Submission from the Winnemem Wintu Tribe on UNFPII-10 Agenda Item 7: Half Day on Water Presented by Caleen Sisk-Franco, Chief and Spiritual Leader

Submission from the Winnemem Wintu Tribe on UNFPII-10
Agenda Item 7: Half Day on Water
Presented by Caleen Sisk-Franco, Chief and Spiritual Leader

Hestum chaleetun. Ne-to yet Kaa-aktus. Nees Tłheet. Teen teen iyeebaada lenda-mis eelawee Winnemem Wintu. Sawal miiyo mes baales bom, pee ha-t bohaa Wintun Tot.

Good afternoon Madame Chairperson, Members of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and esteemed colleagues. My name is Caleen Sisk-Franco and I am the hereditary traditional Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe.

Sawal mem. Sawal suuhana. Water is sacred. Water is life. Water is a great spiritual being. We are a water people. We come from a sacred spring and are the keepers of the water in our River and of all of the things that rely on that watershed out to the ocean. We understand that all things are connected. Nothing survives without water.

We understand and articulate our human rights to include the right to protect traditional cultural properties for our future generations. The water in our river, the water in our sacred spring, and the water we need to supply our homes are basic to our human rights and we must pass these down to our children and grandchildren. The water in our spring and river is part of our ceremonial practices. It provides the environment for our sacred salmon that holds our world together.

Providing access to water is not sufficient however. Water, the veins of Mother Earth, connected to everything, has needs too. Water needs our songs and ceremonies. It needs to flow freely. It needs our salmon swimming in it to clean it and to distribute nutrients to the rivers and streams and back to the ocean.

For us, salmon are inseparable from water. Both are necessary elements of our survival. We believe that when the last salmon is gone the people will be gone too. We know that salmon are the ultimate climate changers. Without salmon swimming in our waters the climate will continue to change in ways that will be devastating to mother earth. We need our traditional homelands and our homelands, including our water, need us to do the job we were put here to do.

We, like many indigenous peoples around the world, are being denied our human rights to access without interruption, sing to, use, and protect our water. The denial of our tribal existence by the US government leaves us without the basic protections we deserve. For us to achieve our indigenous rights and responsibilities to our water the US must reverse its discriminatory practices that have created two classes of American Indians.

We call on the Permanent Forum to:

•  Again transmit your recommendation from the 3rd session, Item 82, “that Governments conduct studies on how the diversion of rivers and creation of dams, mining and mineral extraction, energy development, the mining of groundwater and the use of aquifers for industrial and commercial purposes will affect the lives of indigenous communities prior to conducting any of these actions in order to ensure that indigenous peoples are not confronted with such problems as increasing scarcity of freshwater, the toxic contamination of indigenous peoples’ territories and the lack of access of indigenous communities and other life forms to water, including oceans.” Further, the Permanent Forum should clarify that such studies should be conducted prior to modification of any existing projects.
•  Again transmit your recommendation from the 4th Session, item 29, that, “immediate steps be taken within the framework of the Commission on Sustainable Development to protect water from privatization and from bilateral and multilateral governmental agreements and other incursions that affect the integrity of waters and impoverish communities, particularly indigenous women.”
•  To urge Member States to implement the findings of the Special Rapporteur on Human Right to Water and Sanitation.
•  Call for a study to educate people about the number of contaminated streams, springs, rivers, groundwater, dams, and reservoirs, etc. with recommendations to return waters to natural, clean status.
•  Urge the US to fully implement the Declaration for all American Indians to assure their ability to exercise their indigenous rights to water.

Hee Chala Beskin!

Winnemem-Wintu: Protecting Women's Rights of Passage

Winnemem-Wintu: Protecting Women's Rights of Passage

by Christina Aanestad
Tuesday Mar 8th, 2011 8:16 AM

Caleen Sisk-Franco, Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Winnemem-Wintu discusses the Balas Chonas or Puberty Ceremony-which honors a girls transition into womanhood, her decision to declare war against the U.S. government, and her tribes work to return indigenous salmon to the McCloud River, for International Women's Day.

