Fort Hall event recognizes trauma suffered at boarding school

FORT HALL - Many of the social and criminal problems that exist in Native American communities may be due to historical traumas.In Fort Hall Tuesday, hundreds gathered at the Sho-Ban High School to remember some of the difficulties members of the Shoshone-Bannock tribes experienced.In the late 19th century, many Native Americans in Fort Hall were forced to attend boarding schools where abuse and neglect were rampant. Lee Juan Tyler's grandparents were among the students. Tyler, a Fort Hall Business Councilman said, "They were playing and singing, and they got whipped and brutally beaten not understanding what's going on, eight-years-old."The schools were set up by the U.S. Government as a way to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream culture. Tuesday, the Wellbriety Journey of Forgiveness stopped at the Sho-Ban High School to encourage dialogue as a way to help people heal. TaNisha Nevada, Sho-Ban High School Junior said, "I just feel so bad for the people back then-how they were treated and everything."Makyla Sequints, Sho-Ban High School Sophomore added, "It makes me think that it was harder from their life to our life now."Even though the old boarding school is now in ruins, organizers of Tuesday's activities are hoping that it's a reminder of how important it is to remember your past, and help maintain your future. Tyler said, "We were going to lose our language. Be put into the "melting pot" with assimilation/acculturation, and how to forcefully do it."But along with getting people to talk openly about the past, the Wellbriety event is helping students learn what they can do to ensure their culture is not lost in the future. Tyler Bosquez, Sho-Ban High School Junior said, "This will help people realize what being Native American really is about. Why we should be proud of who we are, and what we need to do to help bring back our culture through family, tradition, and being one with each other."The Wellbriety Journey is hosted by a non-profit group called White Bison, Inc., and is in the middle of a 40-day 6,800 mile trek across the country.It will end in Washington D.C. on June 22nd where the group plans to deliver a petition to President Obama asking him to formally apologize for the government's use of boarding schools.

Court rules Washington Redskins can keep trademarks on name

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has ruled in favor of the Washington Redskins in a 17-year battle against a group of American Indians who claim the football team's trademark is racially offensive.
The court upheld a judge's decision that Mateo Romero, an artist from the Cochiti Pueblo reservation in New Mexico, and six other Native Americans waited too long to file a claim. The suit, involving six of the Redskins' trademarks, asked that the National Football League franchise’s name be canceled due to complaints from American Indians.
In 1994 a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office appeals panel ruled that the trademarks should be canceled based on the complaint. Pro-Football Inc., the closely held parent company of the Redskins controlled by Dan Snyder, was granted the trademarks in 1967. The group sued in 1999 to overturn the finding.
The decision may not be the final word as the Court of Appeals did not rule on claims that the trademark is racist. There is another suit pending by other American Indians who claim slogans and images considered disparaging can’t be registered under U.S. trademark law.

Nation’s largest powwow drew 150,000 attendees

The Gathering of Nations drew 150,000 attendees in April, despite the down economy.
The event, held in Albuquerque, is the largest gathering in the U.S. of American Indian and indigenous people. It brought between $20 million and $30 million in revenue to the city, according to organizers.
The powwow also raised $15,000 for the Gathering of Nations’ Academic Scholarship Program, which provides an American Indian student with a full scholarship to the University of New Mexico.
Dr. Lita Matthews’ Youth Literacy Program supplied books to more than 300 children at the event as well. Vendors at the Indian Trader’s Market sold more than $2 million in goods and services, and about 40 musical groups and entertainers performed.
Brooke Grant, a member of the Hoopa, Yurok, Karuk and Chippewa tribes, was crowned 2009 Miss Indian World. She will be the cultural goodwill ambassador to all Native and indigenous communities for the next 12 months.

Pow-Wow listing Mid west area!

