Hey folks:

Angelica Lawson, assistant professor in the Native Studies Department at the University of Montana, just passed along this flier about the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Feb. 12-21, 2010. This year, there will be a special section devoted specifically to Native filmmakers. Here is the flier to the Indigenous Visions Sidebar program. Lawson said a number of creative film sorts will in town for the festival, including Chris Eyre and Heather Rae, both who made their mark with standout films, including Smoke Signals and Trudell, respectively. More on the festival later. I may be introducing some of the music films during the festival, depending on my schedule.

Jodi Rave

Photo by James Ray International

James Ray, owner of a mulitmillion-dollar motivational company based in Carsbad, Calif., was indicted Wednesday after he injured more than 20 people and killed three others in a fake sweat lodge ceremony. Ray claims he did nothing wrong during his “makeshift suana” Oct. 8 where he purported to lead his followers in a spiritual journey modeled after the American Indian sweatlodge ceremonies. Every Native person I know was floored by the idea that a non-Native was conducting these ceremonies and collecting thousands of dollars from each participant. The for-profit James Ray International organization has been operating contrary to Native spiritual beliefs, raising, once again, questions about who has the right to run these ceremonies. Here’s more on the Ray indictment story in today’s New York Times.

Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y.; James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee; and Liz Neuman, 49, of Prior Lake, Minn., died during a two-hour ceremony inside a dome-shaped tent where hot rocks were placed. The hot air inside was then supposed to help the participants sweat and purify their mind, body and soul. If done right under the guidance of someone who knew ow to lead such a ceremony, the participants may have succeeded. These ceremonies are taken seriously by Native people. We believe that only certain people, even among American Indians, have a right to run a sweatlodoge ceremony. News of the deaths prompted many Native people to speak out against Ray, including Chief Arvol Looking Horse, Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle. Here’s the statement Looking Horse issued on Oct. 29, 2009. “What has happened in the news with the make shift sauna called the sweat lodge is not our ceremonial way of life!” said Looking Horse in his statement.

Prayers to all the families still suffering from the loss of their loved ones.

Jodi Rave

Health Care for American Indians and Alaska Natives

 The Budget includes $4.4 billion for the Indian Health Service (IHS) to expand investments
initiated in 2010. Increases for IHS will strengthen existing Federal, tribal, and urban programs that serve
1.9 million AI/ANs at approximately 600 facilities nationwide and will expand access to Contract Health
Services to cover health care services provided outside of the Indian health system when services are not
available at IHS-funded facilities. The Budget will also fund staff and operating costs at new and
expanded facilities to increase access to health care and enhance the Indian health system. The efforts
supported in the Budget to expand health services in Indian communities also include an analysis of how
IHS can improve distribution of resources throughout the Indian health system.

Provide Funds for Cobell Settlement

Under the terms of the settlement, which is pending
Congressional action and the approval of the Court, approximately $1.4 billion would be distributed to
the class members to settle trust management and accounting issues. Each class member will receive
$1,000 for their historical accounting claims and may receive additional funds related to trust
management claims under a formula set forth in the settlement agreement. The settlement also provides
for a $2 billion Trust Land Consolidation Fund for the buy-back and consolidation of fractionated land
interests over a 10-year period. In addition to purchasing land interests and other trust reform initiatives,
the Fund will also contribute up to $60 million for a scholarship fund for the benefit of educating
American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Empower Tribal Nations

The Administration supports tribal self-determination and will assist tribal
governments in enhancing their management capacity. The Budget provides increased funding to better
compensate Tribes for the work they perform in managing Federal programs under self-determination
contracts and self-governance compacts. Additionally, the Budget includes proposals to foster better
coordination between the Departments of the Interior and Justice on Indian law enforcement issues.
Expand access to college and boost Native American college completion. The President’s budget
provides $31.7 million in funding for Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities in the Department of
Education, a 5 percent increase from 2010. It also includes $3.8 million to strengthen Native American-
Serving Non-Tribal Institutions. In addition, the Budget includes $127 million for Post Secondary
education for Native Americans within the Department of the Interior. The budget expands the
maximum Pell Grant award to $5,550 for the next school year and ensures that future financial aid is
reliable by making the Pell program mandatory and increasing the value of the maximum award by the
CPI plus one percentage point.

For more information, go to this link on the Native American 2011 budget.

Jodi Rave

The Rosebud Sioux tribe’s Alex Little Soldier Wind Turbine is up and running again after a shutdown last year. It had been overheating, and there was a concern that the gear box was wearing prematurely.. According to Ken Haukaas, the Tribe’s Economic Development Advisor, “We didn’t want to risk potentially harming the turbine, so we kept it shut down until we could get an ‘all clear’ from the manufacturer. With a cooling system flush and all new fluids, along with more filtering attachments, the turbine is up and running fine again as of January 20, 2010.”

While this downtime will reduce the turbine’s total electricity output over the 25-year term of our purchase, we still expect that electricity to produce more offsets than we projected. We were conservative in our projections for the grid emissions profile over time – way lower than the Dept. Of Energy’s projections – and it is looking as though the DOE is proving right. To illustrate, we projected that the emissions rate for the electricity displaced by the turbine would decline to 1,531 lbs. CO2 per megawatt hour by the final year of our purchase (2027), and the DOE’s most recent projection for that year is 2310 lbs./MWh, or about 50% more carbon pollution per MWh. From a climate perspective, we hope the DOE proves wrong, but if they’re right, the Rosebud turbine should be even more effective in fighting global warming than we projected.

For our customers, that means those who helped build the Rosebud turbine will have reduced more carbon pollution that they thought when they committed to this great project.

Jodi Rave

Six-inch diameter ice chunk from power line in South Dakota/Photo: South Dakota Rural Electric Association

The local Wal-mart has sent food and supplies, but in-kind contributions are being accepted. Here’s a breakdown of what the tribe requests:

•Non-perishable food
•Coats
•Heat sources (heaters & fuel)
•Camp stoves & fuel
•Lithium 1, 2 and 3 batteries for law enforcement
•Lamps/Batteries/Lamp Oil
•Toilet paper
•Paper products for the shelters
•Pampers/formula
•Hand/baby wipes/Hand sanitizer

Ship in-kind donations to:
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman’s Office
Attn: Ice Storm Emergency Supplies
PO Box 590
2001 Main Street (Tribal Offices)

Jodi Rave

WHAT: Multi-media slide show and presentation Eyewitness to Climate Change
WHERE: Urey Lecture Hall. University of Montana Campus.
WHEN: 7:00 pm Thursday, February 11

Be there.

Jodi Rave

W.K. Kellogg

Julie Cajune, W.K. Kellogg grant recipient

Julie Cajune, an educator at Salish Kootenai College in the Flathead Reservation in Montana, was recently awarded a $1.4 million education grant From the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Here’s the link. She was notified last week. And, also here’s  an excerpt about Cajune’s grant proposal:

The project includes making a film focusing on cultural sovereignty of Indian peoples as well as each tribe’s political sovereignty. “I think a film on sovereignty can provide a background to a lot of things that are in the news about Indian people today,” she said.

