As President-elect Barack Obama appoints a new team of cabinet members and fills other key federal work posts, he’s named six Native people to his transition team - half of them assigned to assist in Interior Department policy, budget and personnel changes.

“We’re lucky to have such stellar representatives with people with whom Indian Country has really good relationships,” said Jacqueline Johnson-Pata, executive director of the National Congress of American Indians, a nonprofit organization that represents more than 250 tribes.

So far, Mary Smith, Mary McNeil and Yvette Robideaux have been assigned to work on justice, agriculture and health issues, while three current and former attorneys with the Native American Rights Fund - John Echohawk, Keith Harper and Robert Anderson - will advise Obama on changes proposed within the Interior Department.

As advisers to the Interior transition team, the Indian law experts could inspire a significant transformation within the department’s Indian trust fund system, an organizational debacle that has been subject to 12 years of litigation during the Cobell vs. Kempthorne suit.

“This is our last big chance to get a lot of things done,” said Elouise Cobell, the lead plaintiff from Montana’s Blackfeet Nation in the class action lawsuit. “It’s like a broken record every time we have a hearing. Nothing really happens. Maybe if we get the right people in these positions, we can all work together: the tribes, Congress and the administration.”

The Native American Rights Fund, a tribal justice and legal rights organization based in Boulder, Colo., has helped represent a half-million Native landowners in the Cobell suit. Landowners claim Interior Department agency officials - including the Office of Special Trustee, Bureau of Land Management, Minerals Management Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs - have mismanaged billions of dollars of their income earned from sales of timber, oil and gas, and grazing leases.

Echohawk, NARF’s executive director of more than 30 years, also served as a transition adviser for former President Bill Clinton.

Harper was the lead NARF attorney in the Cobell case. He remains the only Native representative assigned to the highest ranks of the Obama transition, where he has been named a “team lead” for the Interior Department. Harper also served as the Native policy adviser during the Obama campaign.

He currently heads up Native affairs for the Washington, D.C., law firm Kilpatrick Stockton. He was named as one of the 50 “Most Influential Minority Lawyers in America” by the 2008 National Law Journal. And he is a lead attorney in the Cobell suit.

Rounding out the Interior advisers to the Obama transition team, Anderson worked 12 years as a senior staff attorney for NARF, where he litigated state, tribal and federal jurisdiction cases, including water, hunting and fishing rights cases.

Transition team updates are being made at www.change.gov.

“President-elect Obama has set a high bar for the transition team to execute the most efficient, organized and transparent transfer of power in American history,” said John Podesta, co-chairman of the presidential transition team, in a news release.

“First, we adopted the strictest ethics guidelines ever applied to any transition team. President-elect Obama pledged to change the way Washington works, and that begins with shifting influence away from special interests and restoring it to the everyday Americans who are passionate about fixing the problems facing our country.”

Job seekers are being encouraged to submit their resumes, and many Native people have already done so.

“The team expands constantly as they look for gaps and bring in other people, said Johnson-Pata. “Every time I look at the list, I see new names on it. We’re lucky. We have several Native Americans in a variety of different places.”

(c) The Missoulian

Of the event, O’Jay Vanegas, Director of Education for the Museum said, “It is a great event for our community, providing an opportunity to learn more about the local Native culture which has existed in the Valley for thousands of years.” The schedule of events and participating groups will be available on the Museum Web site pending final confirmation. The Web site is www.accmuseum.org.

Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution, inspires people to learn about the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and other Native cultures. It keeps the Native spirit alive through exhibitions, collections, research, and educational programs. The Smithsonian Institution has designated Agua Caliente Cultural Museum a member of the Smithsonian Institution Affiliations Program. This status provides access to the rich resources of Smithsonian educational programs and technical expertise, and will enable the Museum to bring world-acclaimed Smithsonian exhibitions to the Coachella Valley.

The Museum is located at 219 South Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday noon to 5 pm. Admission is free. For more information on the Museum, please call 760-778-1079 or visit www.accmuseum.org.

WASHINGTON - Evo Morales, Bolivia’s indigenous president, plans to attend a meeting with North American tribal leaders at the National Museum of the American Indian.

The private event, which was requested by Morales, is scheduled to take place on Nov. 19.

