.Comment:  This is a good example of people bitchin' and moanin' about their government. It's also a good example of people sharing information so they can act. Which isn't surprising since the two are the same.

Blacks outnumbered by Indians

Montana, nation's least-black state, confronts issues on MLK DayAs the Missoulian news staff gathered to plan coverage of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it bumped into an uncomfortable fact. Finding someone in Western Montana to represent the results of King's fight for civil rights felt like an exercise in tokenism.

Montana still struggles to bridge the gap between its white majority and American Indian communities. But today honors King, and 40 years after his death blacks remain rare here.

Montana is not the most white state. It is the least black. According to the latest U.S. Census population estimates, 0.43 percent of Montana's 944,632 residents are black. There are only 4,094 black people here, which is also numerically the smallest black community of any state in the nation.

By contrast, Montana's American Indian population is the fifth-largest by percentage. The census counted 60,725 American Indians, or 6.43 percent of the population. Just more than 90 percent of the rest of the state falls into the category "white alone."

Being Indian = excuse for abuse

Trial ordered on charge of lewdnessA man who says he's the leader of an American Indian tribe testified at his preliminary hearing on an attempted-lewdness charge that the 12-year-old girl he's accused of victimizing was promised to him by her mother in exchange for half a cooler of energy bars.

Dale N. Stevens of Vernal said the agreement was reached while the girl and her family were staying in one of his trailers on land owned by his "tribe" in Uintah County in early 2007.

"That's the way Indians do things ... if they're living under their old ways," the 69-year-old said of the trade. "I became her guardian, put it that way, I became her guardian."

Stevens, who was bound over for trial in 8th District Court on charges of burglary and attempted lewdness involving a child following Thursday's hearing, said he is the chief of the Wampanoag Nation. While the federal government does recognize the Wampanoag Tribe in Massachusetts, it does not recognize Stevens' group, which according to federal court records, was founded in 2003 at an Arby's restaurant in Provo.

Massacre movie wins award

"Sand Creek Massacre Film Harvests Another Best Film Award""The Sand Creek Massacre," was awarded a Golden Drover Award (like an Oscar only a Drover) for Best Native American Film in the Trail Dance Film Festival in Duncan, Oklahoma on the Chisholm Trail on January 13, 2008. The documentary film, also awarded Best Film in The Indie Film Festival and The American Indian Film Festival, portrays the horrific event from the Cheyenne and Arapahos' perspective when more than 400 women, children, mentally- and physically-challenged people, and elderly were slaughtered by military troops in the southeastern Colorado Territory in 1864.

Cecil Brewer, a film festival volunteer, said his he and his wife really liked "The Sand Creek Massacre." He said, "I never heard about this event before." Although he enjoyed watching the movie, he said it appeared to him that there was no motive for the massacre, just cold-blooded murder."