MAY

May 22-23:
Leech Lake Veterans Memorial traditional pow wow.Location: Cass Lake, MN. Located by Palace Casino on Palace Casino Dr.Cass Lake Minnesota.Info: Lance Kingbird 218-335-3784 lance.kingbird@llojibwe.com or 218-335-7034Additional Info: Jerry.Morgan@leechlakegaming.com

May 22-24:
5th Annual Seven Clans contest pow wow.*Location: Thief River Falls, MN. 7 Clans Casino.Info: 218-679-3361 ext. 1404 http://www.sevenclanscasino.com/ ralussier@seveclanscasino.com Host Drums: Blacklodge & Blackfoot Confederacy

May 25:
Veterans Memorial Day traditional pow wow.*Location: Mille Lacs, MN. Mille Lacs Indian Museum.Info: 320-532-3632 http://www.mnhs.org/ Host Drums: Blacklodge & Blackfoot Confederacy
June
June 6-7:
6th Annual Dakota Homecoming traditional pow wow.Location: Winona, MN. Unity Park.Info: 507-452-2278 or 507-457-0957 http://www.dakotahomecoming.org/ baldrich@winona.edu

June 12-14:
White Earth Nation Annual Celebration and traditional pow wow.Location: White Earth, MN. Info: 218-261-1231 hisgun2@msn.com

June 12-14:
31st Annual Lower Sioux traditional pow wow.*Location: Morton, MN. Pow-wow Grounds.Info: 507-697-6185 http://www.jackpotjunction.com/ kokeefe@lowersioux.com

June 19-21:
2009 Lake Vermilion Traditional pow wow.Location: Tower, MN. Lake Vermilion Pow Wow Grouds, Lake Vermilion Rez.Info: Tracey Dagen 218-753-7713 tdagen@fortunebay.com Mary Strong 218-753-6941 Geraldine Hanks 218-753-4509MCs: George Strong & Gilbert SmithADs: Doug Furhman & Jeff Boshey JrHost Drums: Vermilion Traditional & Lake Vermilion SingersAdditional Info: Spiritual Advisors-Gilbert Smith & Calvin Ottertail. Head Dancers-Karlene & Don Chosa. Security Directors-Val Boness & Jimbo Boshey. Friday-Warm Ups. Saturday-Grand Entry 1 & 7 PM. Feast 5 PM. Sunday-Grand Entry 1 PM. Vendor Contact: Roberta or Jackie Chavez 218-753-3049 or Muriel Deegan 218-780-1777. Lakeshore camping available. Absolutely no drugs or alcohol allowed.

June 19-21:
18th Annual Grand Celebration contest pow wow.Location: Hinckley, MN. Grand Casino Hinckley.Directions: 1 mile east of Hinckley. The Arbor and grounds are located south (behind) the 'Amphitheater'.Info: Michelle Ledoux 320-384-4556 hinmll@grcasinos.com or hinjjo@grcasinos.com http://www.grandcasinosmn.com/Cost: Free

June 26-28:
S. Lake 6th Annual Traditional pow wow.Location: S-Lake, MN. 28 mi. N Hwy 46 north of Deer River Minnesota. Eagleview School.Info: Gary Charwood 218-760-7955 maang40@yahoo.com LaVonne.Thompson@leechlakegaming.comAdditional Info: Contest info: Specials to be announced call for infomation. June 26, 2008 is warm ups.

July
July 3-5:
Leech Lake 4th of July Traditional pow wow.Location: Cass Lake, MN. Veterans Memorial Pow Wow Grounds.Directions: Palace Casino Dr.Info: 218-335-7573 Jerry.Morgan@leechlakegaming.com 218-335-3784 lance.kingbird@llojibwe.com

July 10-12:
Fond du Lac Veterans Traditional pow wow.Location: Sawyer, MN. Mash-Ka-Wisen Treatment Center Powwow grounds.Info: Mary Northrup 218-878-7583 marynorthrup@fdlrez.comHost Drum: Cedar CreekAdditional Info: Head Dancers: Mike Diver and Vannessa Northrup. Contest info: Jingle and Grass 18 and upHand Drum.