“He wanted us to arrange a luncheon with Indian leaders from the United States and Canada,” a top NMAI official told Indian Country Today.

“It will be a quiet meeting with each other, and he will be making some remarks.”

The event, which is not planned to be open to the public, marks a landmark for NMAI, and signifies the museum’s growing influence on the national and international cultural stage.

Before the meeting, Morales is expected to attend a gathering at the Organization of American States.

Of Aymara descent, Morales is widely viewed as a hero among indigenous populations worldwide. He was first elected in December 2005, and won re-election with 67 percent of the vote after a recall referendum in August. He is Bolivia’s first fully-indigenous head of state in the 470 years since the Spanish Conquest.

One of the top goals during his leadership has been to increase power for his country’s indigenous via land reforms and redistribution of gas wealth.

Morales’ advisors were scheduled to meet with NMAI officials today to finalize details of the visit.

© 1998 - 2008 Indian Country Today.

UNION-TRIBUNE

TEMECULA - Southern California’s newest golf course is called Journey at Pechanga and its slogan is “10,000 years in the making.” If that sounds a little gimmicky, like a freeway billboard for the opening of a new ride at Knott’s Berry Farm, give us a minute to put it into perspective.

One hundred and 33 years ago, the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians made the most significant journey in the 10,000 years they had lived in the Temecula Valley. Ranchers convinced a San Francisco District Court to evict them from their ancestral land, and a posse led by a San Diego sheriff forced the tribe into a small plot in the hills south of Temecula.

Seven years later, in 1882, despite objections from the California Legislature, President Chester A. Arthur gave the tribe back a small piece of its sovereignty when he issued an executive order setting aside 4,000 acres to create the Pechanga Indian Reservation.

It was a tiny slice of the vast area they once roamed, but it was, importantly, theirs.

So, understand, that this rather grand name, Journey at Pechanga, has a purpose. The tribe wants this to be more than a round of golf. This is about history, too.

“Everything we did was dictated by the culture of the tribe. It was important to respect that,” the course’s primary architect, Steve Forrest, said last week when Journey celebrated its grand opening.
Forrest likes to say that some of his most difficult challenges as an architect can produce the most satisfying results, and in the Journey he had one-of-a-kind issues he countered with wildly creative solutions. The result for golfers is one of the more memorable layouts in all of Southern California.

Be it working your ball around 900-year-old oak trees in the middle of the fairway, or counting the seconds of your drive’s free fall from a 200-foot cliff, the Journey is a unique experience shaped by the will of a people.

“It’s certainly one of the most exciting and dramatic pieces of land we’ve ever had,” said Forrest, who worked with partner Arthur Hills on the project for the past five years.

The challenges were many, including convincing the tribe to even build a golf course. For reasons cultural and economic, there was considerable resistance from some members.

“I was privileged enough to sit in on the vote,” Forrest said. “The whole tribe came in, and it was a very democratic process. Everybody went up to the front of the room to vote. The results were flashed up on a board immediately. And it wasn’t a sweeping majority who approved it, believe me.”

There still were many obstacles to overcome. Forrest, the current president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and a big proponent of environmentalism, had burial grounds and ancient adobes to avoid. He had to be extremely careful not to kill oaks or elderberry plants. He also had the dry wash of Pechanga Creek around which to maneuver.

“When I first walked the property, my question was, ‘Do we have enough buildable land here to get 18 golf holes in without totally destroying the character of the land?’ ” Forrest said.

There was only one solution: Head for the hills. In doing so, Forrest got some of his most spectacular holes, along with some heavy duty work for those who laid 7 miles of cart paths.

As Arthur Hills joked last week, “The real journey here is from the green to the next tee.”

Nowhere is that more evident than at the par-4 sixth, where it takes a 300-foot climb of several minutes to reach the tee box. From there, the view is incredible, with the fairway beckoning nearly 200 feet below. From the middle of the fairway, the green is another 100 feet down.

“The hang time there is stupendous,” Forrest said of the drive.

Forrest’s favorite hole is another cliffhanger. The par-3 17th, playing 180 yards from the white tees, is essentially an island in the sky, overlooking the Pechanga hotel and casino in the valley below.

