National Native News Special Features

Today's feature on National Native news the Wampanoags meant the Pilgrims when they came ashore. But till recently they haven't had much recognition. I'm Deon Hamilton the Wampanoags of Massachusetts made national headlines when the governor announced an agreement in principle to build a 175 million dollar casino and entertainment complex. The proposal still faces intense political opposition and many administrative obstacles but it also represents the latest big step forward for a recently recognized tribe that's been plagued by internal dissension. Allen Libby reports backers laud the five to 10000 jobs the Wampanoags Pacino and entertainment center could bring to economically depressed southeast Massachusetts. But some politicians object the preliminary compact gives the tribe a near monopoly on gambling. And critics say the revenue projections are unrealistic especially as the site is close to the Mashantucket peak watts of Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut and Massachusetts assistant attorney general Tom Green is anxious to have the regulatory and law enforcement framework in place before the casino opens further expansion of legalized gambling

is a very troublesome thing that has great potential for expanding criminal opportunities both organized. Crime and violent crime. Some want to know what's went so far as to pick at the announcement to express their opposition. Former Tribal chair Gladys Wis.. I do not believe in gambling in any way shape or form. You can call it moral you can call ethical What have you. My background tells me Native Americans did not gamble for money. They gambled for pleasure. It was a game. It was not for profit. And this is what it is today. It's for profit in the long run it does nobody any good. What is in the current Cherry Beverly Wright have clashed repeatedly about tribal policy. The Wampanoags survived for many years by serving visitors to the famous colored clay cliffs of a Quinta. They virtually ran the town of gay head until the 1970s when growing numbers of non-native residents challenge to their control of common

lands. So the tribe incorporated and began seeking federal recognition. They won their property rights but some were unhappy with the settlement. Again Gladys Wis. during the lance suit there was a split in the tribe and of course the becoming We went to need the Boston Washington they asked us what was going to happen if the tribe was split. If we were recognized and my answer to them was. You seen it yet. Split after they won recognition in 1987 the Wampanoags embarked on a culture and education program to rebuild tribal unity. This summer they revived a long suspended pageant about their tribal legends. Dozens gathered to reenact the creation of the people and their island home by the giant commotion. He again drank to scrape tell opening the waters of the ocean to Russia and surround the land we now know as notation or otherwise known as modest and thus Marche it

separated his people from their former way of life choosing us a home for them. These colorful had no ship was played by a frail Monson who also directed and adapted the pageant. It's a simpler way of keeping the history alive without you know writing it down and having them read it out of a book. Because I mean the lessons were passed down from my grandmother to my father my father to me and hopefully someday if I have a family passes on to them. The show was staged on an open hillside on the reservation by day the site rings with the noise of bulldozers clearing land for a low income housing project for some of the tribes 700 members and they just moved into a brand new administration center chairperson Beverly Wright. This building is the first time that to try has put out. And actually what I want to say something that you can touch. We have we have always known that we were Indians that we were a tribe and that we lived in Gay Head.

And now this is a visible thing that you can see. So it's all the trappings of an organization that comes with being federally recognize. They also plan to build a museum with the help of proceeds from the pageant perhaps at the proposed entertainment complex on the mainland. So while the casino agreement may not survive the politics or federal negotiations people are learning about the tribes traditions values and history says Beverly Wright. We were the Wampanoags that meant the pilgrims that we got them through their first winter that we showed them how to grow corn how to live. When they first came over on the Mayflower for National Native News this is Alan lippy reporting from Martha's Vineyard Massachusetts National Native news features are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts. International. Today's feature on National Native news. We taste the food dance to the drum and

visit at a traditional power while in Minnesota. I'm Diane Hamilton. For thousands of people summer is powwow season time to get out the regalia and dance to the drumbeat of traditional songs at contest powwows dancers compete for cash prizes at traditional. The focus is family activities. Minnesota Public Radio's Jacqueline estus recently attended a traditional powwow on the Leech Lake reservation in Minnesota and has this report. For some the powwow begins Friday night Children Play families set up tents and teepees and pull campers cars and trucks into a circle around the dance arena. Smoke from a dozen camp fires and voices from dozens of conversations drift over the area. Organizer Bruce Baird says meek Wichman Nomen days is just the latest incarnation of an ancient gathering. There were always poets here but they're with the same equipment on Mondays which is thank you wild