Another major piece of the work would be what she describes as a parallel history, which will discuss American-Indian historical events and contributions on a parallel timeline of events commonly taught in U.S. history classes.

Cajune is a top-notch educator who will do great things with this project. She has the vision and tenacity to get it done.  Many kids and teachers will benefit from her work. In April 2009, she was featured in a Miller-McCune magazinearticle. You can read about all of Cajune’s educational achievements to get a better idea on why she received the Kellogg grant. Well deserved, indeed.

Jodi Rave

Legislative Update:

Health Care Reform & Indian Health Care Improvement Act

Health Care Reform & IHCIA

Indian Country has a significant stake in the passage of the national health care reform bill. In addition to a number of positive provisions that were secured in both the House and Senate bills, our health care bill, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA), has been included in the national health care reform legislation. Including our bill in this way was the best possible strategy for passing the IHCIA in Congress this session.

Last week, the future of health care reform and the IHCIA was significantly altered. On Tuesday, Republican candidate Scott Brown (R-MA) won a special election to fill the Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy. Brown’s election means that Republicans now have 41 members in the Senate, thus ending the Democratic “supermajority” of 60. His election would enable Senate Republicans to filibuster any health care compromise.

Congressional Democratic leadership and the Obama Administration have been working throughout the week to develop a strategy to move forward. While many ideas have been offered, no decisions have been made regarding the next steps for health care reform.

Possible Strategies to Move Health Care Reform & IHCIA Forward:

· Passing the Senate-passed legislation, H.R. 3590, “as-is” in the House of Representatives;

· Passing the Senate legislation, as noted above, with the House and Senate agreeing to modify certain provisions at a later date using the budget reconciliation process; and

· Starting anew and focusing on popular health care reform provisions that were included in multiple bills.

It is critical to Indian Country that the House of Representatives include the IHCIA in any strategy to move Health Care Reform.

Action Item:

Please contact your Representative and ask them to sign the attached letter to Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, to ensure that any strategy to move the health care reform bill includes the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.

· Locate your Representative: http://www.house.gov/

· Congressional Switchboard: 202.224.3121

· Letter to the Speaker

For Additional Information:

* Contact Ahniwake Rose at arose@ncai.org or 202.466.7767.

January 29, 2010

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

Speaker

U.S. House of Representatives

H-232 Capitol Building

Washington, DC 20515

Here’s a sample letter to send to Pelosi:

Dear Madam Speaker:

As you know, final passage of H.R. 3962, The Affordable Health Care for America Act, and H.R. 3590, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as passed by the Senate, included reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA). If included in the final health reform bill, the IHCIA would sustain, expand, and modernize the Indian Health Service (IHS), which provides comprehensive health services for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Legislation to reauthorize the IHCIA has been pending before the Congress since 1999, and enacting this long-overdue reauthorization will provide much needed improvements and certainty to the delivery of Indian health services.

Enormous disparities in accessing high-quality health care exist in Indian Country. The best way to move toward health care parity for tribal communities is to ensure that Indian health care providers are able to participate equally in the health care delivery system. IHCIA would bring us closer to that goal. At the same time, it is essential that health insurance reform respects and fulfills the federal responsibility to provide quality health care to Native Americans, while remaining sensitive to American Indian, Alaska Native, and Indian health providers’ unique needs.

It is a trust obligation of the federal government to provide for the wellness of our tribal communities. As Congress works toward addressing health care reform, it is vital that reauthorization of the IHCIA is retained in the final product.

Thank you for your consideration.

That’s all for now.

Jodi Rave

Jodi,

I don’t know if you remember me but I traveled with the Ft. Robinson Run to Prairie Winds. I was on different business in Chadron but I joined up with the Run when the runners broke out of the barracks. It is always an experience I treasure as I participate on the Run every year since my son first ran in 1999. He journeyed home to be with our Creator January 1, 2003 at 16 years old and he was signed up for the Run again the same year. I feel like I have to share something with the participants who were on the Run. I was all prepared to speak words of encouragement to the runners at the community center in Crawford but as I walked into the building, the spiritual energy that was present was so overpowering that I was totally overwhelmed. Just for the very short briefest moment in time, I caught a glimpse of my son and other runners that have traveled to the other world which is truly our real home. I also saw other people whom I did not recognize but who were probably our ancestors and I just sat down . It took me a while to process what just took place and I am still trying to make sense of it or maybe the experience was intended for me only.

I really believe in the Run because when the runners were in Rapid City in 1999, I called my son and he gave me very specific instructions not to get in from of the staff at any time when I go wait for him. I teased him and I told him if he wanted me to wait in the middle of a field somewhere and he got agitated with me and he told me not to get funny as it was serious business. So, my cousin, Marie Sanchez, and I went to go wait for them in Ashland at the old sawmill which is out of Ashland by the bridge. We made sure that we were way off the highway and we could hear them when they started to run through the town, they were all hollaring. We could feel the power of the staff and the ground started trembling and moving, they sounded like a whole herd of buffalo running. My cousin and I were holding onto each other because we felt like we were about to fall to the ground.

After the Run, my son wanted to hate the whiteman for what they did to our ancestors. I told him not to do that and to let the Creator do his job as he knows all that happens. I also told him that his job is to focus and stay focused on his own separate, individual journey and that emotions such as hate will only block and stand in the way of his emotional and spiritual growth.

Today, I thank the Creator for allowing me to be the mother of such a sweet son who completed his “Circle of Life” too soon and too fast. The Ft. Robinson Run was a big part of his life and it probably still is. I do not like to use the past tense when I speak of my son, he is still my son. He only changed worlds

I was unsure if I wanted to go on the Run this year but the night before I dreamed all night of my son, he was teasing me and at the end of my dream he told me to look at an old lady’s moccasins. They were all torn up and in pitiful shape and when I woke up, I knew I was traveling to Nebraska.

Thanks for your participation and sincere interest,

Adeline Spotted Elk

Here’s an excerpt: With the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in September 2007, an
important step has been taken and it is safe to say that indigenous issues have never been more prominent within
the United Nations system. The Declaration has the potential to become extremely influential. This potential,
however, can only be realised if indigenous peoples, states, civil society and the UN system make use of the
Declaration and make it a living document that has real relevance for indigenous peoples across the world.
Already, there is evidence that this will be the case. The Declaration has been adopted as national law in Bolivia
and is already being referred to and used in courts of law in other countries.

Go the United Nation’s link for the full report, just released in December 2009.

Jodi Rave

By Lynn Rosenthal

All Americans should be heartened by the recent announcement that the Department of Justice, under the leadership of Attorney General Eric Holder, is strengthening its commitment to fighting crimes of violence against Native American women.

As part of broader DOJ reforms to dramatically improve public safety in tribal communities, the Attorney General recognized that though there is no “quick fix,” we “must continue our efforts with federal, state, and tribal partners to identify solutions to the challenges we face.” After holding listening sessions with tribal leaders across the nation, he directed all 44 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices with federally recognized tribes in their districts to reinvigorate efforts to combat and prosecute violent crime, particularly against women and children. And he announced an additional $6 million to hire Assistant United States Attorneys—and additional victim specialists—to assist with the ever-growing Indian Country caseload.