	Download audio: winnemem-wbai.mp3 26.5MB

The Winnemem-Wintu, "Middle Water People" are a small tribe of California Native Americans. The U.S. Government relocated them from their land during World War 2 to build the Shasta Dam. After nearly 80 years, under the leadership of Caleen Sisk-Franco, Spiritual Leader and Chief of the Winnemem-Wintu the tribe has returned to the McCloud river, near Shasta Dam to revive the Puberty Ceremony. "Balas Chonas" in Wintu marks a girls transition into womanhood.

For 3 days and nights, men sing and dance on one side of a river, while the women, pass on traditions to girls on the other side, defining the difference between girls and women. But holding a ceremony on stolen land can be a challenge. The U.S. government has not granted the Wintu's requests to access their ancestral land in privacy and the Wintu say a federal plan to raise the Shasta Dam would flood their remaining sacred land.

The ceremony is held with recreational boaters driving by, and camping as the tribe works to hold it's right of passage. Under the guidance of their Chief and Spiritual Leader, Caleen Sisk Franco, the Winnemem-Wintu declared war on the U.S. government in 004, have since sued the federal government to protect their rights and their ancestral land, and is working to return indigenous salmon to the McCloud River watershed. Caleen Sisk Franco says preserving the Puberty Ceremony is preserving their way of life.  

Report by the UN Independent Expert on Water and Sanitation

Updated UN Independent Expert statement regarding Water and Sanitation visit to the states.

Regarding the History of Shasta Dam - A quick messagefrom our Chief

Caleen Audrey Sisk-Franco

Maybe one should ask about the earthquake fault line that lies under Lake Shasta and how much time do people of Redding, Cottonwood, Anderson, Red Bluff, etc... have to evacuate? Of course one person in the BOR said that not even a 10.0 earthquake could break the dam.

The water stored here is not for the people here. The giant Agriculture Businesses are the real BOSS of the Shasta Dam. They have the right amount of money and the right friends they put in power. When the Dam was built they made the Wintu Indians the insignificant in the way, now, they are making the Chinook Salmon the insignificant needing water to spawn.

Since the Shasta Dam was built, water pollution has sky rocketed. You can't drink water from the rivers and high mountain streams, but people trusted piped in , filtered water. Talk to the people who are now receiving smelly water, brown water, and no water from the tap. Then think of the 10 million more people moving to California. Why would people be moving to a state that projects a 40% water shortage by 2020? Shasta Dam will not support the water needs even if they raised it another 200 feet. Water has to stop being just a commodity!

Update to Blog Site

Folks,
As many of you have noted over the years, this blog has intended to reflect happenings by the Winnemem Wintu Tribe in our journey to justice. Sometimes my personal feelings came up in the discussions and that caused a minor "scandal" with some readers who felt my words were unwarranted in what I felt, at the time, was my blog.

Well, not to worry. I have recreated the identifying information of this blog to reflect that it is a "tribal" site. The author(s) now will be able to post articles that are of interest for the followers of our tribe and hopefully educate the greater public audience regarding what it means to be "un-recognized", traditional and still engaged in protecting the lands and relatives (all of them) that we as people owe so much to.

Come back often and check on what may be new and if you have a penchant for the individual rambling and musing of "Mark Franco", check out my personal blog at http://bunkhousediary.blogspot.com/

Alrighty then...let the madness begin!

Winnemem Berkeley Benefit part2

Winnemem Brower Center Fundraiser, February 3, 2011

The Tribe wishes to express our deep gratitude to all who helped with and participated in the February 3rd Brower Center Fundraiser. More than 200 people attended and helped with the event. Having never held a fundraiser of this sort before, we are gratified and a little awed by the response of the folks who traveled to join us and for the generosity shown the Tribe in your giving, generous bids on the silent auction art pieces and purchase of the other jewelry pieces presented by our tribal artists. We all had an extraordinary evening and hope that everyone else who attended enjoyed themselves too. Below is a quick recap of the evening.