The par-4 finishing hole is bizarre at first attempt. It is severely downhill with a disappearing fairway. But once you’re down the mountain, you realize there is plenty of space to set up an approach to a green with an enormous gully that separates two halves. The green style, Forrest said, is called Biarritz, after the French town where it was first introduced.

“We tried to push the edge of fun without being gimmicky,” Forrest said.

The tribe’s restrictions did force Forrest into some odd circumstances. An oak in the middle of the ninth fairway couldn’t be moved, and it presents a rather large hazard in the heart of the driving zone. The par-5 11th - 463 yards from the whites - is a severe and narrow dogleg right around Pechanga Creek that all but demands three iron shots.

Evidence of Pechanga’s heritage is there at nearly every turn. To the right of the fifth green is a protected area with a crumbling adobe ruin. “Kiicha” huts, constructed by children in the tribe as a cultural education, punctuate the course’s landscape. Several elaborate, railroad-style wooden bridges provide an Old West ambience.

The price to play, however, is decidedly New West: $150 on weekdays, $200 on weekends.

A costly journey into golf and history, but one worthy of serious consideration.

Tod Leonard: (619) 293-1858; tod.leonard@uniontrib.com
© Copyright 1995-2008 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.

WASHINGTON - The National Indian Gaming Association acknowledges the passing into law of H. J. Res. 62, which designates the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day 2008.

The Native American Heritage Day 2008 Bill, which is supported by the National Indian Gaming Association, National Congress of American Indians, (NCAI) and Indian tribes across the country, encourages the people of the United States, as well as the federal, state and local governments and interested groups and organizations to observe Native American Heritage Day with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities. The Resolution was introduced by Congressman Joe Baca (D-CA) and Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) who helped move the Resolution through the Senate.

NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr. said, “This is a great moment for Indian country. Signing this bill into law officially recognizes, remembers and formally celebrates the history, achievements and certainly the major contributions to the American democracy by Native America.

“This law encourages the United States to honor Native America by celebrating Native American Heritage Day in all of your communities as a way to create stronger public awareness and understanding of Indian country, our culture, traditions, language and the strength, honor and patriotism, of our people.”

Chairman Stevens praised Congressman Baca and Senator Inouye who were instrumental in the passage of this act in the 110th Congress. He also commended the efforts of NCAI and President Joe Garcia for joining NIGA in this effort.

The Native American Heritage Day Act 2008

• Designates Friday, November 28, 2008, as Native American Heritage Day

• Encourages the people of the United States, as well as federal, state and local governments and interested groups and organizations, to observe such day with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities, including activities related to:

- The historical status of Native American tribal governments as well as the present day status of Native Americans;

- Native American cultures, traditions and languages; and

- The rich Native American cultural legacy

Presidents, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush signed proclamations designating the month of November as Native American Heritage Month in previous years. Passage and signing H.J. Res. 62, establishes into law for the year 2008 an official day of remembrance and recognition of Native Americans.

NIGA Executive Director Mark Van Norman said, “Native Americans have been seeking a day of recognition since 1912. This day honors the original Native Americans, their strengths, wisdom and fight for freedom, and it recognizes the continued vitality and beauty of the Native American cultures.”

Copyright © 2008 NATIVE AMERICAN TIMES

Lakeside, Calif - If there’s one true thing about casinos, it’s that they all feel alike.

Walk through that big smoked-glass door and you know where you are in an instant. The casino floor, where the money is won and lost, could be just about anywhere. Day is indistinguishable from night. Cocktail waitresses prowl carpeted aisles between the slot machines, and neon lights flash. Digital beeps drone incessantly, and the rat-tat-tat of coins on metal reminds the losers that somebody else is winning.

But not in San Diego. The gaming-est county in the Golden State, this stretch of sunny real estate has 17 Native American reservations, 10 of them with casinos, most in scenic rural valleys. I’m not much of a gambler, but I’ve tempted Lady Luck in some of these places and gone away with the odd feeling that while I’d lost money, I’d actually done something useful.

Some American Indian casinos are as simple as a gaming hall with a restaurant; others are complete resorts. Many of the tribes spend their profits on their members, providing attractive homes, building schools and community centers, surfacing roads, installing water reclamation plants and paying for health insurance and college scholarships.