After all, for Native American women, even “challenges” may be an understatement. On some reservations, violent crime is more than twenty times the national average—but women tend to suffer most. Some tribes face murder rates against Native American women of more than ten times the national average. And tribal leaders say there are countless more victims of domestic violence and sexual assault whose stories may never be told. As President Obama put it at the White House Tribal Nations Conference on November 5, “the shocking and contemptible fact that one in three Native American women will be raped in their lifetimes is an assault on our national conscience that we can no longer ignore.”

The White House strongly supports efforts to strengthen the capability of law enforcement to address public safety needs on reservations, including the announced Justice Department reforms and the Tribal Law and Order Act. That’s why at the Tribal Nations Conference, he commended Attorney General Holder for his efforts to ensure greater safety in tribal communities and thanked Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Chairman Byron Dorgan and Representative Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin for their leadership on this important issue.

In his memorandum to U.S. Attorneys, Deputy Attorney General David Ogden explained why the federal government has a responsibility to address the endemic pattern of abuse, assault, and other violence that reservations across the United States face every day. Our unique legal relationship with Native American tribes mandates it. And the 1994 Violence Against Women Act authored by Vice President Biden calls for it. But our national conscience also demands justice.

Only now, we can finally come to expect it, too.

Lynn Rosenthal is the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women.

Jodi Rave

Stephanie Bearcomesout

Jodi Rave

In 1878, just a year after the Battle of the Little Big Horn, the U.S. cavalry relocated the Northern Cheyenne to Oklahoma because of their role in joining forces with the Lakota and defeating Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer. The majority of those who were relocated the Indian Territory died there. Two Northern Cheyenne chiefs, Little Wolf and Dull Knife, decided to lead thier people back home rather than suffer from the heat in Oklahoma. Dull Knife’s band made it as far as Fort Robinson in Nebraska where they were imprisoned and starved. Rather than starve, about 130 of the band members broke out of the log barracks around 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 9, 1879. They fled into the night in which temperatures were reported to be 40 below zero. About 30 people were shot just outside the barracks. The rest fled into the surrounding hills where many more were shot and killed by the cavalry.

The Northern Cheyenne youths commemorate the past by running for their relatives back to Montana. Only this time, the runners are fed warm meals like spaghetti and clothed with warm jackets and hats. While no one has to die on the run in 2010, I saw a number of the youth runners take off their shirts and run down the highway in the snow. It was their way of acknowledging the hardships experienced by their relatives who died on the same trip in 1879.  

The snapshot above was taken on Thursday night, Jan. 13, the night before the youths completed the last 40-mile leg of the journey, a stretch of highway between Ashland, Mont. and and Busby, Mont.

Jodi Rave

I am still decompressing! Come back to this site as I compile all the information gathered on this trip. I can say it ended on a high note on Friday evening with a community dinner in Lame Deer, Mont. A number of people spoke about the trip, with several testimonials from people who said it changed their lives. The organizers, Lynnette Two Bulls and Phillip Whiteman Jr., did an outstanding job pulling the whole trip together. I don’t know many people who put themselves on the line for kids the way Two Bulls and Whiteman did for this run. They’ve been doing the 400-mile run for 11 years. It’s a gargantuan feat to put 97 kids in vans and have them run through Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming and finally Montana. I asked Whiteman why he did it one afternoon while we were riding in the van. He pointed out the window at the female and male runners jogging beside the van. Whiteman looked at the kids and said it was because of them. It wasn’t just idle talk. I could everyone on the trip was affected by the joy and enthusiasm exuding from the kids. Their joy and positive attitude was infectious. Those kids gave everyone hope in large doses.

Thanks Fort Robinson runners for sharing that with all of us who were lucky to be in your presence.

Jodi Rave

Fort Robinson Outbreak Spiritual Run, SD leg

This video was shot in the Slim Buttes area on the Pine Ridge Reservation on Sunday. The run marked the first full day of running for the Fort Robinson Outbreak Spiritual Run. See previous posts for more details.

For more information go to Yellow Bird Inc.
Jodi Rave

Tempest Little Coyote on Fort Robinson Outbreak Spiritual Run

I’ve been on the road with the Fort Robinson Outbreak Spiritual Run group, a gathering of 97 students and a hard working support team. The group is running to commemorate the spirit of their Cheyenne ancestors who were imprisoned at Fort Robinson in Nebrakska winter of 1878. While trying to force the Cheyenne into submission, troops starved the Cheyenne during freezing temperatures. Rather than freeze and starve and be sent to Oklahoma Indian Territory, the Cheyenne chose to face death during a late night escape in freezing temperatures. About half the group was killed as they fled into the nearby hills around the fort. A small group made it back to Montana.

Since I’ve been on this run with the youths, I’ve been inspired by their incredible enthusiasm. Some of them have been a part of this event since they were toddlers, carried by their grandparents. Keep the runners in your prayers. Today, the youths are running up to Bel Fourche,S.D.  since the “breakout” at Fort Robinson on Friday night. Last night, Marilyn Pourier and a group of women fed all the Northern Cheyenne runners at a community center in Rapid City. Scott Means and his brothers also sang an honor song for the group. Those men can sing! Beautiful, strong voices. The evening dinners have been a wonderful way to end the days. Each night, organizer Phillip Whiteman Jr., opens up the microphone and invites the youths to talk about the day. Many of them take the microphone and sing traditional songs.

I’ll post more later.

I also have posts on Twitter  (@buffalosfire) and Facebook. The links are on the homepage of this blog site.

Jodi Rave

Jenny Seminole Parker is the last direct descendant of a survivor of the Fort Robinson, Nebraska, outbreak in January 1879. Her father, Miles Nelson Seminole, known by the Cheyennes as Big Whiteman, was among the Cheyennes who escaped the fort and lived to tell about it. At the time, about 150 Cheyenne were imprisoned at the fort. Cavalry troops at Fort Robinson would not release the people, instead they starved them because they refused to be sent to Oklahoma Indian Territory. Today, youths from the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana make the run from Fort Robinson back to their reservation to honor some 70 Cheyenne who were killed trying to go home.

Parker spoke with Northern Cheyenne youths in Crawford, Neb. on Saturday. The young people are running from Fort Robinson back to their reservation in southeast Montana, a 400-mile journey.

“I hope my message to the runners came across in a good way,” she said. “I wanted to encourage them to have a strong heart, to be true to themselves and to be honest with themselves.” She said she believed the Cheyennes who survived did so because of their strong spiritual energy.

Jodi Rave

Phillip Whiteman Jr., founded the Fort Robinson Outbreak Spiritual Run as a way to help youth achieve thier highest potential while honoring the spirits of their relatives killed in January 1879.   For more information go to Yellow Bird, Inc.

Norhern Cheyenne runners circle up for prayer at Bear Butte in South Dakota, Jan. 8, 2010.

