National Native News Special Features

Today's feature on National Native news. The government bows to you pick knowledge on brown bears. I'm Diane Hamilton plans to tranquilize and radio collar bears in western Alaska have been scaled back as part of a deal between researchers and you pick leaders who demand that the animals be treated with more respect. The association of village council presidents lost a court battle to stop the state and federal research planned. But Andrea Jacobs reports that under the agreement they will get much of what they were after anyway. All the bears are hunted for their meat and for they have a special place in the UK culture. There's commands such respect that it's taboo to even talk about hunting them. Others teach that bears can hear what hunters say and one them not to brag about their hunting abilities because that shows disrespect for the animal. Hunters were afraid a federal study would also offend the powerful spirit of the bear. Mainly they objected to plans to capture drug tattoo and radio collar the Bears. Government biologist maintained these research techniques are the least intrusive ways to study bears. Dave Stearns is a director of the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta Wildlife Refuge.

He says the main purpose of the study is to protect subsistence. The study was designed to give us some some very detailed population information and set a basis for the management of the liberalized harvest regime the U-Pick people believe that they treat bears like people a lot of times when I was asking a people questions they would put it simply like how would you like it if people if someone did that to you a VCP attorney sky Starkey says the study did not consider U-Pick cultural beliefs. They relate to bears on a much higher. Level I mean their respect for bears and their intelligence and their feeling is much higher than just some animal out there that should be studied in and increased like a crop treated like a crop of corn. Spray it with the pesticide you know you'll harvest more ears under the compromise the state and federal government have dramatically scaled back the study they had planned to have 45 beers outfitted with the collars by now but have since agreed to keep the number down to just 30

but allowed researchers to collar nine more Bears this year. Last year 21 birds were successfully collared but nearly double that many were captured in drug to get the right sample under the compromise researchers agreed not to capture a drug more than nine bears. The third in the perhaps most important part of the agreement was that the Fish and Wildlife Service in the state are going to work with the villages and the villages have hired a very experienced and highly acclaimed bear biologist. And the villages are going to work with them to develop and a U-Pick alternative one that will hopefully provide the Fish and Wildlife Service information it needs and at the same time incorporate local people incorporate traditional knowledge and be sensitive and consistent with the way of being with bear's refuge director Dave Stearns believes researchers will glean a lot from tapping traditional knowledge and when they meet with villagers that will give them a chance to explain the study and gain local support.

The study plan is what was originally written is a state of the art we feel for their management and although some may come along in the future that would change that right now we feel that based on the input by several well-known biologist this is this is State of the art and we're going to get some good information out of this that will hopefully support the subsistence opportunities of the local people. ABC turning sky Starkey says it's not likely hunters will change their mind about one aspect of the project dragging the birds with a tranquilizer. Tell us all. We've gone through a lot of trouble to find out about this statement. Federal people do provide all the information about them. Everything that they produced demonstrates they do not approve. For use on animals that will later be used for human consumption. There has been no tests as far as what happens this far but staying in the issue for how long it stays in the tissue. We don't know that it's safe. That's the problem with that and with the drive basically there's injecting a drug that has been

approved into an animal that people maybe CBS hired its own expert biologist on bears who believes there are lots of other scientific techniques that could be used to monitor the bear population. DNA tracking and infrared cameras stay in federal biologists say those research methods are not quite perfected yet but are worth looking into because they may be cheaper than radio collar and bears which requires the use of expensive helicopters in the end both parties do agree on one thing that by working together the study will likely be more successful in battle. Amanda Jacobs National Native news features are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts. Public. Radio. International. Today's feature on National Native news Ruben snake remembered. I'm Dan Hamilton. Today there's a memorial tribute on the Winnebago Reservation in Nebraska to commemorate the passing of Ruben snake who served as

tribal chairman for a decade but whose leadership extended far beyond the bounds of his tribe. He was a former president of the National Congress of American Indians and active in over 50 Native organizations including the First Nations Development Institute which is sponsoring the service with his family and friends. Producer Ginger Miles brings us this report Remembering Ruben snake. Reuben snake was christened into the Native American Church on. Sunday 1937 with the Winnebago name. Which is relatives gave to me. The image of the snake as it rises in defense of itself and the resurrection story of Jesus Christ in the fifty six years of his life. He travelled through both the spiritual and political arenas of Indian country affecting the lives of many friends and colleagues. One of these is Johnny like last who worked with Reuben at the Institute of American Indian audience and I say when Ruben was dean of cultural