But San Diego’s most successful casinos also give away millions of dollars to nearby communities, not just because their legal compacts compel charitable donations (which they do), but because they’re good neighbors. My current fave, Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino, gives to local hospitals, sponsors foundations, builds football stadiums for nearby high schools and awards large and small grants to college students.

If you’re a visitor to San Diego and you’ve done the beach, the Temecula wineries, the USS Midway aircraft carrier tour and the hot-hot Gas Lamp District, treat yourself to a casino day, ask a lot of questions and see how money can make a difference.

With a rental car, you can get to Barona Valley, the home of the Barona band of Kumeyaay Native Americans, in about 30 minutes. Or take the free Barona shuttle bus from several suburban San Diego locations (check www.barona.com for locations). Show a 10-spot (to prove you’re a serious gambler), find a seat next to a housewife on holiday and take in the ride out of town through the funky village of Lakeside and north up Wildcat Canyon.

The drive up the canyon’s winding road, a tortuous cleft in a hill studded with truck-sized boulders, crests at the top of the hill where you can see, spread out below, a pastoral valley, warmed by the sun, rimmed by low hills and shaded by ancient oaks. If it wasn’t Eden, it was the next best thing. A former Spanish land grant, Barona Valley was a page out of history. I was in love.

The first thing my husband and I did was to check into the hotel, look in on the spa and make dinner reservations at the Oaks Steakhouse, the only restaurant that serves cocktails and wine. You can also order alcoholic beverages to be brought to your room, but Barona’s limited liquor license prevents alcohol sales on the casino floor.

Then we scratched the itch, buying $30 worth of quarters and playing the slots, winning some, playing more, losing it all in an hour. With that done, it was time for the main event: the resort itself.

Oddly enough, you won’t see many of the reservation’s 450 tribal residents during your visit. This strikes an odd note with travelers who have crossed the Navajo and Sioux reservations and have met residents in cafes and trading posts, or at the very least seen cowboys on horseback and kids playing outside. At Barona, not only are most of the homes out of sight of visitors, but the few tribe members who work in the hotel and casino blend in among the 2,500 people needed to run an operation this size.

The exception was the Barona Museum and Cultural Center, where we learned something about the Kumeyaay Indians’ 10,000-year-old history. The collection, curated by cultural anthropologist Cheryl Hinton, exhibits both pre-European and contemporary arts, such as pottery, baskets, clay pipes, shell objects and tools. A timeline demonstrates Kumeyaay history, and the Veterans’ Hall of Honor celebrates the many members who’ve served in the military. A listening station gives visitors a chance to hear the native language.

If success is measured by profits, Barona has been one of Southern California’s most successful casino resorts. The Western ranch-themed casino, which is tricked out with open-beam ceilings, earth tone appointments and Navajo-style tapestries, has 2,000 slot machines, 72 blackjack tables, roulette and craps tables, a poker room, off-track wagering and mini-baccarat. A live band entertains nightly, and non-alcoholic drinks are free and liberally served.

Efforts have been taken to attract high-stakes players. Gambling limits have been raised, a helipad has been built and private VIP gaming rooms and premium suites for celebrity gamblers have been created.

The resort facilities are top-notch. Hotel rooms are well appointed, and the grounds include extensive gardens and a pond with a walking trail.

On our last day we played at the Barona Creek Golf Course, an award-winning course with deep bunkers, natural contours and the kind of rough you might find in Scotland.

Equipment rentals come with a golf cart. There’s also a 10-acre practice area, with a putting green, chipping green and a driving range - everything you’d need for an ideal golf weekend.

All that and a casino, too.

Some people come to Barona Valley and barely leave the casino. But between the resort’s other attractions and the golf course, even occasional gamblers will find enough to keep them busy for two or three days.

IF YOU GO:

Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino is 30 minutes north of San Diego near Lakeside, off Route 67 (Wildcat Canyon). 888-722-7662, www.barona.com. Dining options include the Sage Restaurant and the Oaks Steakhouse, serving fine cuisine with spirits and wine, and the casual Ranch Buffet, serving cuisine representing six cultures.

