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FYI: News Items of Interest, November 1, 2009 (5 items)
Compiled by Kendra Kennedy
Additional information about sources available at the end of the message.
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[1]
"Mexican natives overtake UN office,” AFP. October 31, 2009. © Copyright
2008 AFP. All rights reserved. Full text available at:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iGrnXvN1HYGLAM7tHjehz-ojrKEQ
“Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico — Some 150 indigenous farmers took over a UN
office in the southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas to demand the release of
three jailed leaders, their group said Saturday. The Tzotzil Indians, who
also sought "refuge as internally displaced persons" during Friday's move,
took this "desperate measure to attract attention and secure the release of
three comrades," the Emiliano Zapata Farmers' Organization (OCEZ) said in a
statement. The OCEZ is a land rights group inspired by Zapata, a key figure
in the Mexican Revolution that broke out in 1910. The three prisoners were
arrested last weekend by the police and army on charges of using the group
for drug and arms trafficking. Food and clothes were provided to the farmers
who spent the night and still remain at the UN building in San Cristobal de
las Casas…"
[2]
"Chairman accused of taking bribes,” Charles Hand. October 31, 2009. ©
Copyright 2009 The Valley Chronicle. All rights reserved. Full text
available at:
http://www.thevalleychronicle.com/articles/2009/10/30/news/doc4aeb3c0b8707a886594653.txt
“The 26 bribery counts, six counts of filing false income tax returns, and
single count of conspiracy with which the federal government has charged
Soboba Tribal Chairman Robert Salgado carry a combined maximum sentence of
363 years. The 67-year-old Salgado is accused in a federal indictment filed
last week with either de-manding bribes or accepting offers of bribes from
four companies that provided services to the tribe over a period of nearly a
decade. The value of the bribes is $250,000, according to the grand jury
accusations. They include money paid directly to him, paying off credit card
and other debt run up by him or his wife, and payments to a company he
owned, according to the indictment..."
[3]
"Indian country happy with Obama efforts," Don Davis. October 30, 2009. ©
Copyright  2009 The Republican Eagle. All rights reserved.
Full text available at:
http://www.republicaneagle.com/event/article/id/62613/group/News/
“St. Paul - Relations between American Indian tribes and the federal
government have turned around since Barack Obama became president, tribal
leaders said Thursday night after a two-day St. Paul conference. "A breath
of fresh air," Judge Theresa Pauley of the Colville Confederated Tribes in
Washington state said about the Obama administration's pledge to work closer
with American Indians and fulfill federal promises. Her comments followed
two days of discussions among 350 tribal representatives from across the
country, representing about half of the American tribes and 100 Justice
Department officials, mostly from Washington, D.C. U.S. Attorney General
Eric Holder brought the St. Paul "tribal nations' listening session" to a
close, promising that the federal government will do a better job of serving
Indians. Specifically, Holder pledged to work on the top four problems
tribal leaders outlined: financial and other support of tribal justice
programs, improving federal law enforcement's tribal involvement, curbing
violence against women and working on the juvenile justice system. "It is
simply impossible to exaggerate the severity of this issue," Holder said.
"Based on data reported by tribes to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, we've
seen violent crime rates in some parts of Indian Country that are two, four
and sometimes over 10 times the national average." Former Minnesota U.S.
Attorney Tom Heffelfinger said in an interview that even in the early months
of Obama's tenure, he sees an improvement over the George W. Bush
administration, for which he worked…"
[4]
“Apaches request Interior NAGPRA review,” Rob Capriccioso. October 31, 2009.
Copyright © 2009 Indian Country Today. All rights reserved. Full Text
Available at: http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/archive/67566957.html
“Washington – A group of Apache historic preservation officers is alleging
that the National Park Service is improperly implementing the Native
American Graves and Repatriation Act. In a letter sent to Secretary of the
Interior Ken Salazar in September, the Western NAGPRA working group said the
NPS is allowing improper cataloguing of sacred and holy tribal items. The
working group is composed of NAGPRA representatives from the San Carlos
Apache Tribe, the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the Tonto Apache Tribe, and
the Yavapai-Apache Nation. NAGPRA is a federal law passed in 1990, which
created a legal process for museums, federal agencies and institutions that
receive federal funding to return American Indian human remains and cultural
items to respective tribes or lineal descendants. Many of the authorities
under the law are delegated to the NPS, which lies in the Interior
Department. According to the letter, instances have occurred where museums
have identified items as “cultural items” when they should in fact be called
“sacred objects,” “objects of cultural patrimony” or both, as set forth in
the law. The distinction is important, the officers said, because it affects
the status of the items and could impact their ability to get the items back
in a timely manner…”
[5]
“North Carolina Cherokee Take Steps to Preserve Language,” Susan Logue.
October 30, 2009. Copyright © 2008 TheStarPhoenix.com. All Rights Reserved.
Full Text Available at:
http://www.voanews.com/english/AmericanLife/2009-10-30-voa40.cfm
“Six young children - four girls and two boys - sit on the floor looking up
at their teacher seated in a chair. An older woman with streaks of gray in
the long, straight hair pulled back from her face, she holds up flashcards
with colors and words spelled out in distinctive lettering. Her students are
learning Cherokee, the language of their ancestors, but a language many of
their own parents didn't speak as children. A difficult language for adults
to learn "I'm still learning. I'm a second language learner," says Renissa
Walker, who is in charge of the language, history and cultural preservation
program for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians…”
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FYI: News Items of Interest is a daily resource compiled by the H-AMINDIAN
staff. It features a sampling of news stories concerning Native issues
primarily in Canada, the United States and Mexico. In order to comply with
Academic Fair Use and copyright laws, only an excerpt of the news articles
is offered here. We will not reproduce articles in whole.  Links are
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