studies in there I remember my grandfather. My Joker the snake he conned he was my friend. He is my role model as I drive back and forth among the. Famous mountains in New Mexico. I think of my grandfather that I could live the good life and in my own way carry on in such a way that it would be a credit to my grandfather's memory. Reuben snake was known as a warm hearted bear of a man whose willingness to listen to what other people had to say. Both Indian and non-Indian earned him the reputation as a consensus builder for the last 10 years were devoted to the revitalization of cultural identity calling forth the common spirit in all native peoples. When I go amongst my people who live in the mountains and I listen to him talk

about the creation I have a real appreciation for their view. When I go among my relatives who live in the desert land of the thoughts West I appreciate their Buells. Makes me more aware of what is going on in the creation. So that's why I called throwaways are vital to our lives. You know we can all be the same we never will be but we must learn to appreciate the difference. It's a life time activist group and snake was one of the originators of the 1978 American Indian religious freedom and an ardent defender of religious rights for native peoples. One of my my basic message to the world is this not just in Holland is pain. I was spiritual unity for the past 500 years because of the religious intolerance on the part of

your American and many of our religions have been. Destroyed. As a lifetime member and Redman and the Native American Church. Reuben snake was outraged in 1990 when the Supreme Court ruled that there is no constitutional protection for the sacramental use of peyote. Native Americans have the highest per capita rating of any ethnic group in the United States armed forces. Dying for the right to worship God as we believe. And yet we are denied this freedom by this current Supreme Court. With the Lord's Prayer sung by a Winnebago elder on the anniversary of his passing the words of Rubens may call out for a new leadership which will be sensitive to the issues of religious freedom and fairness for all races in generations to come.

And hopefully changes will be made that men and women that have a real good understanding of what this country of the posters stand for will become the leaders of our land and will we will someday read that goal of peace on earth goodwill toward men. That remembrance of Reuben snake was produced by ginger Miles. National Native news Peters are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts. International. Today's feature on National Native news an art exhibit focuses on the issue of endangered species and the use of animal parts in native artwork. I'm Diane Hamilton trafficking in the parts of endangered threatened and migratory animals such as the Walrus whale bear and Raven is restricted in order to protect them.

Sometimes the regulations have exemptions for traditional uses but many of the native artists who use animal parts in their work say the system isn't working very well. In a report prepared at the 1994 Native Youth Media Institute for high school aged youth in Alaska a prologue tone and tells us about an exhibition that examines the animal parts issue at English and native arts cooperated in Alaska Native artist sits hunched over a small piece of ivory using a palette tool to cover diving with. Natives have been working with ivory and other animal parts for centuries. However many state federal and international regulations today were strict in confuse native artists about what materials they can legally use. Quite often the artist gets trapped in the middle. Janell mots this instant curator of collections at the Anchorage Museum of History in art knows many of these artists and after listening to their concerns she created the exhibit material issues Mott says it's important for the public to be educated about this dilemma.

Most importantly I think the artists themselves need to be aware of what the laws are in case there is any conflict with what they are actually doing and what the law perceives what the law states can and cannot be done. Some materials including many marine mammal products are legal for only Alaskan natives to use and sell old ivory or mammoth ivory and whale bone are available for anyone to use. Unless it was found on federal or state land. Other materials can be used but not sold such as migratory bird feathers. Many of the birds in the state of Alaska are covered under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and many people in the rural part of Alaska especially rely on. Different crafts and arts activities as an economic base and they are not going to fly to Anchorage to buy craft feathers when they can use what is readily available. You pick mask Harbor Charley kayak was at the center of a dispute over the

confiscation in 1990 a four raven feathers from his time caretaker spirit mask the time caretaker mask is made from wood bone pigment and ivory incorporating symbols of the sun moon and Mother Earth as well as the seasons which are represented by four raven feathers Raven for our people represent a very powerful bird that can go into the spirit for spirit world regularly and it will not be affected by whatever sin the spirit world. Federal agents confiscated the mask from a shop in Anchorage. HAJEK says he questioned the legality of the seizure on constitutional grounds. He used to secure Czerny crudeness and what I was referring to specifically was a right the right of individuals to determine what they hold sacred. Government officials decided not to pursue the case and return the feathers within five days. Charlie maintains that when the government created wildlife protection laws they never consulted the native people and they didn't understand