Other casinos

Viejas Casino and Reservation: 3,500 slot machines, table games, restaurants and an Outlet Center with 57 discount stores. Viejas is 35 miles east of San Diego near Alpine, off Interstate 8. www.viejas.com

Sycuan Resort & Casino: A casino with 2,000 slot machines, 45 table games, a poker room and 1,200-seat bingo room; two 18-hole golf courses and a hotel. The resort is 35 minutes east of San Diego near El Cajon, on Dejesa Road. www.sycuanresort.com

———-

Uprooted but not defeated

The Kumeyaay (KU-meh-yay) Indian reservation was originally located in Capitan Grande valley. But in 1932, the city of San Diego wanted to build a dam and reservoir on the land, which it purchased from the Kumeyaay. With the money they made off the sale, some of the Kumeyaay - the Viejas band - bought land east of San Diego. The Sycuan band purchased land southeast of the city, and the Barona band bought the Barona Valley Ranch.

“A few of the very oldest members remember their old homes, and of course they have mixed feelings about it,” said anthropologist Cheryl Hinton. “It was hard to forget what happened. But some members of the tribe had been ranch hands at Barona ranch and they’d seen the valley. They knew it had possibilities.”

Indeed. In 1983 the tribe opened a bingo parlor. In 1994, it negotiated with the state, opened a casino and installed the first on-site water treatment facility. Six years later a state-of-the-art reclamation plant opened to reprocess 90 percent of the resort’s waste water. In 2003, the present casino and 400-room hotel opened.

Copyright© 2008 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

November 15, 2008 (SAN DIEGO) - Grossmont Hospital Foundation hosted its Carnevale di Venezia Annual Gala on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina to help raise money for Sharp Grossmont Hospital. The event netted more than $600,000 dollars, which will support the hospital’s new da Vinci® Robotic Surgery program.

The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation formally presented the hospital with a $300,000 contribution during the event, as the tribe’s chairman, Daniel J. Tucker, made the announcement.

Hosted by Grossmont Hospital Foundation volunteers and staff, the fundraising event drew an attendance of 500 guests, which included physicians and community and civic leaders. Kimberly Hunt, 10NewsLive anchor, was the emcee and former NBC anchor Bill Menish was the auctioneer. The event was chaired by Connie Conard, Ann Goldberg and their volunteer committee. The Honorary Chair was Virginia Napierskie, who was honored that evening for her many years of philanthropic support. Additional major sponsors of the event were Grossmont Healthcare District, Grossmont Hospital Medical Staff, and Virginia Napierskie.

Sharp Grossmont Hospital is the largest not-for-profit, full-service acute care hospital in San Diego’s East County.

© 2008 East County Magazine.

Perhaps no contemporary artist of Native American heritage has been as enigmatic, influential or provocative as the late Fritz Scholder (1937-2005), who almost single-handedly demolished some of the most persistent clichés about the nature of American Indian identity.

Now, three years after Scholder’s death, his prolific output - including paintings, sculptures and lithographs - is the subject of a major new exhibition staged by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). Titled Fritz Scholder: Indian/Not Indian, the two-part exhibition opened simultaneously at the museum’s Washington and New York locations on November 1. Most of the artwork can be seen in Washington, with a smaller selection of Scholder’s later works on display at NMAI’s New York branch.

Co-curated by Truman T. Lowe (of the Ho-Chunk tribe) and Paul Chaat Smith (Comanche), the show is the largest retrospective of Scholder’s career ever mounted. In a recent interview with America.gov, Lowe explained that while Scholder is best known for his unconventional paintings of Indians, the artist refused to be confined to any particular category - especially the category of “Indian artist,” which he felt was too limiting. “His favorite word was ‘paradox,’ and he liked to say: ‘I am one-quarter Indian, and my paintings are one-quarter Indian,’” Lowe recalled.

Since his father was half-Luiseño Indian and half-German, and his mother was of French extraction, Scholder had little use for tribal militancy - and he was not inclined to perpetuate the romantic myth of the so-called “noble savage,” an Indian stereotype that first gained currency in the 19th century. “I’ve never called myself an Indian artist. Everyone else has,” Scholder once said. In his 1979 publication Indian Kitsch, Scholder described himself as “a non-Indian Indian,” adding: “I do not feel the pull of the dichotomy of two cultures. However, I am aware of the incongruous nature” of those cultures.

