First Nations News & Views: This Week - Code Talkers, Slurs and Silencing Native Tongues

by: Meteor Blades

Sun Feb 05, 2012 at 12:47:38 PM PST

Welcome to the third edition of First Nations News & Views. This weekly series is one element in the "Invisible Indians" project put together by navajo and me, with assistance from the Native American Netroots Group. Each Sunday's edition is published at 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time, includes a short, original feature article, a look at some date relevant to American Indian history, and some briefs chosen to show the diversity of modern Indians living both on and off reservations in the United States and Canada. Last week's edition is here.

Cross Posted at Daily Kos

70 Years Ago This Month the Navajo 'Code Talkers' Were Born

Joe Morris Sr. walked away from us on July 17. Keith Little walked away from us on Jan. 3. Jimmy Begay walked away from us Feb. 1. They were Navajo "Code Talkers," three of the tribe's 421 warriors who enlisted in the U.S. Marines to learn how to give Japanese intelligence headaches. Only a handful of those who joined up in the early months of 1942 remain and will soon also "walk away from us," a common Navajo expression for dying. On Jan. 29, the last surviving member of the original 29 enlistees, Chester Nez, celebrated his 92nd birthday. Without them, their commanders and other officers have said, American casualties in battles for Japanese-held islands would have been far more ghastly than they were.

Those 29 and all the other Code Talkers were sworn to secrecy in case the code had to be used again. It was, in Korea and Vietnam. It was never broken. In 1968, the code and the story of its crucial role were declassified, freeing those who invented and used it to tell their experiences. Since then, more than 500 books have been written, several documentaries have been produced, Hollywood made a version called Windtalkers, a film that spends more of its time following Nick Cage around than it does Adam Beach (Saulteaux), who for his role spent six months learning Diné, the Navajo language. Famed sculptor Oreland Joe (Navajo-Ute) created the Navajo Code Talker Memorial at the Navajo Tribal Park & Veterans Memorial at Window Rock, Ariz. Oral histories were taken.

The original 29 Navajo "code talkers" at Camp Pendleton in 1942.

Yet, although President Ronald Reagan declared Aug. 14, 1982, National Navajo Code Talkers Day, it wasn't until Dec. 21, 2000, 56 years after they first saw action, that the five surviving original Code Talkers and relatives of the other 24 received Congressional Gold Medals for their innovativeness and heroism. The other Code Talkers were awarded Congressional Silver Medals. The belated awards contained a deep irony. Many of these men who had saved untold numbers of American lives by using their native language had been punished for speaking that same language as children in boarding schools.  

It may come as a surprise to many who are acquainted with the story of the Code Talkers that the Navajos weren't the only Indians used for code work during World War II. And they weren't the first. The Army even used eight Chocktaw speakers to confuse German troops in 1918. In the the next war, the Army in both the Pacific and Europe used Lakota speakers, Oneidas, Chippewas, Pimas, Hopis,Choctaws, Sac and Fox and Comanches. But those Indians simply talked to each other in their Native language. The first 29 Navajo Code Talkers developed a real code. They could not even be understood by other speakers of Navajo.

The Marines had never used Indians for this purpose. But Philip Johnston, a white man who had grown up on the lands of the Navajo Nation, approached the Corps in mid-February with an idea. Why not use Navajos and members of other large tribes for military communications? Show us, the Marines said. So Johnston brought four Navajos with him to Camp Elliott, Calif., for a demonstration. They were given some military messages. They substituted some Navajo words and then, in pairs, went into separate rooms and communicated by radio. Gen. Clayton Vogel witnessed the success, the decoded messages were accurate renditions of their English originals. He recommended to his superiors that 200 Navajos be recruited.

It took some high-level meetings before a decision was made. But, in April, a pilot program was initiated and in May 29 of the 30 Navajos recruited showed up at Camp Pendleton near Oceanside, Calif., for seven weeks of basic training. They came from places named Chinle, Kayenta, Blue Canyon and Kaibeto. Many had never before been off the reservation.

Bear Butte and the Struggle for Religious Freedom

by: Ojibwa

Mon Jan 23, 2012 at 17:46:04 PM PST

The view from Bear Butte is shown above.  