that natives have always conserved their resources. Another major area of contention is the sale of native art that includes restricted animal parts while many laws forbid the sale of art using certain restricted materials. He says native artists have always sold their work. It's no different than exchanging. Walrus tusk for maybe a pearl gloves made out of shoes skin or something like that. Natives have been working with the U.S. government to make changes. This past spring Congress amended the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow for more native involvement in management of the resources and for natives to carry cultural items across international borders. But native artists continue to fight for the right to create and sell artwork that incorporates restricted animal parts. Part of that fight includes education about the restrictions and Charlie is aiming at educating the public and as many

native artists as possible. He is working with the Anchorage museum to create a video and catalog to accompany what the museum hopes will become a traveling exhibit in the near future for National Native news with producers arly Hass and Sonia child can. I'm a pro like Tonin encourage Alaska National Native news features are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts. International. Today's feature on National Native news a dilemma for the Athabaskan people of a clue in Alaska Public Access to grave sites on Hamilton sandwiched between a highway and a railway the village of a clue in a house about one hundred and twenty people and a small church and graveyard which has become a regular stop for tour buses. Coming up the road from nearby Anchorage Juneau Diedrich some reports that some people including I think this tourist attraction is disrespectful to the dead.

Although there is a church museum and gift shop at Clinton Heritage Park it is clear that the main attraction is a grave yard filled with spare houses brightly painted miniature houses with doors on either in cover graves sheltering the spirits of a Clinton is dead. Some are four feet high with fancy woodwork. Others are simple and some are tiny. Irene children stands by her father's grave a large blue and silver structure that stands as high as her chest. My dad was a pretty big person. Who flies how big they were. And smaller ones like these would be babies. Irene chill again conducts tours a Clinton heritage park like other Earth Baskins in a clip now. She's Russian Orthodox. Her ancestors used to cremate their dead. Least a fan whose family is also buried in the churchyard explains the spirit houses are a cultural compromise.

Christianity we don't burn to death. So they taught us that. He buried them in the teaching the Spirit is on this earth for 40 days and 40 nights. In order for your spirit to have a place to live while it's on the start we've started to spread out. A clue to spare houses might have remained a private heritage if it hadn't been for the construction of a highway which brought interest. In this village we made a mistake some fifty years ago. By. Not. Standing up to the public and saying we don't want you to go along with tourist came problems with looting and vandalism. According to the village corporation it started the Heritage Park Five years ago to control access to the graves and make money from visitors at the same time. They built a small museum in a gift shop and started charging admission. The lease to fund his vice president of a Clinton incorporated. He represents a minority voice on the board

of directors opposing the Heritage Park. He refuses to walk into the museum and gift shop located right down the street from his office. When I stand before my Maker. At the end of my time it's not going to be me trying to explain why. I sell my dad a profit every day at least a hundred people visit the church yard more on weekends. It costs $2 to walk around without a guide. Another dollar fifty for a guided tour from a guy like Irene the best Indian burial ground. This is today. The blueness over there. This is my family. The Corporation says it's not making that much money from the Heritage Park. I think Irene answers her neighbors criticism this way and I think they have the same negative attitude about her. I think what we're doing is. We're taking care of our people here.

I think that we're making money for them which is not true history of the people and we have a culture. There is discussion of turning the Heritage Park into a nonprofit business least Afon feels that this is not ideal but it would be better than having the money go into somebody else's pocket. He does not plan to be buried in the churchyard with the rest of his family. He wants his spring house in the woods far away from the tourists. That way he'll rest in peace. You come from or you go back there. It disappears into the ground goes away. That's a values and traditions. We're not caretakers. You know that jurors have discovered a clue to spare houses. It's not likely that anything will keep them away in a Clinton Alaska. This report was produced and written by Franklin no child. Look Aaron Cooke and

Justin Plotnikov at the 1994 Alaska Native Youth Media Institute of the indigenous Broadcast Center National Native news features are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts. International. Today's feature on National Native news recovering in a Jewboy heritage in the heart of Minneapolis. I'm Diane Hamilton. Monica borderline prepared this report in 1900 about how children at the heart of the earth school learn to write songs that combine the gritty realities of urban life with uni should not be a way. National Native news features are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts. This is National Native news. Our features producer is Steve Hyman. Production assistance from Nelly more engineering by Kevin Smith and Chris Bell like music by Mickey Hart for the Alaska Public Radio Network.

I'm Diane Hamilton. International.