The runners from Northern Cheyenne Reservation left Lame Deer, Mont. yesterday. The group of some 100 people stopped at Bear Butte in South Dakota Friday afternoon for prayers before the group caravan continued on to Fort Robinson in Nebraska. The kids are going to begin a 400-mile relay back to Montana tonight, beginning at 10:30 p.m. They are doing this to commemorate the past while looking to the future. See some of my previous posts for a more information on the run. The group will spend the day at Fort Robinson as part of a day of education. A number of speakers and presenters will talk to the youths about leadership and tribal history related to the January 1879 breakout from Fort Robinson where the Cheyenne had been imprisoned for relocation to Oklahoma. They broke out of the jail and tried to go back  to their homelands in Montana. Most of the them were killed by the U.S. cavalry.

Some made it home.

Students from Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana on travel day for Fort Robinson Outbreak Run.

I made it to Lame Deer, Mont., last night where I met up with the organizers of the Fort Robinson Outbreak Run. For those just checking in, about Northern Cheyenne youths are beginning a 400-mile journey from Fort Robinson, Neb., to Lame Deer, Mont. The students are in vans and buses and are on their way to Nebraska. I’m with the caravan now. We are in Sturgis, S.D. We are going to make our way over to Bear Butte for a prayer to get the run off to a good start. Keep the kids in your prayers. It’s now 2:25 pm Mountain time. We will drive on down to Fort Robinson this evening. The students will begin the run in the morning.

Meanwhile, everyone met this morning at the high school in Lame Deer for a morning prayer. The students are running for their people, remembering the past with hope for a better future for all the people.  The cell phone service is spotty, but I plan to make updates on Twitter when possible. Go to @buffalosfire at Twitter to read more. In fact,  I expect most of my updates to be on Twitter, more so than this blog site.

That’s all for now!

Jodi Rave

Here’s some historical background about the run from News From Indian Country:

The history for the Breakout Run dates back to 1877, when Cheyenne leaders Dull Knife, Little Wolf, Standing Elk and Wild Hog brought their people into Fort Robinson for what they hoped would be safe haven from the impending harsh winter. Dull Knife and Little Wolf thought their signatures on the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 would allow them to live with the Lakota on that nation’s nearby reservation.

But they soon found themselves – and their people – being escorted to “Indian Territory,” now Oklahoma, to live with the Southern Cheyenne. Assured that they could return to Nebraska if Oklahoma didn’t suit them, the Cheyenne were held in captivity and under armed guard once they arrived at Fort Reno – hundreds of miles from their natural homeland.

In September of 1878, Dull Knife, Little Wolf and about 300 of their people staged an escape from Fort Reno and led over 15,000 soldiers and white settlers on a chase rivaled only by Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce. The group split up in Nebraska.

Some followed Little Wolf to the home of their ancestors between the Tongue and Powder Rivers in Montana. The rest returned with Dull Knife to Fort Robinson, where they hoped to gain assistance and support from the Lakota leader, Red Cloud. Instead, they found themselves in captivity once more and advised by the Fort’s com-mander that instructions from the War Depart-ment directed him to send the Cheyenne back to Oklahoma. Dull Knife and his people preferred to die rather than return to a land where food was scarce, summers were unbear-able and where so many of their children had died during a measles epidemic.

On January 9, 1879, the Cheyenne overpowered their guards and “broke out” of Fort Robinson, running to the safety of the nearby bluffs. The soldiers gave chase, killing any stragglers who fell behind – including women and children. By the following morning, 65 of Dull Knife’s people were returned to the Fort.

The cavalry hunted down 32 of the remaining 38 Cheyenne who had escaped, catching up to them at the Last Hole – a deep buffalo wallow near Hat Creek Bluffs. There they emptied their rifles, reloaded, and emptied them again and again – until no Cheyenne remained.

Dull Knife and members of his family managed to elude the soldiers and eventually made their way back to the safety of Montana, where Little Wolf and his people had already returned. The bodies of the dead were given to the Smithsonian Institute for research, where they remained in drawers and closets until 1993. They now rest in the ancestral burial ground where Whiteman and his runners finished their 400-mile journey.

 

The Fort Robinson run is being organized by Phillip Whiteman Jr. and Lynette Two Bulls of Yellow Bird Inc.
 

Keep us all in your prayers. We’ll do the same.

Jodi Rave

The Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM), awarded each year to individuals or organizations, recognizes the crucial role that mentoring plays in the academic and personal development of students studying science or engineering and who belong to minorities that are underrepresented in those fields. Candidates for the Presidential mentoring award are nominated by colleagues, administrators, and students from their home institutions. The mentoring can involve students at any grade level from elementary through graduate school, according to a White House press release.

Recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring

Frank T. Bayliss Jr., San Francisco State University, CA

Laura Lynne J. Bottomley, North Carolina State University, NC

Goldie S. Byrd, North Carolina A&T State University, NC

Suzzette F. Chopin, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX

Lesia L. Crumpton-Young, University of Central Florida , FL

Patricia A. DeLeon, University of Delaware, DE

Nancy L. Elwess, SUNY College, Plattsburgh, NY

Benjamin C. Flores, University of Texas, El Paso, TX

Ashanti Johnson, University of South Florida and Institute for Broadening Participation, FL

Susan M. Kauzlarich, University of California, Davis, CA

Philip Kutzko, University of Iowa, IA

Cato T. Laurencin, University of Virginia, VA

Jerzy R. Leszczynski, Jackson State University, MS

Gabrielle Lyon, Project Exploration, Chicago, IL

Mary Anne Nelson, University of New Mexico, NM

Steven B. Oppenheimer, California State University, Northridge, CA

Stacy Phelps, The American Indian Institute for Innovation, SD

Kennedy J. Reed, Lawrence Livermore Natl. Lab. and the University of California, CA

Kenneth S. Sajwan, Savannah State University, GA

Vladimir Strelnitski, Maria Mitchell Association, Nantucket, MA

Valerie Wilson Cranston, Leadership Alliance, Providence, RI

Richard Zare, Stanford University, CA

Jodi Rave

Phelps has managed and secured over $32 million in grants focused on college readiness and STEM education for Native American students. In 2003, the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology recognized Phelpsas their outstanding recent graduate. He is the youngest person in age and alumnus status to receive this recognition.

Here’s more information from a White House press release:

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday January 6, at his second “Educate to Innovate” Campaign event for excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) education, President Obama will honor educators from across the country for awards received for excellence in mathematics and science teaching and mentoring. The President will also announce key new partnerships in his campaign to help reach the Administration’s goal of moving American students from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math achievement over the next decade. In November, President Obama announced a series of high-powered partnerships involving leading companies, foundations, non-profit organizations, and science and engineering societies dedicated to motivating and inspiring young people across America to excel in science and math.

The event will be webcast at www.whitehouse.gov/live Jan 5. More than 80 teachers from across the country are expected to attend this event at the White House. More than 20 mentors are also expected to attend this event at the White House and received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. Here’s a list of the 20 awardees:

• Frank T. Bayliss Jr., San Francisco State University, CA

• Laura Lynne J. Bottomley, North Carolina State University, NC

• Goldie S. Byrd, North Carolina A&T State University, NC

• Suzzette F. Chopin, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX

• Lesia L. Crumpton-Young, University of Central Florida , FL

• Patricia A. DeLeon, University of Delaware, DE

• Nancy L. Elwess, SUNY College, Plattsburgh, NY

• Benjamin C. Flores, University of Texas, El Paso, TX

• Susan M. Kauzlarich, University of California, Davis, CA

• Philip Kutzko, University of Iowa, IA

• Cato T. Laurencin, University of Virginia, VA

• Jerzy R. Leszczynski, Jackson State University, MS

• Mary Anne Nelson, University of New Mexico, NM

• Steven B. Oppenheimer, California State University, Northridge, CA

• Stacy Phelps, Chief Executive Officer, The American Indian Institute for Innovation, SD. 