rice. In October that that famous now gone on for for thirty two years. By the next afternoon 18 drum groups have set up drums and hundreds of dancers gather ready for the opening ceremonies or grand entry feather bustles intricate bead work porcupine Quellen deer hair head dresses mixed with color coordinated dresses and shawls. Somewhere regalia that is handed down from one generation to the next. Patti Cornelius is wearing a jingle dress decorated with rows of crowns made from Phillips It's not hands she says the red and black design came to her in a dream and I was offered there for the lady tobacco and when she told me when I would have my dream that she would make my dress for me but I had to have my dream first. This is the dream that I did. In the grand entry dancers follow veterans into the arena the veterans put up an eagle feathered staff in the United States flag then the first of countless songs

begin this evening. Joe Thomas of the Minneapolis a Jewboy singers says the dance arena represents the circle of life in the arena. Powerful music and the shared dance mingle with spirituality. He says the spirit of ancestors speaks to people through the drum calling them together and the drum was sent to us to continue our way of life. And it's it's now known as the heartbeat of our nations. And actually there is a spirit inside that drum every so often families hold ceremonies to honor a family member or to give gifts such as blankets and money. Cherokee feather Rock says she appreciates the focus on families and prefers traditional powwows over contest powers for that reason she says contest powers are run on a tighter schedule to give dancers every chance to display their regalia and skills. But Rock says all powwows give Indians a place to be together away from the dominant culture.

We do it's a place to see our friends. You know if you go to pow wow you get to be with Indian people and and and it's one with Indian people. It's a more relaxing place to be. So we go to all different kinds of posts. Another boat with another boat still battling outside the dance arena jewboy Francis share works with heads and sister at a food stand. The menu includes wild rice soup and fried bread either on it's own or topped with taco fixings. She says cooking and selling food from a small trailer at powwows isn't a big moneymaker but she finds it relaxing and a good family activity. Grammer you make fry bread and she cook heard my open fire and then we're going to have a little doubtfully and the hosts of the powwow them each like bandit you point. Provide dinner to everyone on both Saturday and Sunday nights. A teacher of a language and culture of the Lake Tribal Holly Earl Mitchell says he will miss

this feeling of freedom at a powwow where he says you can do whatever you want. He feels renewed after meeting with old friends and after making new friends. The Snowden leaks speak. Then I'm still here you're still here you know. Without the power. What we were doing. Sunday night people head for their homes some in distant towns and cities but armed with war memories and already making plans for their next pow wow I'm Jacqueline asdis on the Leech Lake reservation in Minnesota National Native news features are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts. International. Today's feature on National Native news a native elder talks about his one man campaign to recreate the Lakota Nation. I'm Diane Hamilton. Tony black feather senior is 60 years old and a lifelong residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South

Dakota. He lives in a one room house without telephone or car. Yesterday in his front yard he and tribal elders met with Dr. Miguel Alfonzo Martinez a U.N. representative working on a study of treaties and agreements with indigenous peoples. I reached Tony black feather at his son's house. How that meeting go. So it's like a broken record. How did you come to grief. Over. You should listen. But the main thing is you want to do shoes are cool people. You got to see them record people and hear it with him and the grievances are presented. It's the same thing over and over. There's suffering under the dirty political system and a lot of mention that they're getting help through the welfare. But that's just enough for them to live alone. Checked that mix and these are some of the things that we look at in the system. Is killing a race of

people race racial confusion. What is it that you're proposing to the United Nations. OK we want United Nations protection. We want direct emissions to have the United States honor code. That has invited in every decree. And. Today we have only a handful of direct tend to. We believe that the United States is trying to overpower a ship people to destroy a race of people. The United States don't have to honor the treaty could you tell us a little bit about what it is that you're looking to gain specifically for your people and how well. Having a separate nation do that. We want our whole treaty to our territory reach toward to our people. Dan the nonmembers that live within our treaty territory are

going to have to know through the teetotum name or some kind of lease agreement. If they want to stay here. Because they're treated territory was illegally unlawfully taken from the court that people from what I understand you've proposed. Your that the Lakota Nation be completely disengaged from further control by the US government rather radical idea isn't it. It is it sounds that way. We're tired of the system and the system is destroying rich people we are facing this team corrupt system. It kills to have it and they're proud of the role record aren't going to stand up to that in the eyes of God and this is what we're looking at. We're tired of this shit and we're not going to bow down to it no more. We separate ourselves from the system because it is so corrupt it is hurting many right throughout the world.