July 10-12:
Dakota Wacipi - contest pow wow.*Location: Prairie Island, MN. Pow Wow Grounds.Info: 800-554-5473 ext. 3023 or 651-385-4132 http://www.prairieisland.org/ bmireau@piic.orgHost Drum: Prairie Island

July 17-19:
Mii-Gwitch Mahnomen Days 47th Annual Traditional pow wow.Location: Ball Club, MN. Mii-Gwitch Mahnomen Pow Wow grounds.Directions: 6 mi. W of Deer Diver MN on US 2.Info: Milton Gotchie 218-308-3680 or 218-335-7046 or 800-216-6329 milton.gotchie@llojibwe.com LaVonne.Thompson@leechlakegaming.com

July 24-26:
Onigum Traditional pow wow.*Location: Onigum, MN. Pow Wow Grounds.Info: 218-547-4090 or 218-536-0213 lavonne.thompson@leechlakegaming.com

July 25-26:
13th Annual Keepers Traditional pow wow.*Location: Pipestone, MN. Moore Park.Info: 507-825-3734 http://www.pipekeepers.org/ pipe@iw.net

July 31-August 2:
31st Honoring Sobriety Traditional pow wow.*Location: Sawyer, MN. Mash Ka Wisen Treatment Center.

Hartley Frank White Sr. | Obituaries | Bemidji Pioneer | Bemidji, Minnesota

Hartley Frank White Sr. | Obituaries | Bemidji Pioneer | Bemidji, Minnesota

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Fishing opener: Chilly temperatures greet anglers | Bemidji Pioneer | Bemidji, Minnesota

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Swine Flu: What It Is, How to Fight It

It's a common respiratory ailment in pigs, but this strain appears to be a subtype never before seen in pigs or humans. Here are answers to questions you may have about swine flu.

Q: What is swine flu?

A: It's a common respiratory disease in pigs that doesn't usually spread to people. When pigs catch this flu, many get quite sick, and 1% to 4% die, according to the World Health Organization. In the past, people have sometimes caught swine flu if they worked directly with pigs.

Q: How is this swine flu virus different?

A: This strain appears to be a subtype not seen before in humans or pigs, with genetic material from pigs, bird and humans, according to WHO. Unlike most cases of swine flu, this one can spread from person to person, said Richard Besser, the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at a White House press conference Sunday. One of the confirmed cases in the USA caught swine flu from a spouse, who had been to Mexico.

Q: Were pigs the carriers of this virus?

A: It's closer to say that pigs were the mixing bowl for this virus. Birds can't pass bird flu to people. But pigs are uniquely susceptible to getting flu viruses that infect birds. Experts have long worried that a pig would catch a bird strain of the flu and then the virus would mutate inside the pig to a form that could also infect other mammals. That may be what happened in this case. Pigs can also be infected with more than one influenza virus at a time, allowing the viruses to share genes, called "genetic reassortment," creating new and potentially much more virulent viruses.

Q: Can you catch swine flu from eating pork?

A: No, according to WHO. Pigs coming in to slaughter facilities are monitored for flu symptoms, and those that are ill are not allowed to enter the food supply. Cooking also kills the virus. People who work with pigs, however, can catch the virus. The Department of Agriculture is conducting tests to confirm that the food supply is safe, said Janet Napolitano, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Q: Is there a vaccine against swine flu?

A: No, but government scientists could try to create one, according to the CDC. "We've identified the virus," Besser said. "Should we decide to manufacture a vaccine, we can work toward that goal very quickly." CDC scientists don't know if this year's flu vaccine offers any protection.

Q: What about antivirals? Can they prevent swine flu?

A: This strain of swine flu does appear sensitive to the antiviral drugs Relenza and Tamiflu, but not to amantadine, or Symmetrel, and rimantadine, or Flumadine, Besser said. With normal seasonal flus, if taken within the first 48 hours after symptoms appear, antivirals can help people recover a day or two sooner. Doctors sometimes prescribe antivirals to household members of people with the flu to prevent them from getting sick.

Q: What are the symptoms?

A: The most common symptoms are fever, fatigue, lack of appetite and coughing, although some people also develop a runny nose, sore throat, vomiting or diarrhea, according to the CDC.

Q: What should you do if you have these symptoms?

A: Stay home from work or school, to avoid spreading your illness to other people, Besser said. Don't get on an airplane. People should call their doctors to ask about the best treatment, but should not simply show up at a clinic or hospital that is unprepared for their arrival.

Q: How can people protect themselves?

A: As always, people should wash their hands frequently, Besser said. In the past, the CDC has said there isn't conclusive evidence to support using face masks. Surgical masks are designed to prevent the wearer from spreading germs, but may also catch large respiratory droplets if someone sneezes nearby. In a 2007 statement, the CDC said these masks could be worn if someone needs to go to a crowded place, such as a grocery store, for a short time. N95 respirator masks filter out 95% of particles to prevent the wearer from breathing them in. These must be fitted properly around the nose to create a seal, so they can make breathing difficult.

