( – promoted by navajo)
I will be organizing the Native American Caucus again this year at Netroots Nation in Austin.
Time and room assignments have not been issued yet but most likely will take place on Thursday, August 17th in the early afternoon at 9 a.m. I will update this diary when I receive this info.
Please comment below if you are going to attend the convention.
Also, if you are unable to attend please comment below on the topics you would like us to discuss.
I will diary a recap with photos after the event.
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Update:
Rain from Street Prophets will be doing a Star designed quilt this year with a Native American blogger focus. She has invited the members of this blog to stop by her table and sign a patch. I will be signing one. Please spread the word.
Update 2:
Rain has posted a photo of the Star Quilt below in the comments. It is beautiful!
Update 3:
The room location and time has been posted for our caucus:
Native American Caucus
Thu, 07/17/2008 – 9:00am, Room 11
Connect with like-minded folks and talk with others from your community in our identity, issue and regional caucuses.
Full Schedule here:
http://www.netrootsnation.org/…
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One thing I’d like people to know is that ndns are very expert at American politics. Every leader must spend a great part of his/her time dealing with the federal, state and local government. It seems like since the Abramoff scandal people think we’re innocent sheep being led to slaughter by some superior white con man. The truth is that even Jack produced for the tribes that employed him until his greed became so great that he began to cheat. We know where the various places with buttons to push in DC are and how to push them, our Tribes financial lives depend on it. I have personally dealt with every administration since Nixon on most every issue important to our people, as have most native leaders. After a couple hundred years we know how to play their silly games better than other Americans… necessity’s a mutha, or so they say.
Also very few Democrats recognize the part native voters play in western politics where we are often the swing vote between parties. The fact we live on or near our reservation homelands puts us all together in certain districts giving our votes a powerful concentration. Even in states where we’re not as numerous this pattern gives us clout in districts on or near a rez. Also our people aren’t registered in the numbers they could be or should be. Therefore if the party were to put some money and effort into voter registration in ndn country it would pay big dividends.
Indian Country politics are diffuse and centered around tribes and the surrounding legal and lobbying community that our efforts generate. Whole law firms specialize in ndn law and politics. They have a lot of influence along with various Congressional aides and Department undersecrataries etc. who guard the pursestrings in DC. It’s an enormous industry but largly unknown unless one has to deal with it. Now with gaming it’s even larger. Did you know that every Department in the Government must have an “Indian Desk” to serve our Tribes? I’m just telling you these things so you’ll know how pervasive Indian affairs are within this government. We’re all over the place!
Republicans have always seen our pitiful budgets as the easy place to cut funds. Reagan devastated funding for ndn country and we have never caught up. The IHS is so underfunded it costs lives very day. Same with our education funds and reservation schools. Housing is so bad on the rez that it’s common to see three or four families living together. Plus what we have is falling apart through neglect and age. America’s poorest counties are always reservation counties like Shannon County or Todd County here in S.D. they fight to see who will be the worst, poorest county in America year after year. I guess in the end most of our problems are directly tied to the endemic poverty we face. The only solution America has is to become economic refugees and leave our homelands and people. Many have done so but to the rest of us that’s a solution we reject as genocide.
Well, I kinda went off on a tangent enit? I meant to say, if you have questions about ndn country feel free to ask me I’ll answer if I can. Have a good one, CC
I’m going to post some info on Peltier. His committee has gone through one of its periodic revamps and is now being run by his family on the rez in North Dakota. It’s been thirty long years since his mistrial and he is far over the guidelines for parole in an aiding& abetting conviction. The FBI has been successful in their campaign against him. Once his case was known throughout the world but all attempts failed to get justice for him. Now he’s old news and younger native people barely know his name. This is to remind you that a brave warrior is still paying the price for our struggle for sovereignty in the sixties and seventies. cc
Friends of Peltier
This is being sent on behalf of URL:
…
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Our startup was hectic and the demands of the job grow daily, but
we want to take a moment to thank all of you for your assistance
and support, as well as your energy and commitment.
Having to move as quickly as we did, we didn’t have the luxury
of time to consider such things as a logo for the LPDOC.
It’s occurred to us that this is an area where supporters
may be able to help and also have a little fun. So, we
encourage everyone to participate in our logo contest. Visit
… for more
information.
June 26 is the 33rd anniversary of the firefight at the Jumping Bull
property on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The LP DOC will represent
Leonard at the annual Little Big Horn National Monument event in
Montana, as well as the Oglala Commemoration in South Dakota. We’re
also helping participants in the Longest Walk II mark the day by
sending t-shirts and other materials their way.
How will you mark the day?
Due to the political nature of the Peltier case, a high level
of public awareness is critical if we’re to succeed in obtaining
Leonard’s release.
Here’s some of the things you can do to educate your community
about the Peltier case:
— Set up literature tables at events/public places. Download
literature at … and don’t
forget our petitions and sample resolution which you can locate on
our main menu.
— Plan showings of electronic media. While “Incident at Oglala” is
out of print, copies still in circulation are often available for
purchase from Amazon.com, eBay, etc., and VHS and DVD copies are
available to rent in many rental outlets. Amazon.com also offers
a downloadable, low-cost digital version. Restrictions apply. We
also strongly recommend “Warrior,” on VHS. Order online through
Native Videos at …
— Write letters to editors of local newspapers, encourage community
television stations to highlight the case, and place calls to radio
call-in shows. Express your opinions and educate others.
— Hold book readings featuring “My Life Is My Sun Dance” by Leonard
Peltier.
If you’re planning an event, please let us know. We’ll be happy
to add the information you provide to our calendar of events and
otherwise promote your event in any way we can.
Stay tuned for more news about June 26th events.
Thank you for all you do on Leonard’s behalf.
Sincerely,
Betty Ann Peltier-Solano
Coordinator
Time to set him free… Because it is the RIGHT thing to do.
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but I’m involved in the Street Prophets quilt project. I’ll be sitting the table and collecting signatures and whatever else needs doing.
As it happens, my efforts at finding a roommate have fallen through. I know Rain has mentioned this to at least navajo, but I would quite happily share with one woman who has not already found a place to stay. The room is paid for, and I am currently solvent, so all I want is some help collecting signatures in return for the second bed.