Mount Rushmore

by: Ojibwa

Mon Jan 02, 2012 at 10:07:57 AM PST

Tonight! "Hidden America: Children of the Plains," ABC 20/20 Special

by: navajo

Fri Oct 14, 2011 at 14:32:42 PM PDT

       ^{Young Tashina Iron Horse is a competitive pow wow dancer. (credit: Elissa Stohler/ABC News)}

Pine Ridge residents live amid poverty that rivals that of the third world. Forty-seven percent of the Pine Ridge population lives below the federal poverty level, 65 percent to 80 percent of the adults are unemployed, and rampant alcoholism and an obesity epidemic combine with underfunded schools to make it a rough place to grow up. Tashina lives in government housing in Manderson, 30 minutes north of downtown Pine Ridge. She lives with her grandmother, parents, siblings and uncles - sometimes up to 19 people live in the three-bedroom house, which has seen better days.

In the decades following President John F. Kennedy's pledge to fund public housing projects on American Indian reservations, a construction boom began in Pine Ridge. Today, most of these units built in the 1970s and 1980s are in varying degrees of disrepair - a result, critics say, of steep cuts to the Housing and Urban Development budget made by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. Public housing dollars today are largely spent battling black mold in reservation housing rather than constructing new homes.

Amid the despair, there are youth across the reservation - like Tashina - who are breaking through the hopelessness with huge dreams and powerful stories.

Check out a sneak peek - Tashina teaches Diane Sawyer some of her moves - below.

Ernesto Yerena's Newest Addition to the Pine Ridge Billboard Project

by: navajo

Sun Apr 10, 2011 at 18:09:15 PM PDT

Below is Ernesto Yerena's latest screenprint made for this project and based on one of Aaron Huey's images from Pine Ridge. Information about Ernesto and his first illustration for this project is featured below the fold.

I'm truly amazed at the magnitude of beauty in this artistic collaboration among Aaron Huey, Shepard Fairey and Ernesto Yerena.  

Art and Activism.

Background on this project below:

Rosebud Rezident Receives a New Propane Heater from Kossack

by: navajo

Mon Mar 14, 2011 at 10:46:23 AM PDT

Lillian Walking Eagle and grand daughter : Lillian's son Cornell said to put the caption "These two old ladies nearly froze."  they have an old faulty ummm lpg space heater? not sure what they're called.  housing is constantly being called by them and housing merely replaces the thermocouple.  i thought i heard liep had funds for furnaces so i told lillian about it.  i told my mom about lillian's situation, and she called the VP willie kindle.  he said he would do something for this gramma.  wks later nothing is done for them.

Kossack kurt, a lurker, my new favorite lurker ordered a heater plus all the necessary accessories and had it shipped to Sherry. Sherry installed it right away.

Here is Lillian with her brand new heater:

Lorikeet, lineatus, RunawayRose and jessica (?) also donated money specifically for heaters. I waited to hear from Sherry to make sure the heaters were safe and the proper accessories were included.  An update on cost, thanks to kurt, is that plus the accessories and shipping the total cost for each heater is $230. I was able to buy 2 more heaters.  Sherry promised to take photos of the new heaters with their new owners.

lpggirl has sent us more photos of our Rosebud rezidents saying THANK YOU to you all for helping them get through another harsh winter in South Dakota.

Below you'll find more THANK YOU photos and details on how you can help. Please share these donation details with family and friends.

Pine Ridge Billboard Project by Aaron Huey

by: navajo

Tue Mar 08, 2011 at 10:38:11 AM PST

I have been documenting the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation for the past six years. Recently I have realized how inappropriate it is for this project to end with another book or a gallery show.

More than any project I have done in my career, the ever-evolving Pine Ridge project gives voice to social injustice and a forgotten history. I want my work to empower the Lakota and other tribes who fight for recognition of the past in order to help give them a chance to move forward.

Your involvement will help raise the visibility of these images by taking them straight to the public to the sides of busses, subway tunnels, and billboards. I want people to think about prisoner of war camps in America on their commute to work. I want the message to be so loud that it cannot be ignored.

More Thank You Pics from Rosebud Rez from our Propane Donation Drive

by: navajo

Mon Feb 21, 2011 at 09:59:46 AM PST

Below you'll find more THANK YOU photos and details on how you can help. Please share these donation details with family and friends.

Ziebach County, South Dakota: America's Poorest County

by: navajo

Sun Feb 13, 2011 at 14:55:26 PM PST

ZIEBACH COUNTY, S.D. - In the barren grasslands of Ziebach County, there's almost nothing harder to find in winter than a job. This is America's poorest county, where more than 60 percent of people live at or below the poverty line.

At a time when the weak economy is squeezing communities across the nation, recently released census figures show that nowhere are the numbers as bad as here - a county with 2,500 residents, most of them Cheyenne River Sioux Indians living on a reservation.

In the coldest months of the year, when seasonal construction work disappears and the South Dakota prairie freezes, unemployment among the Sioux can hit 90 percent.

More here.