Phelps has served as a mentor in two ways. First, he is the driving force behind the creation, development, and expansion of a very successful summer residential pre-college enrichment program. In the second, he worked as an administrator at Oglala Lakota College in 1996. Over the years the name, funding sources, and format have altered, but the mission has remained consistent to increase the number of Native American students that achieve success in higher education through a rigorous, summer residential pre-college enrichment program. Ten cohorts of students have successfully completed a four-year commitment to the program. This model program has expanded and serves 1100 students across South Dakota.  He has provided leadership under the NSF funded Model Institutions for Excellence (MIE) Initiative. He has organized a state wide tribal college distance education network; guided faculty to create over 10 new STEM degrees; tripled the number of STEM faculty; and constructed over 10 new facilities to support STEM education at tribal colleges in South and North Dakota. Along the way he closely mentored 26 students that began their college careers at OLC. Most of these students have gone onto careers in STEM and many hold leadership positions with their employers.  Phelps would like to share the Native Mentoring model with other professionals that work with Native Americans.

“• Ashanti Johnson, University of South Florida and Institute for Broadening Participation, FL

• Kennedy J. Reed, Lawrence Livermore Natl. Lab. and the University of California, CA

• Kenneth S. Sajwan, Savannah State University, GA

• Richard N. Zare, Stanford University, CA

• Leadership Alliance, Providence, RI

• Maria Mitchell Association, Nantucket, MA

• Project Exploration, Chicago, IL

Jodi Rave

I called Deborah several times to get advice early in my career. If it weren’t for her, I never would have accepted a job with Lee Enterprises. More on that in bit, first, here’s what George had to say in his blog about Deborah. “She was a sharp and talented editor who led the Pioneer Press to two Pulitzer Prizes, including the groundbreaking “AIDS in the Heartland” series in 1987 that help raise awareness of the deadly disease a generation ago. She was widely viewed as a role model by other talented women editors and reporters who came after her. Yet, if the public knew of her at all, it was probably in the context of her last job, as the Post’s ombudswoman, charged with holding staff members of one of the country’s great newspapers accountable for accuracy, bias and other missteps.

As for myself, I feel privileged to have worked behind the scenes with Deborah for the past two decades on one of the most meaningful things a person can do for others — that is, to help select college scholarship recipients. Every year the Newhouse Foundation would put up $100,000 in scholarship money to be distributed in partnership with the four national minority journalist associations representing African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans and Latinos.

Deborah asked me, as a fellow Newhouse editor, to work with her every year to select the National Association of Hispanic Journalists scholarship recipients and, on an intermittent basis, to help choose winners for the other three associations. Imagine the boost of confidence you’d receive it you won up to $5,000 a year from NAHJ or one of the other associations — a tangible expression of faith in your potential to become a newspaper journalist as well as a much-appreciated infusion of financial assistance, especially for first-generation college students.

To this day, I can recall the names of so many Newhouse scholarship recipients who later also became interns and/or staff members at The Oregonian: Melissa Navas, Ira Porter, Jodi Rave, Melissa Sanchez. Equally important, we helped hundreds of others who caught on elsewhere, thereby helping to diversify America’s newsrooms.

I always looked forward to the selection process, hearing both the passion and impatience in Deborah’s voice, as we considered each candidate. She was genuinely happy to assist deserving students, yet unapologetically dismissive of those who submitted sloppy applications. It was then she used that famously salty language to comment on someone’s unfocused or error-filled essay. Yet I knew she wasn’t being condescending. She, too, wanted young people to stretch themselves and be able to make a difference in journalism, but we both knew that effort had to begin with a rigorous self-examination, attention to detail, and demonstrated ability to get things done well and on time.”

Here’s what the Washington Post wrote about her: “Ms. Howell, who published two Pulitzer Prize-winning projects when she was a top editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press, was a powerful presence in American journalism and was a particularly inspirational figure to women in a field long dominated by men. She was among the most well-connected people in the business and prided herself on ferreting out the complete list of Pulitzer Prize finalists — supposedly a closely guarded secret — before anyone else. She also had a sharp eye for talent, and many of the journalists she nurtured in Minnesota or at Newhouse have become nationally recognized figures.”

I’m thankful Deborah was as tough as she was. She minced no words when I called her to tell her I accepted an interview request from the Lincoln Journal Star in 1998.  By the end of the conversation, she told me to go to Nebraska and make  it clear to the editors exactly what I wanted in a reporting job. She told me not to settle for anything else. I went to my interview filled with confidence she instilled. She told me I had nothing to lose if they didnt’ meet my expectations.  At the time, I was employed at another newspaper. 

I went to Nebraska for an interview with the editors at the Lincoln Journal Star, including Joe Starita, Kathy Rutledge and David Stoeffler. They wanted me to be a business reporter. I held tight to Deborah’s advice. I told the LJS editors I’d rather report on American Indians. I explained why. They listened.  I ended up spending the next decade as an award winning national repoter covering Native issues for Lee Enterprises. The best of those years were spent at the Lincoln Journal Star with a team of editors I respect and admire to this day. I resigned from Lee Enterprises in 2009 to work on a book about Elouise Cobell and the Interior Department’s management of Indian land. I did so after learning the craft of storytelling from people who believed in me.

 Thank you Deborah.

Peace and love.

Jodi Rave

Happy New Year! Can you believe it? Today — already – is the last day in 2009. As everyone marks the new year this evening, I wish it be memorable, lovely and enjoyable. Also, my apologies for the dearth of daily posts over the last week. I had a family funeral to attend a thousand miles away from my home here in Montana. I’m back now, however, and all is well. Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to the first full year of posts at the Buffalo’s Fire. I thank everyone for reading and making December the best month yet for hits on this Web page, which I created in May. The last I checked, the Web site had 144,197  hits just in December alone. I know the coming year promises more news you want to read and that you will find only on the Buffalo’s Fire. So, keep reading and I’ll keep posting.  

As for the new year, may 2010 bring all you hope for in a new year of life. 

Cheers!

Jodi Rave

Jodi Rave

I couldn’t post the link’s, so I’ve pasted the job description here.

Position:
Assistant Professor and Director of Native American Journalism Projects

General Information:
The University of Montana School of Journalism seeks applicants for the position of assistant professor and director of Native American journalism projects.

 

The person who fills this position serves two key functions:
• As an assistant professor, this person will develop an agenda of creative/scholarly activity, teaching and service. This is a tenure-track position.
• As director of Native American projects, this person will develop new initiatives across UM and beyond involving Native American programs and students, and will further develop and direct Reznet, a nationally acclaimed program centered on Native Americans, youth and journalism.