The Tribe would like to offer our special thanks to Amy Vanderwarker and Toby McLeod for being the core local coordinators for the event and Lisa Fay Beatty and Marissa for help with the David Brower Center. We would also like to thank all of those who participated in the program including Reverend Lindi Ramsden, Bill Jenkins, and Malcolm Margolin. Thanks to Will Doolittle and Toby McLeod for sharing clips from their upcoming films. Thanks to all of the artists and donors of silent auction items. Thanks to the event sponsors: Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, Sacred Land Films, Women’s Earth Alliance, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Heyday Books. Finally, we would like to thank the Earth Island Institute and the David Brower Center.

The Film “Teasers “
“Dancing Salmon Home” is a film directed by Will Doolittle that chronicles the Tribe’s journey to New Zealand and the ceremony held on the Rakaia River for the return of the McCloud River salmon sent to the south pacific in the 1880s. A new film in progress by Toby McLeod on the loss of sacred ground was another high light of the evening.

Address by Chief Caleen Sisk-Franco
Chief Caleen Sisk-Franco talked about the importance of salmon to the Tribe, of the direction the Tribe has followed regarding the protection and preservation of the waters of the north state, and how the Winnemem look at all beings as relatives. She also asked for help from scientists and engineers so that the Tribe can further develop the proposal to bring the salmon home.

Insights on the Winnemem Wintu Tribe
Headman Mark Franco emceed the evening and used his time to entertain and inform. Reverend Lindi Ramsden of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry provided her take on the value the Tribe brings to everyone. Bill Jenkins, a world champion martial artist spoke to the strength and courage the Winnemem demonstrate. Finally, Malcolm Margolin from Heyday Books closed out the event with his thought provoking words.

Berkeley Benefit Part 1

We would like to express our deep gratitude to everyone who attended and contributed in any way to our benefit at the David Brower Center on February 3rd. We are glad to report that the event was more successful than we could have imagined. We are humbled by the generosity shown by volunteers, donors, and guests. To be kept informed about future Winnemem events, benefits, and ceremonies please visit our website at www.winnememwintu.us in the coming weeks and sign-up for our listserv. We hope to have this in place very soon.

We would like to thank all of the following people and organizations for their contributions:

Individuals
Amy Vanderwarker
Ann Marie Sayers
Bill Jenkins
Dan Bacher
Debbie Davis
Eugenia Clark
Favianna Rodriguez
Jeanne France
John Powers
Lindi Ramsden
Lisa Quinn
Malcolm Margolin
Marc Dadigan
Misa Joo
Ruth Koenig
Sally Carless
Sarah Haase
Toby McLeod
Will Doolittle
Marissa Cadena-Belski

Organizations
David Brower Center
Dignidad Rebelde
Environmental Justice Coalition for Water
Heyday Books
Natural Resources Defense Council
Rainbow Grocery
Sacred Land Film Project
Women’s Earth Alliance

Ecuador Part 4

Well, following the last supper (so to speak), Charlie, Myrna and I headed out via bus to banana country (about 175 miles south of Guayaquil). I have ridden in cabs in New York and Washington DC and let me tell you: the drivers in the north cannot carry a fix-a-flat for these vaqueros in South America. I do not think we stayed on our side of the road the entire trip for any longer than to hug the rail as approaching cars pushed our way. I saw people jumping out of the way, construction crews ducking to avoid getting a mirror to their melons, and better marksmanship that Sgt. York as the drivers we had (coming and going) hit every pothole in the road.
Bouncing along and getting one rest stop (at a company sponsored bodega along the roadway, we finally made it to Guabas and the free market banana plantation where Marcos, our guide drove us into the bush and then on foot to look at banana gathering first hand.
I have a new appreciation for the bananas we get here. It was hot in the plantation and the men and women working their labor extremely hard for the fruit many seem to think merely grow on trees. In fact, I learned that these plants are like mini water drums: the water soaks up the stalk of the plant, they grow bigger and eventually a red colored flower appears. This flower is bagged and marked with a colored strip and the folks continue on their way doing this until the plants are covered with multi-colored tags indicating how long the bananas have matured. Inside the flower are these petal that look like tiny baby bananas, and as they grow they are watched until the fruit finally gets to the familiar shape we all know from the store. The thing you don't see, is that as they grow, someone is constantly tending them, pruning them out and then finally harvesting them (after about 12 weeks). The photo of the fellow with the bunch on his shoulder is carrying about 80 kilos in weight (160 lbs?). He carried that about 50 meters to a drag line where the fruit was chained to a pulley and cable system and them drug to the sorting and washing /packing shed. The person in the white shirt of the photo above is the woman who owns this particular plantation.
In the shed area, the bananas were measured (like on the crab boats where they see if they are the right size) but in this case, if the fruit is too big (long and wide) they are tossed in a pile to the side. Seems the delicate mouths of the eaters in Europe and the US can only handle a particular size banana...crazy huh?
Anyway, I asked what happened to the ones chucked to the side (I was eating them by the way - I guess my little mouth was just right for the discards). These bananas are sent to a processor who purees them, packs the mess and ships it to Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream where it becomes...tada..Chunky Monkey Ice Cream. So the next time you enjoy a pint of that delicious desert, remember that it once lay on the jungle floor, after being lugged by a fellow half the size of you, and then, tossed aside because no one would eat it as it was too big.
The free trade farms, allowed the owners to hire permanent staff, and upwards of 50 additional staff to harvest. They did not make a fortune but it was a decent wage for their economy and was guaranteed throughout the year, so that was good. Health care, educational assistance and commods were provided to the permanent staff as well. I am taking a closer look at free trade and the implications of its application across other crops here and in South America.