More Photos from Rosebud Rez + Propane Drive Update

by: navajo

Mon Jan 31, 2011 at 08:29:56 AM PST

Sherry Cornelius of St. Francis Energy has sent us more photos of our Rosebud rezidents saying

*THANK YOU*

to you all for helping them get through another harsh winter in South Dakota.

One wonderful couple donated $1000 two weeks ago! From my last diary I sent a $700 check collected from our Native American Netroots PayPal link. Many people called St. Francis Energy directly with their credit cards. Sherry said the response has been overwhelming and it appears you are all sharing this outside of Dkos.

Special grand kudos go to Lineatus and her generous Dawn Chorus Birders who raised over $700 for Rosebud. There is currently $1000 in the NAN PayPal account which includes the Dawn Chorus.  I'll be mailing a very large check STAT.

More photos below and details for you to share so your friends and family can donate also.

Many thanks for the notes of encouragement attached with your donations.

THANK YOU from Rosebud Rez: Photos of your propane donations

by: navajo

Mon Jan 10, 2011 at 08:24:13 AM PST

Some folk were happy to be photographed and this diary is their thank you to YOU for helping them get through another terrible winter in South Dakota since Federal LIHEAP funding ran out in early December.

Sherry says that the common incredulous comment is, "Who is doing this?? Tell them thank you!"

Sherry tells them about us, YOU, Daily Kos and the community that we are.

11 more photos below and details on how you can contribute to this on going effort.

Band-Aid for the Lakotas: But a directly applied one

by: navajo

Mon Jan 03, 2011 at 18:18:52 PM PST

I'd like to give you small update on our recent request for propane help.

This past Friday I posted a familiar diary to many of you asking you to call the propane companies directly and help pay for propane for Lakota families on Rosebud and Pine Ridge reservations.

You made more than $3000 in donations over a 24 hr. period. This is excellent because we have bypassed the middlemen, the 501c3s, the red-taped strangled Tribal Councils and the pathetic Federal LIHEAP program.

We've set up relationships with the propane companies that service Rosebud and Pine Ridge reservation. The kind operators/owners know who needs help and can't get it from their Tribal, State or Federal government. No one should freeze to death in the richest country in the world.

Details below on how you can help:

Here we go again: Blizzard hits Dakotas

by: navajo

Mon Jan 03, 2011 at 18:15:01 PM PST

So the big news is that a blizzard has hit the Dakotas and a huge 100 car pile up occurred near Fargo.

What doesn't get reported, as usual are the Lakotas who live in dismal conditions to begin with and struggle every day to survive. It is especially hard during the winter. Now there is a white out and our kossack lpggirl, Sherry Cornelius cannot deliver propane until the blizzard lets up.

I just spoke with Sherry on the phone and she said her business St. Francis Energy is open until 6PM Mountain to take calls for donations but that we could also call her cell phone.

She said there are at least 5 families she knows of that need propane desperately but that the need is always present as time goes on. There is always someone who needs help since gov. funding runs out too soon.

Please, if you can, take the time to call and donate money towards a tank of propane for a Lakota family.  Sherry will deliver the donated propane just as soon as road conditions are safe.

Details below:

Growing Up Indian

by: navajo

Thu Nov 11, 2010 at 12:49:28 PM PST

photo credit: Aaron Huey

The Argus Leader has an important and informative series on what it's like to grow up Indian in South Dakota, on or off the reservations. The decades of multi-generational trauma and resulting pervasive poverty have taken their toll on our tribes whether they are fighting to maintain their traditional cultures or if they are trying to survive being assimilated into white man's society.

ACTION: You can help by reading and using the multi-media parts of the series to understand a little of what it's like to be young and trying to survive against all odds. Your knowledge can help us because we need your influence with policy makers and other leaders/organizers in your state.  

Excerpts and all linkage below:

American Indian Candidates

by: Ojibwa

Sat Oct 30, 2010 at 20:54:55 PM PDT

A combination of factors-restricting voter registration, gerrymandering, discouraging Indians from voting (including intimidation)-make it difficult for Indians to get elected to public office. At the present time there are Indian running in several states. The diary below mentions a few of them.  

The Lakota War Pony Races 2010

by: navajo

Thu Oct 21, 2010 at 15:01:17 PM PDT

CELEBRATION OF THE BATTLE OF THE GREASY GRASS
Also known as the Battle of Little Big Horn

Each year, the Lakota of the Great Plains commemorate their victory over the United States army at the Battle of the Greasy Grass, better known in American history as the Battle of Little Bighorn.

The Lakota celebrate with the Kiza Park War Pony Races near Manderson, South Dakota on the Pine Ridge reservation. A large group of riders, many on bare back, give chase and the winner is the one who captures the flag.