And so what's the reaction of your tribal government to your effort. OK we don't rely on the tribal council Wideman tribal council system so we don't rely on it anymore. We don't have it in a dirty system. Recently the government of the United States under the present administration reach proudly of its meeting with Indian leaders however and I quote their leaders to meet with our from the government installed by the United States in 1934. It's really almost that people are not. And how long have you been on this campaign to win full nationhood for the Lakota Nation. Gilbert Curry 1980 when I started. And what we're doing and it's coming out of our own pocket I sell my own personal possessions. The last Euro sold my car to get United Nations

this kind of fight. I'm fishing and working with. I've been sick organised this last trip. I've been sick. Sick or not. Somebody has to make to stand right. Thank you Tony black feather senior spokesperson and Secretary of the Teton Sioux Nation Treaty Council National Native news features are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts. Of the. Internet. Today's feature on National Native news the failing grades for the condition of being a in tribal detention centers M D and Hamilton The U.S. Interior Department's inspector general's office has issued a report on the physical condition of 11 detention centers in South Dakota Arizona and New Mexico operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribes. Marvin Pierce an assistant inspector general for audits

says it's a grim picture. The basic conclusion or we reached was that no individual tried to get that. My intent is to sell Cuban safe and Terra type conditions. Pierce says conditions were so bad at 10 of the 11 facilities that the health and welfare of inmates were at risk. Most people wouldn't or spend one evening in these places even though we're still aware for people who have been incarcerated for horrible purposes still there and of health and safety. These individuals and their tuitions reverses just in the first of the audit covered four South Dakota facilities in Pine Ridge Carlisle Fort Thompson and Lower Brule. The Arizona facilities are located in cells San Carlos Scottsdale Parker and sockets on the New Mexico facility is a juvenile detention center into Hatchie Marvin Pierce says in each case inspectors found

the jails and detention centers had dangerous and unacceptable maintenance problems their problems range from one extreme to the wiring problems and maze of protective devices from some of the wiring systems. We have problems with just the physical plant in terms of showers showers. For an operative the pipes have been torn out. These type things probably you can conceive of is the focus of some of them at the seven operated facilities alone inspectors say more than a million dollars worth of repairs are needed immediately. Pierce says there is ample evidence to believe that the problem goes far beyond the 11 facilities that were inspected as part of the sort of way to do some additional work. Well it is on site as opposed to these 11 but with a questionnaire

to pretty much every institution and the conditions report pretty much true and most of the detention facilities across the country. But this is not news to the way federal audits conducted over the last six years have pointed out the problems but the B IAEA has done little to correct the situation. Pierce says the problem boils down to poor oversight starting with the way the bureau for four. From his perspective had maintained this type of assault. The force didn't force the tribes or anybody else to maintain the soldiers health healthy and safe environment. But Pierce says the Interior Department as a whole and other federal departments and agencies that oversee correctional programs should shoulder part of the blame. The task now is to begin fixing the problems. NPR says his office is making several recommendations.

We basically recommended that the department include a barrel of an in affairs. Develop and implement policies and procedures to it and basically to establish a maintenance program and a responsibility to individuals and hold them responsible for making sure that these this plan this preventive maintenance plan is to develop and maintain also that you know they go and take a status of all the facilities and fix. What a special effort to fix a life threatening to truly truly hazardous facilities right away. In response the bee I-A says it's already doing some of those things. The bureau says it's assessing conditions at 13 facilities this fiscal year and will look at 20 more next year. Bureau officials say they will soon publish standards for adult and juvenile

detention centers and say they are developing a new process to inspect and evaluate jails that will focus on risks to inmates and staff for National Native news with Joel Southern and Washington D.C. I'm dn Hamilton National Native news features are made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts. International.