Native Traditions

Native American Faces Trial for Violating Animal Protection Laws

October 23, 2001

Source: Rocky Mountain News

On October 23, 2001, the Rocky Mountain News reported that "in the eyes of his tribe, Terry Antoine is a mask dancer, a medicine man with the spiritual power to purify eagle feathers for the sacred ceremonies of his religion... To the government, he's a black-market peddler of eagle carcasses, trading and selling them in violation of federal laws aimed at protecting a threatened species. Antoine, a 47-year-old member of the Cowichan band of the Salish tribe in Duncan, British Columbia, faces trial today in U.S. District Court...

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Ruling Clears Way for Mining on Sacred Land

October 21, 2001

Source: The New York Times

On October 21, 2001, The New York Times reported that "the Bush administration... reversed an 11th-hour Clinton administration ruling on mining policy, making it easier for companies to mine for gold, copper, zinc and lead on public lands. It also issued a legal opinion that could clear the way for a Nevada company to dig an open-pit gold mine in a part of the California desert considered sacred by a local Indian tribe."

Endangered Toad Causes Problems for California Tribe

September 23, 2001

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

On September 23, 2001, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that plans for a $125 million casino and hotel complex on the Rincon Reservation in California have been hindered by the arroyo toad, which is protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. "'The Fish and Wildlife Service wanted us to create a toad paradise,' said John Currier, chairman of the Rincon tribe. 'They made us do all kinds of changes to our project. And we have to pay for it'... Although the casino project is moving ahead, the tribe is so upset...

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Paucatuck Pequot

Information about this center is no longer updated. This data was last updated on 22 November 2002.

Contact Information

Address: 935 Lantern Hill Rd RFD 7, Ledyard, CT 06339

Military Makes Peace with the Wampanoags

August 31, 2001

Source: The Boston Globe

On Friday August 31, 2001, The Boston Globe reported that "Wampanoag Indian leaders, whose people have called Cape Cod home for more than 10,000 years...signed an agreement with the Massachusetts National Guard requiring the military to consult with the tribe about the handling of human remains and artifacts found on the 22,000-acre Massachusetts Military Reservation." The president of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe noted that "'in the past, the relationship between the tribes and the military has been tenuous at best'" but this "...

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Preserving Tunica-Biloxi Language and Culture

August 26, 2001

Source: The Times-Picayune

On August 26, 2001, The Times-Picayune featured an article on Donna Madere Pierite of New Orleans, a teacher and advocate of preserving Native American languages and culture. "She teaches French and Spanish at Abramson High School and also finds time to be the language program coordinator for the Tunica-Biloxi, working to keep the tribe's speech, songs, stories and culture alive... 'When I go to schools and do this little presentation, an adult will come up to me afterward with tears in their eyes,' she said. 'They said, 'I too...

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Tribes Win out over Farmers in Oregon Irrigation Dispute

August 22, 2001

Source: The Boston Globe

On August 22, 2001, The Boston Globe reported that "a convoy of semis and pickup trucks rumbled into [Klamath Falls, Ore.]...to protest the shut-off of federal irrigation water to farmers...Based on federal biologists' reports on the needs of endangered suckers in Upper Klamath Lake and threatened coho salmon in the Klamath River, the US Bureau of Reclamation shut off irrigation to 90 percent of the 220,000 acres of the Klamath Project [a federal irrigation system]. The action marked the first time in nearly a century that...

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Hindu Group Tries to Build Ties with Native Americans

August 20, 2001

Source: The Newspaper Today

http://www.thenewspapertoday.com/india/inside.phtml?NEWS_ID=24926

On August 20, 2001, The Newspaper Today reported that "the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is making serious efforts to forge close links with native American Indian groups, saying the two have 'many things in common,'" Sangh spokesman M.G. Vaidya said. "Both inherit the glory and wisdom of ancient traditions and respect mother earth and we all should work together to...

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Documentary Traces Conflicts Over Sacred Land and Business

August 14, 2001

Source: The New York Times

http://www.pbs.org/pov/inthelightofreverence/thefilm.html

On August 14, 2001, The New York Times featured an article on "In the Light of Reverence," a documentary on PBS that reports on conflicts between American Indian tribes and companies "with mining and recreational interests over numerous sites in the West that the tribes say are sacred to them... The film focuses on three sites, Devils Tower in Wyoming (claimed as sacred by the...

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Mattaponi Tribe Fights for Sacred River

August 7, 2001

Source: The Christian Science Monitor

On August 7, 2001, The Christian Science Monitor reported that "the Mattaponi Indians - which include descendants of Pocahontas - have long considered sacred the river that runs through their reservation in Virginia. The annual shad run, in particular, is of great cultural significance... Now, however, the city of Newport News, Va., wants to transfer water out of the Mattaponi River to support its growing population. The result is a clash of old and new - ancient religious values and modern water needs - that could set...

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Further Debate over Religious Use of Peyote

August 2, 2001

Source: deseretnews.com

On August 2, 2001, deseretnews.com reported that "a legal debate about whether a self-described 'medicine man' violated drug laws for giving peyote to non-American Indians during religious ceremonies continues in Utah County. A motion by James 'Flaming Eagle' Mooney to dismiss drug and racketeering charges against him and his wife, Linda, is being reviewed" by the district judge. "Attorney Kathryn Collard, who represents the Mooneys, said the case boils down to a constitutional right to practice religion."

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