THE POST-MODERN INDIAN

By his own account, Scholder began drawing at an early age, and he apparently never doubted his artistic vocation. Born in Minnesota, he grew up in the Great Plains region, where his father worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Despite his father’s occupation, Scholder and his family did not live on a tribal reservation and had little exposure to Native American culture. During his college years, Scholder studied with pop artist Wayne Thiebaud, and in 1964, he received a master of fine arts degree from the University of Arizona. Soon afterward, he was invited to teach at the fledgling Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and his experience there would prove decisive.

Initially, Scholder said he would “never” paint Indians, but his interaction with Native American artists and art students in Santa Fe prompted a change of heart. His modernist and post-modernist training, however, dictated a significant departure from the prevailing - and, to Scholder’s thinking, rather primitive - approach to depicting Native Americans.

Since the 1930s, many artists in Santa Fe had been painting nostalgic scenes of Indian village life that reinforced common assumptions about Native American societies. Most of these images had a flat, one-dimensional aspect that came to be known as a hallmark of the “Studio Style” pictorial school, which dominated the Santa Fe art scene for decades. Scholder’s decision to paint Indians “as they truly are” would soon relegate the Studio Style to the artistic dustbin.

He set about “re-imagining” the Indian for a contemporary audience, using loose brushstrokes to outline his figures in electric hues. Contrasting colors provided the only backdrop; no explanatory context was offered. Unlike their quaint Studio Style predecessors, Scholder’s Indians confronted the viewer head-on - and the overall effect was vivid, edgy and distinctly unsettling. Although some of these portraits were based on famous photographs of Native Americans, Scholder imbued his works with a sense of irony that suggested multiple interpretations of an iconic symbol.

PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES

Scholder’s innovations brought him critical acclaim almost immediately, and ensured a lucrative market for his work. His undated oil painting American Indian, with its shadowy image of an Indian chief starkly imposed against a shocking-pink sky, was hailed as a triumph. Scholder’s works from his “Indian” series typically met with that reaction - until he unveiled Indian with Beer Can (1969), which sparked howls of outrage from Native Americans and art critics alike. The painting, centered on a male Indian figure seated at a bar or table, with a Coors beer can in front of him, addressed the problem of Indian alcoholism, a sensitive subject that few artists were willing to tackle.

According to Lowe, Indian with Beer Can “held a mirror up to the Native community.” The painting, he said, “played on the stereotype of the drunken Indian, but it forced the Native community to take a close look at tough issues.”

Scholder produced other works that examined taboo themes, such as Indian poverty and the long history of injustice suffered by Indian populations. His unsentimental treatment of controversial topics often shocked his audience, yet it opened the door to a more honest appraisal of acute social problems and uncomfortable truths. In his painting American Portrait with Flag (1979), Scholder’s depiction of a Native American wrapped in the U.S. flag reflects the tensions between an indigenous culture and the larger society that has subsumed it.

At the same time, Scholder was eager to pursue universal themes that made no reference to his, or anyone’s, ethnicity. Although he still occasionally returned to Indian motifs, his last two decades were primarily devoted to moody works that explored the complexities of male/female relations (a 1986 painting, Monster Love No. 1, shows a couple locked in a fierce embrace) and a growing awareness of his own mortality (a 2001 self-portrait, Artist’s Skull, consists of a ghostly black-and-white photograph of Scholder’s head layered over an X-ray of his skull). In fact, skulls appear with some frequency in these later works, along with supernatural figures (vampires, angels) and emblems of Native American spiritualism (shamans).

The meaning of Scholder’s legacy is hotly debated, but his influence has been - and remains - profound. Thanks to Scholder, “a barrier has been smashed,” Lowe said. “He broke the mold of Studio Style art,” and he demonstrated that Indian art stretches well beyond the boundaries of traditional craft objects like textiles, baskets or jewelry. Scholder was a trailblazer who made it easier for today’s young Indian artists - “who have their own stories to tell, their own interpretations of Native history” - to find an audience, Lowe added. “The irony, of course, is that Scholder said he was never going to paint Indians, but that’s what established him as an important artist.”

Fritz Scholder: Indian/Not Indian will be open through May 17, 2009. For more information about the exhibition ( http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=exhibitions&second=dc&third=current ), visit the NMAI’s Web site.

