Native American Indian Heritage Month

Three Native American women who have inspired many around the world.

Buffy Sainte-Marie - 1941 - was a graduating college senior in 1962 and hit the ground running in the early Sixties, after the beatniks and before the hippies. All alone she toured North America's colleges, reservations and concert halls. By age 24, Buffy Sainte-Marie had appeared all over Europe, Canada, Australia and Asia, receiving honors, medals and awards, which continue to this day. Her song ‘Until It's Time for You to Go’ was recorded by Elvis and Barbra and Cher, and her ‘Universal Soldier’ became the anthem of the peace movement. For her very first album she was voted Billboard's Best New Artist.

She disappeared suddenly from the mainstream American airwaves during the Lyndon Johnson years. Unknown to her, her name was included on White House stationery as among those whose music was too controversial, and radio airplay disappeared. Invited on to television talk shows on the basis of her success with Until It's Time for You to Go, she was told that Native issues and the peace movement had become unfashionable and to limit her comments to celebrity chat. This continued during the next presidential administration of Richard Nixon.

In Indian country and abroad her fame grew. Denied an adult television audience in the U.S., in 1975 she joined the cast of Sesame Street for five years. She continued to appear at countless grassroots concerts, AIM (American Indian Movement) events and other activist benefits in Canada and the U.S. She made 18 albums of her music, three of her own television specials, scored movies, garnered international acclaim, helped to found Canada's Music of Aboriginal Canada JUNO category, raised a son, earned a Ph.D. in Fine Arts, taught Digital Music as adjunct professor at several colleges, and won an Academy Award Oscar and a Golden Globe Award for the song Up Where We Belong.

2009 marked the release of her eighteenth album Running for the Drum, which won Buffy her third Juno Award. Packaged in tandem with the bio-documentary DVD Buffy Sainte-Marie: A Multimedia Life, the two disks together give audiences a glimpse into the life and work of this unique, always current artist.

Wilma Pearl Mankiller November 18, 1945 - April 6, 2010 (age 64) was the first female Chief of the Cherokee Nation. She served as the Principal Chief for ten years from 1985 to 1995.

As the powerful, visionary first woman Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma Mankiller is responsible for 139,000 people and a $69 million budget.

Ms. Mankiller spent her formative years in San Francisco, where she learned about the women's movement and organizing. When she returned to her native Oklahoma, she used her skills to help the Cherokee Nation, starting community self-help programs and teaching people ways out of poverty. In 1983 she ran for deputy chief of the Nation, and in 1985 Ms. Mankiller became Principal Chief. She brought about important strides for the Cherokees, including improved health care, education, utilities management and tribal government. Her future plans called for attracting higher-paying industry to the area, improving adult literacy, supporting women returning to school and more. Wilma Mankiller also lived in the larger world, and was active in civil rights matters, lobbying the federal government and supporting women's activities and issues. She said: "We've had daunting problems in many critical areas, but I believe in the old Cherokee injunction to 'be of a good mind.' Today it's called positive thinking."

Maria Tallchief in Swan Lake. (credit: Martha Swope)

Maria TallChief 1925- Born Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief to an Osage Nation father, she became a well-known ballerina. In 1947 Maria began dancing with the New York City Ballet until her retirement in 1965. Soon after she founded the Chicago City Ballet and remained it's artistic director for many years.

Since 1997 she has been an adviser in the Chicago dance schools and continues to astound future dancers with her always-ahead-of-her-skill abilities and will be featured in a PBS special from 2007-2010.

Sunday Reflection - Native American Ten Commandments

November is Native American Heritage Month

THE TEN NATIVE AMERICAN COMMANDMENTS


1. Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect.

2. Remain close to the Great Spirit, in all that you do.

3. Show great respect for your fellow beings.


(Especially Respect yourself)


4. Work together for the benefit of all Mankind. 


5. Give assistance and kindness wherever needed.

6. Do what you know to be right.


(But be careful not to fall into self-righteousness)


7. Look after the well being of mind and body.

8. Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good.

9. Be truthful and honest at all times.


(Especially be truthful and honest with your self)

10. Take full responsibility for your actions.

Click here for a beautiful version of the 10 Native American Commandments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3ZEvOfD1w&feature=related

Native American Indian Heritage Month History

Ben Nighthorse Campbell 1933-

The only American Indian in Congress, Republican senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell is also a Northern Cheyenne chief. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado in 1987 and served in the U.S. Senate from 1992-2004. Campbell was a leader in policy dealing with natural resources and public lands and initiated legislation to found the National Museum of the American Indian within the Smithsonian Institution. He declined running for a third term in the Senate, citing health and personal reasons. A three-time U.S. judo champion, Campbell was captain of the U.S. Olympic judo team in 1964. He is also a rancher, horse trainer, and jewelry designer.