Q: What does it mean for the government to declare a public health emergency?

A: While the declaration "sounds more severe than it is," Napolitano said Sunday, it will free up funds and allow health officials to use medications and tests that aren't normally used. The government also issued a public health declaration during recent floods in North Dakota and Minnesota, she said, and noted that the government often issues such declarations when hurricanes are approaching. The federal government is also releasing 25% of the 50 million doses of antiviral medications in the nation's Strategic National Stockpile, Napolitano said. The Department of Defense is also making 7 million doses available.

Q: Why has the virus been so much deadlier in Mexico, where 1,300 have become ill and more than 80 people have died, than in the USA?

A: "What we've seen in this country is not anywhere near the severity of what we're seeing in Mexico," Besser said. Doctors don't yet know why cases have been milder in the USA, where only person has been hospitalized, although 20 cases have been confirmed, Besser said.

DAVIS, Calif., May 4 (UPI) -- U.S.-led researchers say they have determined the ancestors of American Indians migrated to the New World from one ancestral Asian population.

The international group of scientists said their genetic studies support virtually without exception the single ancestral population theory.

The scientists, led by Noah Rosenberg of the University of Michigan, scrutinized DNA samples of people from 31 modern-day Asian populations, 19 Native American, one Greenlandic and two western Beringian populations.

"Our work provides strong evidence that, in general, Native Americans are more closely related to each other than to any other existing Asian populations, except those that live at the very edge of the Bering Strait," said Kari Britt Schroeder, a lecturer at the University of California-Davis, and first author of the study.

"While earlier studies have already supported this conclusion, what's different about our work is that it provides the first solid data that simply cannot be reconciled with multiple ancestral populations," said Schroeder.

The study that also included scientists from Sweden's Uppsala University; the Universities of Kansas, Chicago, Pennsylvania and Illinois; Johns Hopkins University; the Russian Academy of Sciences; and the University of California-San Francisco appears in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.

American Indians promise pipeline fight | Worthington Daily Globe | Worthington, Minnesota

American Indians promise pipeline fight | Worthington Daily Globe | Worthington, Minnesota

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Childress, Favre could reach quick deal Vikings coach Brad Childress traveled to Mississippi to gauge Brett Favre's interest in joining the Vikings, and whether that is feasible. By JUDD ZULGAD and CHIP SCOGGINS, Star Tribune staff writers Last update: May 7, 2009 - 1:39 AM


Whether Brett Favre and Brad Childress sat on a bench in the back yard of Favre's Mississippi home on Wednesday night and shot the breeze about the quarterback playing for the Vikings is unknown. But Childress reportedly left the Twin Cities on a commercial flight Wednesday and, according to people with knowledge of the situation, the Vikings coach was scheduled to begin meeting with the for-now-retired, record-setting quarterback over dinner. Discussions about Favre wearing a Vikings uniform this fall will continue today, most likely in Hattiesburg. One key topic will be the condition of the partially torn biceps in Favre's throwing arm that derailed his only season as a member of the New York Jets. But a resolution to that situation appears close -- and the sides could reach a deal quickly. Favre, according to NFL sources, is agreeable to undergoing a minor procedure in which surgeons complete the cutting of the tendon. The recovery period would be quick, and Favre would be ready to go long before training camp. Indications are Favre is as anxious to join the Vikings as Childress is to have him running an offense that includes Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson and wide receivers Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin. "I try not to get too caught up in it because I don't want to get too overexcited, thinking that he's coming and then all of a sudden he doesn't," Berrian said. "He would be a great addition to the team. He's a great player. He's done so much for the NFL by himself. He definitely would bring leadership to the team. "He's been in the league for 17, 18 years and to have a player of his caliber come in, it speaks volumes for what he can do for this team." The Favre saga took on a life of its own Wednesday, just as it did last summer when he decided he didn't want to retire and ended up trying to force his way from the Packers to the Vikings. Favre eventually was traded to the Jets, who released him from the reserve/retired list last week.