 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Special Notices |
The Trail of Tears began 170 years ago this week. We should recall it not as an
aberration but as a logical outgrowth of an inhumane policy. And we should insist,
in its memory, that Indian treaties and Indian sovereignty be honored.
When President Andrew Jackson ordered the Cherokee Nation off its Georgia
homelands, the U.S. government signed a treaty with the Cherokees, promising
them a $5 million payment upon successful removal west of the Mississippi.
But the bad intentions of the federal government became clear right away.
Cherokee homes were raided, crops ransacked, livestock and land stolen. At
gunpoint, nearly 15,000 Cherokees were forced into concentration camps to await
final orders to trek, mostly on foot, for nearly 1,000 miles. While many would die on
that trail through snow and mountains, others would never even make the
journey. Sordid conditions in the camps left many, especially the elderly and
children, vulnerable to exposure, disease and starvation.
By the time the remaining Cherokees reached Oklahoma, nearly 8,000 of their
relatives had perished. For those who resettled in Oklahoma (Indian Territory), the
U.S. government broke the treaty by not paying the Cherokee the $5 million.
The story of the Trail of Tears is an integral part of American Indian history. It is
taught in most public schools. The National Park Service has commemorated the
physical trail and archived its past online.
But remembering the Trail as mere history, as an isolated, ugly chapter in the
nation’s coming of age is shortsighted.
Years before the Cherokee were forced out, Congress paved the way for land
theft with the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Other tribes such as the
Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole were forced off their lands in the
Southeast. More than 100,000 tribal people were driven westward.
And when it was time to “win” the West in the latter half of the 19th century,
countless tribes ceded vast amounts of original land through treaties that were
supposed to guarantee them financial resources to provide for their people. But
in fact, few of those treaties have truly been honored.
In the early 1970s, American Indian activists began to stage headline-grabbing
protests in order to draw attention to the neglect and abuse of Indians living on
desperately poor reservations. In 1972, these activists caravanned across the
country to the nation’s capital to demand that the federal government start
addressing the deplorable state of Indian life by honoring treaties signed with
tribal governments. That caravan was known as the Trail of Broken Treaties.
Throughout the past 200 years, tribes have learned all too well that recognition of
their sovereignty starts from scratch with each new presidential administration,
each new Congress, every new face on the Supreme Court.
On this anniversary of the Trail of Tears, may the next group learn fast.
Mark Anthony Rolo is a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe. He
can be reached at pmproj@progressive.org.
aberration but as a logical outgrowth of an inhumane policy. And we should insist,
in its memory, that Indian treaties and Indian sovereignty be honored.
When President Andrew Jackson ordered the Cherokee Nation off its Georgia
homelands, the U.S. government signed a treaty with the Cherokees, promising
them a $5 million payment upon successful removal west of the Mississippi.
But the bad intentions of the federal government became clear right away.
Cherokee homes were raided, crops ransacked, livestock and land stolen. At
gunpoint, nearly 15,000 Cherokees were forced into concentration camps to await
final orders to trek, mostly on foot, for nearly 1,000 miles. While many would die on
that trail through snow and mountains, others would never even make the
journey. Sordid conditions in the camps left many, especially the elderly and
children, vulnerable to exposure, disease and starvation.
By the time the remaining Cherokees reached Oklahoma, nearly 8,000 of their
relatives had perished. For those who resettled in Oklahoma (Indian Territory), the
U.S. government broke the treaty by not paying the Cherokee the $5 million.
The story of the Trail of Tears is an integral part of American Indian history. It is
taught in most public schools. The National Park Service has commemorated the
physical trail and archived its past online.
But remembering the Trail as mere history, as an isolated, ugly chapter in the
nation’s coming of age is shortsighted.
Years before the Cherokee were forced out, Congress paved the way for land
theft with the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Other tribes such as the
Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole were forced off their lands in the
Southeast. More than 100,000 tribal people were driven westward.
And when it was time to “win” the West in the latter half of the 19th century,
countless tribes ceded vast amounts of original land through treaties that were
supposed to guarantee them financial resources to provide for their people. But
in fact, few of those treaties have truly been honored.
In the early 1970s, American Indian activists began to stage headline-grabbing
protests in order to draw attention to the neglect and abuse of Indians living on
desperately poor reservations. In 1972, these activists caravanned across the
country to the nation’s capital to demand that the federal government start
addressing the deplorable state of Indian life by honoring treaties signed with
tribal governments. That caravan was known as the Trail of Broken Treaties.
Throughout the past 200 years, tribes have learned all too well that recognition of
their sovereignty starts from scratch with each new presidential administration,
each new Congress, every new face on the Supreme Court.
On this anniversary of the Trail of Tears, may the next group learn fast.
Mark Anthony Rolo is a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe. He
can be reached at pmproj@progressive.org.
| Trail of Tears Was Trail of Betrayal |
Cell phone companies are charging $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 Information calls. Since no one carries
a telephone directory in their Vehicle, they get away with it.