Reznet, now in its eighth year, is a training and mentoring program for American Indian college students in Montana and around the country, and a Native American news, information and entertainment Web site. http://reznetnews.org/

Essential functions as Assistant Professor include:
• Fulfilling the School’s standards for teaching, creative activity and service. This will include teaching two courses each academic year.
• Developing new opportunities for collaboration at UM and across the region, particularly with tribal communities.
• Helping the University recruit Native American students.

Essential functions as Director of Native American Journalism Projects include:
• Raising necessary funds from multiple sources for Reznet’s continued existence. This includes writing grants, and working with the dean, Journalism chairs, the UM Foundation, the Office for Research and Development, and other entities on campus on fundraising opportunities.
• Building from Reznet’s success as a mentoring program and Web site, and developing a vision for the future of the project.
• Developing new opportunities for collaboration at UM and across the region, particularly with tribal communities.
• Recruiting, mentoring and working with young Native Americans and others to develop journalism programs and goals.
• Engaging in ongoing collaboration with such programs as the American Indian Journalism Institute in South Dakota.

Qualifications:
The successful candidate will provide evidence of the following qualifications:
• Significant professional news media experience including in multiple media formats.
• Demonstrated experience working with Native Americans and in tribal communities.
• Demonstrated experience working with Native American youth.
• A track record of innovation and collaboration.
• A master’s degree is preferred. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree and a national reputation in journalism may be competitive.
• Experience in fundraising or in obtaining grants is preferred.

Applications will be reviewed beginning January 18, 2010. Applications should include a letter of interest, a resume, work samples and any other pertinent materials. Applications should be sent to: Search Committee, School of Journalism, Don Anderson Hall, 32 Campus Drive, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812. This position announcement can be made available in alternative formats upon request.

For more on the University of Montana, the School of Journalism and Reznet, please visit the following Web sites:

The University of Montana – http://www.umt.edu
School of Journalism – http://www.jour.umt.edu
Reznet – http://reznetnews.org

UM is an AA/EOE/ADA/Veteran’s Preference employer.

 

And here is the search committee letter:

Assistant Professor/Director of Native American Projects

 

The University of Montana School of Journalism seeks a tenure-track assistant professor/director of Native American projects. 

The UM School of Journalism is a nationally accredited program located in the scenic Rocky Mountains. We are one of the oldest schools of journalism in the nation and retain our commitment to professional, hands-on training. We have a long history of reaching out to Native Americans across the state and the nation. The award-winning Native Honors Project is in its 20th year. The School also is the home for Reznet – a training and mentoring program for American Indian college students in Montana and around the country, and an award-winning Native American news, information and entertainment Web site.

The preferred qualifications include significant professional news media experience, including in multiple media formats, demonstrated experience working with Native Americans and in tribal communities, demonstrated experience working with Native American youth, and a track record of innovation and collaboration.  A master’s degree is preferred.  Candidates with a bachelor’s degree and a national reputation in journalism may be competitive.  Experience in fundraising or in obtaining grants is preferred.

Applications will be reviewed beginning January 18, 2010.  Applications should include a letter of interest, a resume, work samples and any other pertinent materials.  Applications should be sent to:

Search Committee
School of Journalism
Don Anderson Hall
32 Campus Drive
University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812

Full position description available at www.umt.edu/hrs.

The University of Montana is an AA/EOE/ADA/Veteran’s Preference employer.

As part of the President Obama’s commitment to regular and meaningful consultation and collaboration with federally recognized Indian tribes, we are pleased to update you on the implementation of the Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation, which the President signed during the White House Tribal Nations Conference on November 5, 2009. The President directed federal agencies to develop plans to implement Executive Order 13175, “Consultation and Coordination with Tribal Governments.” These plans are to be developed after consultation with Indian tribes and must be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget by February 3, 2010.

Through interagency coordination and other methods, agencies are presently seeking input from tribal leaders. For example, the Department of the Interior initiated a series of consultations starting on December 1, 2009. The Department of Justice is conducting teleconference calls with tribes; please visit their website for a complete schedule of calls. Through national conference calls and in writing, the Department of Homeland Security is requesting tribal input on a draft consultation policy and a plan. The Veteran’s Administration is also requesting written tribal input. The Department of Labor will be hosting two national consultations; more details can be found on their website.

Please communicate with the agencies directly for more information, and please click here if you would like a list of agency contacts.

For general questions, please email GeneralTribalIGA@dsr.eop.gov. We encourage you to participate in these ongoing discussions, and we look forward to working together to strengthen the Nation-to-Nation relationship.

Jodi Rave

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes just released this news today:

PABLO, MT – On invitation from the White House, the National Wildlife Federation and National Tribal Environmental Council, Chairman James Steele, Jr, of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes will travel to the International Climate Change talks in Copenhagen Denmark in order to participate on a White House panel. With sponsorship from the National Wildlife Federation, Chairman Steele will join the National Tribal Environmental Council delegation. The 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15), commonly referred to as the Copenhagen Summit 2009, takes place at Bella Center in Copenhagen from the 7th to the 18th of December, 2009. Chairman Steele’s panel is scheduled for December 17 at 10:30 a.m. and is titled Leadership and Innovation by States and Tribes in the United States. He will be on a panel along with the governor of Wisconsin, Jim Doyle; Congresswoman Kate Knuth of Minnesota; and Colorado Governor advisor, Alice Madden. They will discuss efforts to reduce greenhouse gasses.

“I consider this a great honor to attend this historic event. American Indians and the Salish and Kootenai Tribes have long been leaders in pursing ways to protect our lands from pollution and destruction,” said Steele. “Our home reservation features pristine wilderness, waters and animal life. This didn’t happen by chance or luck. We’ve worked very hard to maintain our natural areas and we’re also reclaiming lands. Each day seems to bring a new threat to our lands. I welcome this chance to tell our story.”

Chairman Steele was invited to participate due to the leadership role that CSKT is taking in addressing climate change and because of the leadership role that Montana’s tribes have taken in the current climate change legislation being considered in Congress.

The Climate Conference in Copenhagen has been called an essential gathering for the world’s climate because it is the last time governments will meet officially before the 2012 Kyoto Protocol, designed to prevent climatechanges and global warming, runs out. Representatives from 170 countries are expected to be in Copenhagen. Organizers are planning for crowds of 8,000 officials, journalists and NGO for the landmark event. Denmark is hosting the event in its capital city of Copenhagen.

Jodi Rave

Meanwhile, some folks are taking action on behalf of the Crow Creek Reservation. Robin Carneen is going talk about the matter on her radio show. The topic: Eric Klein, founder  of Can-do, is helping with a fundraiser. I’ve looked at some videos on the Can-do Web site. Powerful images.