Anyway, we finished, had a nice little dinner back at the hotel and I traveled home where I now finish this travelogue for you. It was fun writing this, as it brought back a lot of good memories and reminded me that I have friends south of all the borders who are just like me and you, so all is swell again.
We are heading to New Zealand next month for the Salmon ceremony on the Rakaia River. Hopefully I will have some snaps of that trip to share with you.

Ecuador Part 2

So, having made it through the first night and into the second day, we headed aboard a bus that took us to the South Guasmo neighborhood where the office of "Mi Cometa" are located. This center houses many projects for the community, including the Utopia Radio station, the door on the bottom left is their entrance (see the kite design). Mi Cometa means My Kite. Any way, the projects also included a music program, housing assistance, a mico-loan program for the community members that the center offers and manages.

We had a luncheon served to us by the folks and then, a musical presentation from the program children (the young man in the green shirt was the lead singer - they sang some wicked Santana).

We finished the day at the Center by walking through the neighborhood, looking at several houses that Mi Cometa had help facilitate the construction for. We saw some in first stage bare walls, open windows and doorways and then on to others that were completed, painted and shiny. I was slightly jealous because these places were cinder block buildings, attached to the foundation (although with limited re-bar) as opposed to the trailers the folks in our own village live in. I was impressed by the willingness of the folks in these areas to help themselves and although they had no real running water or sanitation, for the most part they survived and were happy to have a united community. This message was important to see and one that I will share with whomever I talk with about this trip.

We closed out the day with a visit to the Regulatory agency ECAPAG (www.ecapag.gov.ec) This agency was, in a word, slimy. They had all the answer but seemed to not truly provide regulation or oversight. The waters of Ecuador are privatized. There is raw sewage and untreated water pouring into the rivers and this regulator organ of the government was seemingly casting a blind eye at the problems, to the detriment of the population. I asked the General Director of social communication and community relations, Stalin Poveda, about the dams on the river and how they were impacting the rivers, the lack of water quality assurance and the threat of additional dams to meet the needs of the unabashed development. He neatly sidestepped the question, actually stating that the dams were now allowing for more water to flow in the river than before they were built. He also said that there was plenty of water and thy would never need more dams for supply. Curious note: 45% of the people do not have fresh water and if I remember correctly 65% or more do not have access to sanitation (like sewer or septic). I said they were slimy, I think I know what they are slimy with.

Later this week - the Guayas River Boat trip and the Isla Santay.

I'm Back for awhile

I was looking at my blog page for the last month or so and it dawned on me that I need to get back on the horse and update what has been happening here in Winnemem Country.