When you need to use the 411 Information option, simply dial 1(712)432-3733, or 1(800)373-3411; you will
incur no charge.
This works on your home telephone as well.
If you enter this number into your cell phone you will always have a way now to get a phone number if
you need one.
This is the kind of information people don't mind receiving, so pass it on to your family and friends.
Verified at Snopes: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/nothing/free411.asp
a telephone directory in their Vehicle, they get away with it.
When you need to use the 411 Information option, simply dial 1(712)432-3733, or 1(800)373-3411; you will
incur no charge.
This works on your home telephone as well.
If you enter this number into your cell phone you will always have a way now to get a phone number if
you need one.
This is the kind of information people don't mind receiving, so pass it on to your family and friends.
Verified at Snopes: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/nothing/free411.asp
| Cell Phone Directory Information |
| Thank you for sharing this with us Eagle. |
| Check Your Gas Pumps For Cheating (Gouging) |
This is a true story, so read it carefully.
On April 24, 2008, I stopped at a Kangaroo BP gas station, located at 1325 Main Street , Cartersville , GA.
My truck ' s gas gauge was on 1/4 of a tank.I use the mid-grade, which was priced at $3.71 per gallon.
When my tank is at this point, it takes somewhere around 14 gallon ' s to fill it up. When the pump
showed 14 gallons had been pumped I began to slow it down, then to my surprise it went to 15, then 16. I
even looked under my truck to see if it
was being spilled. It was not. Then it showed 17 gallons had been pumped. It stopped at almost 18
gallons.
This was very strange to me, since my truck has only an 18 gallon tank. I went on my way a little
confused, then on the evening news I heard a report that 1 out of 4 gas stations had calibrated their
pumps to show more gas had been pumped than a person actually got.
Here is how to check a pump to see if you are getting the right amount:
Whichever grade you are using, put EXACTLY 10 GALLONS in your tank, then look at the dollar amount, if
the dollar amount is not EXACTLY 10 times the price of the fuel you have chosen, then the pumps are
rigged. In my case as I said the mid-grade was $3.71 9/10 per gallon, my dollar amount for 10 gallons
should have been $37.19. If I had only check the pump. It doesn't matter where you pump gas, please
check the 10 gallon price. If you do find a station that is cheating, contact the Georgia Agriculture
Department, and direct your comments to Tommy Irvin, Commissioner. In other states contact proper
authorities.
We need to put a stop to this outrageous cheating of customers. The gas companies are making enough
profits at honest rates.
On April 24, 2008, I stopped at a Kangaroo BP gas station, located at 1325 Main Street , Cartersville , GA.
My truck ' s gas gauge was on 1/4 of a tank.I use the mid-grade, which was priced at $3.71 per gallon.
When my tank is at this point, it takes somewhere around 14 gallon ' s to fill it up. When the pump
showed 14 gallons had been pumped I began to slow it down, then to my surprise it went to 15, then 16. I
even looked under my truck to see if it
was being spilled. It was not. Then it showed 17 gallons had been pumped. It stopped at almost 18
gallons.
This was very strange to me, since my truck has only an 18 gallon tank. I went on my way a little
confused, then on the evening news I heard a report that 1 out of 4 gas stations had calibrated their
pumps to show more gas had been pumped than a person actually got.
Here is how to check a pump to see if you are getting the right amount:
Whichever grade you are using, put EXACTLY 10 GALLONS in your tank, then look at the dollar amount, if
the dollar amount is not EXACTLY 10 times the price of the fuel you have chosen, then the pumps are
rigged. In my case as I said the mid-grade was $3.71 9/10 per gallon, my dollar amount for 10 gallons
should have been $37.19. If I had only check the pump. It doesn't matter where you pump gas, please
check the 10 gallon price. If you do find a station that is cheating, contact the Georgia Agriculture
Department, and direct your comments to Tommy Irvin, Commissioner. In other states contact proper
authorities.
We need to put a stop to this outrageous cheating of customers. The gas companies are making enough
profits at honest rates.
 |
 |
 |
 |
To whom it all concerns:
Just a word to the wise. E-mail petitions are NOT acceptable to Congress or any other municipality. To
be acceptable, petitions must have a signed signature and full address.
Same with "prayer chains" -- be wary!
Almost all e-mails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others are similar to that mass letter
years ago that asked people to send business cards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to br eak the
Guinness Bookof Records for the most cards.
All it was, and all this type of e-mail is, is to get names and "cookie" tracking info for telemarketers and
spammers to validate active e-mail accounts for their own purposes.
Any time you see an e-mail that says forward this on to "10" of your friends, sign this petition, or you'll
get good luck, or whatever, it has either an e-mail tracker program attached that tracks the cookies and
e-mails of those folks you forward to, or the host sender is getting a copy.