 Here’s what Carneen at Blog Talk Radio posted online earlier about her upcoming show: 

Can-do.org: “ RIDE FOR LIGHTS Campaign - Founder Eric Klein & others want to raise awareness and funds to put an end to the abuses and human rights violations taking place today on the Crow Creek Reservation….From December 13th -26th he will be riding horseback alongside others in the “Mankato Reconciliation Ride”- to honor the 38 people killed in the largest mass execution in the history of USA on December 26, 1862 in Mankato, MN. “On that day, 38 Dakota men were marched in single file to a scaffold guarded by 1,400 troops in full battle dress. The pull of a single lever ended the lives of 38 Dakota men as a crowd of citizens witnessed the largest mass execution on US soil in the history of United States. In addition to the mass execution, 265 Dakota men were sent to prison near Davenport Iowa while 1,300 Dakota men, women, and children were exiled to a concentration camp known today as The Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota”….injustices to the descendants and tribal members of Crow Creek continue to cause great suffering. The goal of CAN-DO’s “RIDE FOR LIGHTS” Campaign is to establish a fund to ensure that NO ONE on the Crow Creek Reservation goes without power this winter. Please, write to the Senators and government officials listed in the [Crow Creek Takes Their Voice D.C. video]. Get the word out via Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, emails and any press contacts you may have. We can make a difference and stop these violations. Help put an end to these abuses. Make Human Rights a priority here at home and please don’t forget to tune in to www.VirtualVolunteer.tv and “join” us LIVE throughout our 13 day journey from Lower Brule, SD to Mankato, MN.” From Chairman Sazue of Crow Creek: “Recently, the IRS has seized and auctioned 7100 acres of our prime development land on the Crow Creek Reservation.” Chairman Suzue has started a fast & will also be our guest!

Jodi Rave

In an interview (on air right now) with NPR’s Diane Rehm, Elouise Cobell is one of the guests to discuss the $3.4 billion settlement of the Indian trust fund suit. Cobell, of the Blackfeet Nation, talked about the settlement. And she described the outcome like this: “It’s like riding into the Cavalry and coming out alive.” Cobell is back in Montana after being in Washington, D.C. for the settlement announcement this week.

Other guests on the Diane Rehm show include Dennis Gingold, lead attorney in the suit that was first filed in 1996. Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma also a guest, as well as Interior Department representative Dan Hayes. The Indian trust funds have been mismanaged since 1887.

Congress still has to approve the settlement. Cobell is optimistic that Congress will do so because many people are now working together to end the suit. Cobell credits a new presidential administration for finally addressing the issue. More information on the settlement can be found at the Cobell Settlement Web site.

Jodi Rave

I’ve included an excerpt from the flier:

The HOPE (Healing for our People Everywhere) Conference is scheduled to take place in Rapid City, South Dakota at the Rushmore Plaza Holiday Inn on December 18, 19, and 20, 2009; coinciding with the Lakota Nation Invitational. The purpose of this conference is to begin an open dialogue and the healing process by addressing the silent epidemic of child sexual trauma which has plagued Indian Country for generations. This conference is open to the public. The conference is being organized by a consortium national and community leaders,experts, and activists.

The epidemic of sexual trauma and sexual abuse is well documented statistically and yet remains prevalent among Native people. Karen Artichoker (Oglala) states: “It’s clear that tribal, state and federal institutions that have a responsibility to respond have not prioritized the issue.”

The HOPE Conference endeavors to respond by calling upon Indian Country’s finest experts, community leaders, artists/activists, health care professionals and survivors to bring this subject to the circle for an open dialogue, to consider solutions and to begin the healing process.

 

Let the healing begin.

Jodi Rave

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_____________________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release December 8, 2009

Statement by the President on the Settlement of Cobell Class-Action Lawsuit on Indian Trust Management

“Today, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Attorney General Eric Holder announced that, at long last, a settlement has been reached in the Cobell class-action lawsuit. This suit was originally filed in 1996 over the United States government’s trust management and accounting of hundreds of thousands of individual American Indian trust accounts. With this announcement, we take an important step towards a sincere reconciliation between the trust beneficiaries and the federal government and lay the foundation for more effective management of Indian trust assets in the future. I want to applaud Secretary Salazar and Attorney General Holder for working tirelessly with the plaintiffs to help reach this settlement.

“As a candidate, I heard from many in Indian Country that the Cobell suit remained a stain on the Nation to Nation relationship I value so much. I pledged my commitment to resolving this issue, and I am proud that my Administration has taken this step today. I came to Washington with a promise to change how our government deals with difficult issues like this, and a promise that the facts and policies, and not politics, will guide our actions and decisions.

“But it is important to note that today’s actions are not the final step. The District Court for the District of Columbia must formally endorse the settlement, and Congress must enact legislation to authorize implementation. I urge Congress to act swiftly to correct this long-standing injustice and to remember that no special appropriations are required. I congratulate all those in Indian Country that have waited for this news, and join them in waiting for a quick conclusion to the process.”

###

The announcement was made this morning in Washington, D.C. at the Interior Department. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Attorney General Eric Holder both announced the settlement of Cobell. 

Jodi Rave

Jodi Rave

In response to news media inquiries, Mr. Baucus, a Democrat and the chairman of the Finance Committee, said that he had already begun a relationship with the woman, Melodee Hanes, the director of his state operations, in February when he submitted her name along with two others as candidates to serve as United States attorney for the state.

When the relationship intensified, Mr. Baucus said, he and Ms. Hanes agreed jointly in March that she would withdraw from consideration, and another person was eventually nominated. Ms. Hanes, 53, an experienced prosecutor, then took a job at the Justice Department. She and Mr. Baucus, both divorced, now live together.

“It just made sense for her not to be a candidate because we were close,” Mr. Baucus, 67, said Saturday as he met with reporters just outside the Senate chamber. He said Ms. Hanes began looking for a new position after they agreed she should no longer work in the Senate office because of their relationship.

News of the job recommendation, first disclosed Friday by the Web site MainJustice.com, came as the senator is squarely in the public eye as one of the chief proponents of the health care legislation that kept the Senate in session over the weekend. The relationship between Mr. Baucus and Ms. Hanes is just the latest in a string of incidents that has focused attention on the personal lives of senators.

As a reporter who covered the story here in Montana for Lee Enterprises, I have a different perspective about why Hanes and Baucus jointly agreed to withdraw her name. I talked to Hanes and to Baucus spokesman about the relationship the senator had with Hanes, his state director. I had also talked with the Hanes’ husband. I had also interviewed all the candidates — and then some — about the U.S. attorney selection process in Montana. It was clear as day that Baucus had nominated her. I called the senator’s spokesman and told him we were going to finally print the story in the Missoulian, after a few delays. Within what seemed like minutes, K Barrett Kaiser sent an email to the newsroom and said that Hanes “was NOT” a candidate. We ran  the news story without any mention of the affair. At the time, Baucus would not admit he had indeed nominated her. But, after a process of elimination, it was obvious that he did. Read an excerpt of the story.

So, it seems safe to say that her name was not withdrawn because the relationship had intensified; it was arguably withdrawn because the relationship was not a big secret here in Montana. 

I left Lee Enterprises in May to work on a book about the Interior Department’s management of Indian trust funds. (Update:  On Dec. 8, 2009, the federal government announced it settled the Cobell Indian trust fund case for $3.4 billion).