Sacajawea 1788-1812

Sacajawea is most well know for accompanying Meriwether Lewis and William Clark during their Corps of Discovery of the Western United States in 1806. She was born in a Shoshone tribe as Agaidika, or "Salmon Eater" in 1788. In February of 1805, just after meeting Lewis and Clark, Lewis assisted in the birth of her son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau. Her face now appears in the dollar coin.

Pontiac 1720-1769

Known in his Ottawa tongue as Obwandiyag, Chief Pontiac is most well known for his defense of the Great Lakes Region of the US from the British Troop invasion and occupation. In 1763, Pontiac and 300 of his followers attempted to take Fort Detroit by surprise. Eventually the revolt rose to 900 plus Natives and they eventually took the Fort at The Battle of Bloody Run. Though historically a prominent figure, many are still unsure as to his real importance and to whether or not he was a mere follower rather than a leader. Increasingly ostracized, in 1769 he was assassinated by a Peoria Indian in Illinois.

Sitting Bull 1831-1890

Sitting Bull (Sioux: Tatanka Iyotake first named Slon-he, or, literally, slow), was a Hunkpapa Lakota medicine man and holy man. He is famous in both American and Native American history mostly for his major victory at the Battle of Little Bighorn against Custer, where his premonition of defeating them became reality. Even today, his name is synonymous with Native American culture, and he is considered to be one of the most famous Native Americans ever.

Black Hawk 1767-1838

Though not a traditional tribe chief, even after inheriting a very important medicine bundle, Black Hawk would become more well known as a War Chief. In his tribe's (Sauk's) tongue, his name, Makataimeshekiakiak, means, "Be a large black hawk". During the War of 1812 Black Hawk, so name-shortened by the English, became a fierce and powerful opponent. First fighting on the side of the British, Black Hawk eventually led a band of Sauk and Fox against settlers in Illinois and Wisconsin, eventually dying in Iowa. His legend is kept alive by many claiming to be directly related, like Jim Thorpe. This is, however, myth.

Hiawatha 1550-1600

Hiawatha who lived (depending on the version of the story) in the 1400s, or 1500s, he was variously a leader of the Onondaga and Mohawk nations of Native Americans. Hiawatha was a follower of The Great Peacemaker, a prophet and spiritual leader who was credited as the founder of the Iroquois confederacy, (referred to as Haudenosaunee by the people). If The Great Peacemaker was the man of ideas, Hiawatha was the politician who actually put the plan into practice. Hiawatha was a skilled and charismatic orator, and was instrumental in persuading the Iroquois peoples, the Senecas, Cayugas, Onondagas, Oneidas, and Mohawks, a group of Native North Americans who shared similar languages, to accept The Great Peacemaker's vision and band together to become the Five Nations of the Iroquois confederacy. (Later, in 1721, the Tuscarora nation joined the Iroquois confederacy, and they became the Six Nations).

(Information for this article taken from Weekly Reader News)

Native American Indian Heritage Month -Thanksgiving

Squanto 1581-1622

Assisting the Pilgrims during their first, harsh winter, the Patuxet, Tasquantum (Squanto) befriended the group in order to see them safely through to spring. In 1608, alas, Squanto and several others were kidnapped by Georgie Weymouth and taken aboard ship to England. Though eventually earning a living and learning the English language, Squanto made his return home in 1613 aboard John Smith's ship only to find his tribe completely wiped out by the plague.

Squanto had shown the Pilgrims how to fish, hunt, gather, and farm.

Thanks to Squanto, and a lot of hard work, the Pilgrims had a bountiful harvest. To celebrate the successful harvest, the Pilgrims' governor, William Bradford, invited the Native Americans to a traditional festival called "Harvest Home". "The First Thanksgiving," as we now call it, lasted for three days.

Welcome to the garden of The Three Sisters:

“In late spring we plant corn and beans and squash. They're not just plants- we call them the three sisters. We plant them together, three kinds of seeds in one hole. They want to be together with each other, just as we Indians want to be together with each other. So long as the three sisters are with us we know we will never starve. The Creator sends them to us each year. We celebrate them now. We thank Him for the gift He gives us today and every day.”

- Chief Louis Farmer (Onondaga)

THE THREE SISTERS: The first sister is corn, she grows tall and strong and helps the second sister, bean, by allowing her vines to climb up her stalk. In return, bean gives corn the nutrients she needs to grow. Squash is the third sister and she grows low to the ground, throughout the cornfield. Her large leaves help to keep the weeds under control and the soil moist.

The tribe's very survival depended on a reliable food supply, which is why they developed something called "companion planting”.

It was pure agricultural brilliance, and the reason these three humble plants play such a large part in so many Native American myths and legends. They believed that since they were so magical when grown together, that they should also be eaten together. They also believed that since they protected each other while growing, that they would protect whoever ate them together.

The term “Three Sisters” originated with the Haudenosaunee. (People of the Long House). In the Haudenosaunee story of Creation, the Three Sisters grew on Turtle Island and were considered the life sustainers.