Battle Site of the Greasy Grass by Aaron Huey

Video, photos and transcript below:

SD Attorney General

by: Ojibwa

Tue Oct 19, 2010 at 06:09:45 AM PDT

In order to win the race, Volesky will need to have a large turnout from all nine of the Indian reservations within the state. Republicans, as usual, will be working to discourage Indians from voting. According to Volesky:

I've got the experience to meet the challenges in that office, but I need help from the Indian vote. I ask South Dakota's Native Americans to empower themselves so that we get a good vote on Nov. 2.

Diluting the American Indian Vote

by: Ojibwa

Sat Oct 16, 2010 at 21:14:26 PM PDT

"It is our opinion that until Congress enfranchises the Indian, he will not have the right to vote."

While many American Indian histories point to court cases in 1948 as the point at which Indians were finally granted the right to vote, many states continued to interfere with this right. States interfere with Indian voting rights in several ways: (1) restricting voter registration and polling places, (2) discouraging Indians from voting, and (3) gerrymandering.  

RezHeadz Entertainment Tour Schedule for the 2010 "Back 2 School" tour.

by: RezHeadz

Mon Sep 06, 2010 at 20:41:21 PM PDT

September 13th - Hays/Lodge Pole High School, MT.
September 14th - 2 Eagle River High School, MT
September 15th - Harlem High School, MT
September 23rd - Alamo Navajo Reservation, NM
September 24th - Aneth, UT
October 4th - Browning, MT
October 5th - Warwick, ND
October 6th - Minnewaukan, ND
October 7th-8th - 4 Winds Middle School, ND
October 12th-13th - American Horse High School, SD
October 15th - Bullhead, SD

If you would like to see the tour come to your community contact Jason"Smoke" Nichols at RezHeadz Entertainment at 405-501-7359 or e-mail Smoke at jnichols.motivation@gmail.com.

Smoke's energetic presentations were created to inspire Leadership, Self esteem, Academic Achievement, Bonding to School, and the Importance of Education.

These programs were developed to increase self-worth, a positive sense of identity, moral character, and to improve your student's social and emotional growth.

This year we have implemented several new programs that not only inspire and motivate, but also challenge our youth to take action and become leaders. As many of you know Hip-Hop music has been looked upon with skepticism, not only in Native communities but abroad. Truth be told, many people often ignore the positive messages of hip-hop and only focus on the negative.
Fact: In the last 10 years hip-hop has cut across ethnic boundaries and now studies show that music with positive messages is a very effective tool in educating our youth.
We here at RezHeadz have found a way to tap into the core of the subculture and educate to a new tune! Featuring Award Winning Recording Artist and Motivational Speaker Jason "Smoke" Nichols.

In a recent interview with "Smoke" he unveils the man behind the music, "Hip Hop is a portal that bridges the gaps; it gives the youth an upbeat outlook on change. Academic achievement, entrepreneurship, dedication, perseverance and the importance of setting goals, all of these virtues if applied will set a standard in Native country and ultimately boost morale amongst our young people."

The Alamo Wellness Center Hosts the 2010 "Gathering of Native Youth"

Thursday September 23rd it's The Gathering of Native Youth at The Alamo Wellness Center. Host Drum group will be "Eyabay", with Workshops, Presentations, and Musical Performances by Award Winning Native American Recording Artist "Smoke" of RezHeadz Entertainment. With Comedy Performances by Dakota Black and Showtimes "Pow-Wow Comedy Jam", Award Winning Comedian Mark Yaffee. FREE to the Public Courtesy of Alamo Navajo Health Center. This will be a Drug and Alcohol Free Event. For more information Contact the Alamo Behavioral Health Department at 575-854-2626

Revealing Pine Ridge Rez Demographic Information

by: navajo

Wed Mar 03, 2010 at 11:17:54 AM PST

Permission granted to post the following in its entirety:

The Arrogance of Ignorance:
Hidden Away, Out of Sight and Out of Mind

Regarding life, conditions, and hope on the Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Reservation of South Dakota
This is an article of facts about the lives of modern-day American Indians, a topic most mainstream American news organizations will not discuss. It is not a plea for charity.  It is not a promotion for non-profit organizations. It is not aimed for pity.  It is not even an effort to detail cause and effect.  It is, however, an effort to dispel ignorance.... a massive, pervasive, societal ignorance filled with illusions and caricatures which, ultimately, serve only to corrupt the intelligence and decent intent of the average mainstream citizen. Only through knowledge and understanding can solutions be found.  But facts must be known first.  Then, it is the reader's choice what to do with those facts.