Each time it gets forwarded, then it's able to get lists of "active" e-mails to use in spam e-mails, or sell to
others that do.
Please forward this notice to others and you will be providing a good service to your friends, and will be
rewarded by not getting 30,000 spam e-mails in the future.
(If you have been sending out the above kinds of email, now you know why you get so much spam!)
Check it out:...... Click on link below!
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/internet.htm
Just a word to the wise. E-mail petitions are NOT acceptable to Congress or any other municipality. To
be acceptable, petitions must have a signed signature and full address.
Same with "prayer chains" -- be wary!
Almost all e-mails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others are similar to that mass letter
years ago that asked people to send business cards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to br eak the
Guinness Bookof Records for the most cards.
All it was, and all this type of e-mail is, is to get names and "cookie" tracking info for telemarketers and
spammers to validate active e-mail accounts for their own purposes.
Any time you see an e-mail that says forward this on to "10" of your friends, sign this petition, or you'll
get good luck, or whatever, it has either an e-mail tracker program attached that tracks the cookies and
e-mails of those folks you forward to, or the host sender is getting a copy.
Each time it gets forwarded, then it's able to get lists of "active" e-mails to use in spam e-mails, or sell to
others that do.
Please forward this notice to others and you will be providing a good service to your friends, and will be
rewarded by not getting 30,000 spam e-mails in the future.
(If you have been sending out the above kinds of email, now you know why you get so much spam!)
Check it out:...... Click on link below!
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/internet.htm
| From Snopes.com If you are going to pass something along . . . . let it be THIS! |
 |
 |
 |
 |
LUMBERTON, N.C. (AP) — An agreement has been reached to allow an American Indian student at a
North Carolina high school student to wear two ceremonial eagle feathers during graduation.
The Fayetteville Observer reported an agreement was reached Wednesday between attorneys for the
Robeson County school board and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Corey Bird had asked to wear the feathers to honor his mother and grandfather, who are dead.
The school board has a policy against students being allowed to wear messages, signs, markings,
stringers and ribbons on caps and gowns at graduation.
The ACLU and the school board are still negotiating about where Bird will be able to display the feathers.
Katherine Parker with the ACLU says Bird’s cousin, Olivia Bird, also will be allowed to wear eagle
feathers to honor her grandparents.
North Carolina high school student to wear two ceremonial eagle feathers during graduation.
The Fayetteville Observer reported an agreement was reached Wednesday between attorneys for the
Robeson County school board and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Corey Bird had asked to wear the feathers to honor his mother and grandfather, who are dead.
The school board has a policy against students being allowed to wear messages, signs, markings,
stringers and ribbons on caps and gowns at graduation.
The ACLU and the school board are still negotiating about where Bird will be able to display the feathers.
Katherine Parker with the ACLU says Bird’s cousin, Olivia Bird, also will be allowed to wear eagle
feathers to honor her grandparents.
By Associated Press |
| Native Student Allowed To Wear Ceremonial Feathers To Graduation |
Over the last year or so, I have been watching the things that are happening to the 6 Nations people. I
am sickened by what I see and by what I believe is coming about. I see the OPP attacking mostly the
female Elders. Why? Why are they doing this to these women? Why are they not attacking the men as
much as they seem to be attacking the women? So I started to think back into history and during the
times of the relocation's.
Did they not, back in that time, prey on the women and children and the Elders? Did they not try to
separate the young Warriors from the rest of the people? Did they not set traps for them and gun them
down usually while they were unarmed? I believe nothing has changed from then to now.
It appears to me that the OPP is trying to provoke the 6 Nations men into a confrontation to give reason
to open fire on them. How long will men stand by and watch their Elders be beaten at the hands of the
OPP? They have been able to contain themselves so far, but there is a breaking point. I am afraid that
the OPP is trying to push the 6 Nation people to that breaking point so they will retaliate, thereby giving
the OPP reason to annihilate them. When and if that happens we will surely lose a lot of good people. I
can not think of any other reason for them to be attacking the Elder Women. I am very proud that the 6
Nations people have contained themselves as well as they have, they have endured much in the last
year or so. But I fear for their lives. I fear they are being set up for annihilation.
I know that there are talks being held, and I hope they work in favor of the 6 Nations people. But I am
afraid that they are only trying to humor the 6 Nations people until a time is right to fulfill their agenda. I
am very worried, because things just do not make sense and do not look right to me.
Recently, Canada apologized to the First Nations for wrong doings and at the same time while two 6
Nations Elders were being beaten at the hands of the OPP. Does that sound like they are sorry?
I urge the 6 Nations people to continue with the talks with the hope that things can be worked out. But,
at the same time, be very careful not to retaliate as I fear that is what the Canadian government wants. I
know it is a hard thing to do. I am proud of the way 6 Nations is dealing with the situation. I stand with
them.
David Deffenbaugh
Cherokee-Metis Chief
UPCN
| What I Believe |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