CORN: Native Americans first domesticated Corn over 6,000 years ago, in that part of North America today called Mexico. Corn exists today, not just as a plant, but also as a symbol. It stands for Haudenosaunee identities. It stands for life. And it stands for spirit.

BEANS: Beans were as highly regarded as corn by Native Americans. Many varieties and colors of beans were cultivated and they were prepared in a number of ways. They were soaked, flattened, fried into cakes, used in salads, stews and soups and ground into flour.

SQUASH: Squash was also very important because it is very nourishing and can be cooked and eaten in a variety of ways. The winter squash such as acorn or butternut were often baked whole and flavored with maple syrup or honey. Squash is also important to the Iroquois ceremonially. Rattles used by the Medicine Societies were sometimes crafted from the gourds.

Why not try an authentic "succotash," which is the name that has survived to this day to describe the simple, yet magical combination of the "three sisters."

(Information for this article taken from Weekly Reader News)

*****

THREE SISTER SOUP

6 cups of liquid. (Water, homemade chicken broth, or vegetable broth)

2 cups of fresh corn off the cob

1 cup of fresh green/yellow beans

1 cup of fresh peas

1 cup of light yellow pinto beans

1-½ cups of butternut/buttercup squash (or pumpkin)

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Simmer all the veggies for about an hour and a half. (The simmering for that amount of time blends the flavor to an incredible flavor).

The blend of spices/herbs is your taste. I like a southwestern blend…. chilies, cumin, etc. Or a nice mild flavor blend of parsley, basil, savory, and oregano is wonderful. Place in blender and puree.

Serve with biscuits, bannock or scones.

November is Native American Indian Heritage Month

November is Native American Indian Heritage Month

Many Native Americans celebrate their culture every day. This month, you can too! It is no coincidence that Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Month coincide. We often think of the first Thanksgiving as being the harvest feast shared by the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag people in the autumn of 1621.

But many Native Americans regularly celebrated successful growing seasons with a big feast long before European settlers moved in. It is important to honor the history, contributions, and sacrifices of the Native Americans who lived on this land long before the settlers claimed it as their own.

A Month to Honor and Remember - In 1914, Red Fox James, a member of the Blackfeet Nation from Montana, thought a day should be set aside to honor American Indians. He traveled more than 4,000 miles on horseback, dressed in traditional garb, getting endorsements from 24 governors to establish such a day. In 1915, the Congress of the American Indian Association approved a day to be celebrated in May.

In 1990, President George H. W. Bush proclaimed November as the first official National American Indian Heritage Month. Since then, the month has also been called Native American Heritage Month and National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.

Native American or American Indian?

It is difficult to use one name for such a large and diverse group of people. Tom Arviso Jr., the publisher and editor of The Navajo Times, the largest Native American–owned weekly newspaper, has explained, "I... would rather be known as... a member of the Navajo tribe, instead of... a Native American or American Indian. This gives an authentic description of my heritage, rather than lumping me into a whole race of people."

Loriene Roy, a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, agrees. "It is always better to ask the individual what they would like to be called," she says. "With over 500 federally recognized tribes, there isn't one term that everyone will agree on." Roy is a professor of library and information science at the University of Texas. She believes it's valuable to celebrate the people who inhabited this land first. "It is important to remind children of the stories and people of the past," she says, "and that those stories and people are still living today."

Ancient Wanderers

No one is quite sure where the first Americans came from. Thousands of years ago, a land bridge linked what is now Russia and Alaska. The traditional theory is that some 10,500 years ago, people from Asia migrated to the Western hemisphere by way of that connection. Over time, the people moved south and populated North and South America.

Another theory is based on fossils, which date back more than 12,000 years, that have been found in Chile. The evidence suggests that boats might have brought people from Japan, Australia, or other areas in the Pacific Ocean. Those people would have migrated north. Perhaps both theories are true.

Native Americans Today

When the first European settlers arrived, there were approximately 2 million native people living in what is now the continental United States. Today, according to the U.S. Census, there are 4.5 million people, or 1.5 percent of the U.S. population, who identify themselves as American Indians or Alaska Natives. That number is growing and is expected to reach 8.6 million by 2050. More than 560 federally recognized tribes exist in the United States. Of those, the largest are the Cherokee, the Navajo, and the Chippewa.

Today, between one-third and one-half of all U.S. Native Americans live on reservations. A reservation is an area of land managed by a tribe, but owned by the U.S. government. Native Americans may face many challenges in today's society. Issues include poor health, unemployment, and poverty, as well as a high dropout rate among high school students. As both American citizens and tribe members, Native Americans often straddle two cultures. They struggle to connect with their heritage, identity, and ancestral lands. Some are trying to revive their original languages, which are dying out.

Despite the difficulties, many Native Americans have achieved success and made important contributions to the country—in the arts, politics, sports, literature, medicine, education, the military, business, and other areas.

I will write more about some of them later - to be continued............

(Information for this article taken from Weekly Reader News)