Source: U.S. Department of State

Copyright © 2008, NewsBlaze

WASHINGTON - The National Indian Gaming Association acknowledges the passing into law of H. J. Res. 62, which designates the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day 2008.

The Native American Heritage Day 2008 Bill, which is supported by the National Indian Gaming Association, National Congress of American Indians, (NCAI) and Indian tribes across the country, encourages the people of the United States, as well as the federal, state and local governments and interested groups and organizations to observe Native American Heritage Day with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities. The Resolution was introduced by Congressman Joe Baca (D-CA) and Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) who helped move the Resolution through the Senate.

NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr. said, “This is a great moment for Indian country. Signing this bill into law officially recognizes, remembers and formally celebrates the history, achievements and certainly the major contributions to the American democracy by Native America.

“This law encourages the United States to honor Native America by celebrating Native American Heritage Day in all of your communities as a way to create stronger public awareness and understanding of Indian country, our culture, traditions, language and the strength, honor and patriotism, of our people.”

Chairman Stevens praised Congressman Baca and Senator Inouye who were instrumental in the passage of this act in the 110th Congress. He also commended the efforts of NCAI and President Joe Garcia for joining NIGA in this effort.

The Native American Heritage Day Act 2008

• Designates Friday, November 28, 2008, as Native American Heritage Day

• Encourages the people of the United States, as well as federal, state and local governments and interested groups and organizations, to observe such day with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities, including activities related to:

- The historical status of Native American tribal governments as well as the present day status of Native Americans;

- Native American cultures, traditions and languages; and

- The rich Native American cultural legacy

Presidents, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush signed proclamations designating the month of November as Native American Heritage Month in previous years. Passage and signing H.J. Res. 62, establishes into law for the year 2008 an official day of remembrance and recognition of Native Americans.

NIGA Executive Director Mark Van Norman said, “Native Americans have been seeking a day of recognition since 1912. This day honors the original Native Americans, their strengths, wisdom and fight for freedom, and it recognizes the continued vitality and beauty of the Native American cultures.”

Copyright © 2008 NATIVE AMERICAN TIMES

This is a National day of respect for our Korean War Veterans and military warriors everywhere. This Santa Ysabel Tribal tribute is tied together with traditional tribal hospitality and generosity. Indian events on Indian land for and by Indian people are the best times. The Iipai Nation of Santa Ysabel Tribal council welcomed all to this Veterans Day ceremony.

Chairman Johnnie Hernandez gave a short introduction and turned it over to Bonnie Salgado and the committee to continue. Santa Ysabel Tribal Warrior, Arthur L. Bruce, USMC is being honored. A family member accepted the beautiful Pendleton wool blanket in his honor. Ron Christman provided a blessing for this day of remembrance.

Ral Christman, Stan Rodriguez and Ron Christman sang four Honoring Tucuk Bird songs. It is always very touching and emotional when Stan Rodriguez reads the muster roll call of all the Santa Ysabel Veterans. Then as the Santa Ysabel fallen warriors are remembered, Tribal member and US Navy Boson (ret.) Jerry Reed rings a ships bell for each Warrior that is no longer with us. Finally, to complete this tribute, Taps are blown for all those Veterans who have fallen.

Each year we look forward with anticipation and respectful responsibility when we are invited to participate in the Santa Ysabel Veterans Day activity at the Tribal cemetery. American Indian Warriors Association Honor Guard posted all our flags for an outstanding showing.

We extend our appreciation to those AIWA members and family who represented the AIWA organization in respectful attendance and service to our Indian Tribal community: Santa Ysabel AIWA members, Jerry Reed, Colin Reed, Stan Rodriguez also Ivan Sam AIWA President, Roy Cook, Henry Mendibles, Ronnie Murphy, Jerry Starnes, George Hyde, Joaquin Sandoval and volunteer Artudo Tisnedo. Later, as a unit, AIWA appreciated the invitation and opportunity to visit the Santa Ysabel Casino for lunch and a bit of entertainment.

We must always remember that our Indian Warriors who gave so much so that our Indian people may enjoy the freedom to be ourselves. Our Indian land is forever Indian land. It matters little what others say or what paper labels nor what legalism defines or fences separate. It is all Indian land. We, Indian Warriors, are a band of brothers that are the protectors of our Indian land. Mehan, Aho, thank you.