Jodi Rave  

Copenhagen, Denmark – A multi-generational delegation of 21 Indigenous Peoples from North America have arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark this week to advocate for the incorporation of Indigenous Peoples rights in the language of a fair, binding, and science-based global climate treaty at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The delegation is comprised of Native American, Alaskan Native, and First Nation activists and leaders from the communities most affected by climate change and fossil fuel development in North America. They represent many Nations including Cree, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Blackfoot, Ojibwe, Kachiquel Mayan, Pasqua, Gwich’in, Navajo, Mikisew Cree, Inupiaq, Mohawk, Oneida, Zuni, and Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation.

The delegation, coordinated by the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), are attending the international climate negotiations to speak on behalf of their Nations, communities, and future generations in support of strong climate action and also to network with other Indigenous Peoples from across the world.

Nikke Alex, 24, an IEN youth delegate from the Navajo Nation, AZ, said, “My community has been greatly affected my climate change. In my community, many do not have basic utilities like running water and electricity, and over the summer, the wells and springs dried up forcing my family and many others to drive over 30 miles for water. I’m happy to see other Indigenous youth here to voice their concerns about decisions being made that will impact their future.”

In order to protect their homelands from climate chaos, the IEN delegation is pushing for not only strong targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also demanding effective, fair and equitable methods to address the climate issue. Global expectations for Copenhagen outcomes have dimmed in recent weeks, most prominently due to inaction by the world’s biggest emitters, such as the United States and Canada. IEN delegates will work to pressure their home governments to step up their efforts to combat climate change.

We are here to tell the world, as the Indigenous Peoples of North America we will not sit on the side lines as the American and Canadian governments systematically kill international climate negotiations in the interest of promoting dirty fossil fuel development such as the Tar sands in Northern Alberta, Canada,” says Clayton Thomas-Muller, Tar Sands Campaigner for IEN.

The delegation will also be working in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples from around the globe to advocate the inclusion of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’ (UNDRIP) in any climate agreement. In addition to lobbying, the delegation will be educating other UNFCCC and Klimaforum 09 attendees through workshops, non-violent direct actions, and most importantly, informing their own communities about progress in Copenhagen.

###

The Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) is a United States-based non-governmental (Indigenous) organization formed in 1990 addressing environmental and economic justice challenges. IEN is a network of Indigenous Peoples empowering Indigenous communities and Nations towards sustainable livelihoods, demanding environmental justice, and maintaining the Sacred Fire of our traditions. Since 1998, IEN has been working on issues of climate change and global warming. IEN is one of the leading organizations/networks within the U.S. environmental justice movement involved in climate change policy – locally, nationally and globally.  

Join the IEN Newsletter!

https://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/tools/subscription.php?username=ienearth

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clayton Thomas-Muller

Indigenous Environmental Network

Canadian Indigenous Tar Sands Campaign

294 Guigues Ave.

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

K1N 9H8

 

My entry into this story begain around February 2009 when a source called me with information about the beyond-professional relationship between Baucus and Hanes. I made a few phone calls to follow up on the lead. After I had sufficient information, I called Kaiser Barrett, the spokesman for Baucus. I had two questions. First, would Baucus confirm his romantic relationship with Hanes? Second. Did the senator see a conflict of interest in nominating his girlfriend as U.S. attorney? The story stretched out for weeks before I finally placed a final phone call to Barrett around March 11, 2009. I said we’re running the story in the next day’s paper. He then sent out a statement via e-mail saying Hanes was NOT a candidate for U.S. attorney. This was around the same time she apparently withdrew her name, according to recent press reports. I quit working at the paper in May to write a book about another government scandal, the Cobell vs. Salazar lawsuit. Amazingly, the Baucus story is breaking more than nine months later. I’d be surprised if it went away any time soon. And I’m quite surprised that the matter has come up again. This time, with the Baucus camp admitting that he is in a relationship with his former staff member.    

The main reason I ever pursued the story was because I was interested in the fairness in the nomination process driven by Montana’s senior senator. How many qualified candidates were dismissed so the senator could nominate his girlfriend to be Montana’s next U.S. Attorney?

A source tipped me off about the Baucus and Hanes relationship. I tracked down Hanes’ husband, Thomas Bennett, a doctor who lives in Billings, Mont. Bennett and I talked on the phone several times. He said his wife was having an affair with Baucus. He was upset because so many people knew about the affair before him. Bennett and Hanes divorced in December 2008. In February 2009, I arranged a meeting with Bennett in Missoula in which he showed me an e-mail his wife sent to the senator. Hanes called Baucus her ”furnace.” 

Here’s an excerpt from Indianz.com for the Lee Enterprises story I wrote in March: 

Jodi Rave: U.S. Attorney candidates for Montana
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Filed Under: Law | Politics

“Montana Democratic Sen. Max Baucus recently forwarded three names to President Barack Obama as his top picks for U.S. attorney in Montana, his spokesman confirmed.

 As of this week, only two people confirmed they were interviewed for the job.

 Attorneys Mike Wheat of Bozeman and Mike Cotter of Helena both said they were interviewed in late January by Baucus and Sen. Jon Tester at the senior senator’s Helena office. Billings attorney and Baucus staff member Melodee Hanes once confirmed her interest in the job, but is no longer competing.

 “Max and Jon cannot make the names of those who applied for these positions public out of respect for their privacy,” Barrett Kaiser, the spokesman, said in an e-mail to the Missoulian. “However, I can tell you that Melodee Hanes is NOT a candidate for U.S. attorney.”

 Meanwhile, at least half a dozen Montana lawyers have expressed interest in the U.S. attorney job, including Hanes; Wheat, a recent attorney general candidate; Cotter, a civil law attorney; Missoula County Attorney Fred Van Valkenburg; John Mudd, executive counsel for the state auditor; and Josh Van de Wetering, a former deputy U.S. attorney.”

Baucus spokesman Ty Matsdorf said in a December 2009 statement to Main Justice, a Justice Department watchdog new source : “Senator Max Baucus is currently in a mature and happy relationship with Melodee Hanes. They are both divorced, and in no way was their relationship the cause of their respective divorces.”

As I read the online stories and watch the network news about the affair this weekend, I’m convinced someone will prove otherwise. Is this enough to put Baucus through a Senate ethics committee investigation?

More later.

Jodi Rave

Here’s what the dates look like so far:

Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Times: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon/1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Hilton-Anchorage, 500 W 3rd Ave., Anchorage, Alaska, 99501

Location: 907-272-7411

Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Times: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon/1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Location: Holiday Inn Portland Airport, 8439 NE Columbia Blvd., Portland, Ore., 97220 503-256-5000

Date: Monday, December 14, 2009

Times: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon/1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Location: The Westin Washington, DC City Center, 1400 M Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C., 20005 202-429-1700

In addition, four meetings are scheduled during January 2010: Tuesday, January 5, Minneapolis, Minn.; Thursday, January 7, Oklahoma City, Okla.; Tuesday, January 12, Phoenix, Ariz.; and Thursday, January 14, Sacramento, Calif. Details on these will be provided when confirmed.

For more information, contact the Office of the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs at 202-208-7163.

That’s all for now folks.

Jodi Rave

New Moon Wolf Pack Auditions from sterlinharjo on Vimeo.