We have all been working hard on the State's Water issues. The legislature is proposing some major moves that will be coming up for a vote very soon. Restore the Delta, EJCW, the Environmental Water Caucus and PCL have had their Capitol staff working night and day to ensure that ALL the interests of California are looked after. I suggest those of you who can to get in touch with your representatives and have them vote NO on the Steinberg water package: below, I have copied in Restore the Delta's comments on why and the number of the bill to vote FOR.

Here are 10 reasons why your representative should oppose the Steingberg Water Package, and all its potential ancillary bills, as well as the bond proposals.

1) The purported environmental benefits in SB x7 1 and SBx7 4 hinge on unfunded programs and unstaffed planning processes. There is no identified funding for the Delta Conservancy or the Delta Protection Council. Without identified funding, the restoration projects and consistency processes intended for Delta health will fall
behind the construction of facilities in the Delta paid for by beneficiaries. This repeats a cornerstone failure of CalFed. This creates a real risk of the infrastructure and water supply projects proceeding without environmental gains.

2)There is no assurance that a permit for any future Delta facility will accommodate the instream flow needs of fish. Public trust criteria are not proven tool for ensuring dedicated water for the environment Experienced water lawyers disagree whether the creation of public trust criteria compel the State Board to base apermit for a future Delta project on the public trust.

3)The bond allows public funds to be spent on required mitigation or necessary compliance with environmental regulation. Existing law requires beneficiaries to pay for those activities. This is a massive cost shift to taxpayers.

4) The Delta Stewardship Council holds no fee authority to carry out its mandate. Delta communities, most impacted by this legislation, would not have adequate representation.

5)The Delta Plan is not required to reduce state dependence on the Delta. The objectives for the Delta Plan do not include reducing state reliance on Delta exports. SB x7 1 only states that it's an intent of the state to reduce dependency.

6) The bill lacks sufficient oversight of the BDCP. The Council lacks the authority to ensure the project does not cause greater harm to the fragile Delta ecosystem.

7) One-third ($3 billion) of the SB 7x 2 funds above-ground storage, which is the least efficient way to increase water supplies.

8) Less than 3% of the funds in the bond would be dedicated to disadvantaged communities most in need of safe drinking water.

9) The proposed water conservation package lacks the enforceable goals needed to achieve 20% conservation by 2020.

10) A $9 billion bond will cost taxpayers about $600 million a year for 30 years. The state's debt service on bonds already authorized by the voters will grow to about 10% of the state's budget and will contribute to more state funding cuts for public safety, health, education, and environmental protection have been slashed to the bone. And the Legislative Analyst's Office estimates that the state will see $10 to $15 billion deficits each year until 2014. Even if a bond is delayed until 2015, we will just be at the beginning of financial recover and should not be piling up more debt.

There is one bill they should vote for however!

Delta Area Assembly Member Alsyon Huber, along with co-sponsor Senator Lois Wolk, have introduced AB 13 7x. This bill would require lawmakers to sign off on any canal, and it would require the Legislature's nonpartisan fiscal adviser, the Legislative Analyst, to put together an economic feasibility study of the potential project. We commend Assembly Member Huber and Senator Wolk for pulling this piece of legislation together.

Tell your representatives to support AB 13 7x.

Additionally, the California Water Plan update in being put forth for public comment. Check out PCL's website for information on how the draft plan is misleading and includes references to things that will not happen regarding environmental justice and basic environmentally based issues.

The Tribal Communication Committee (a group of tribal people working on improving communication between the state and tribes will be co-hosting the Tribal Water Summit on November 4 and 5 in Sacramento. this convening was to have the Governor speak in person but I see that all we will get is a recorded message. Secretary Christman will be on hand as will heads of the major department within the state that deal with conservation and environmental issues. If you have not registered, get in touch with them to secure a seat at the "table" to at least here what we have to say.

This meeting will be followed on Friday with a conference at Chico state on "Sustainability". There will be presentations on a variety of issues related to this topic as well tribal concerns presented. Another "must see" event.

Also, keep your eyes open for information on NOAA and NMFS "Salmon Recovery Project". They, like many of us are looking at returning salmon to the rivers and streams above the impoundment dams (Shasta/Folsom). This fits in with the Winnemem effort to have the genetic stock taken from the McCloud/Baird hatchery, returned to us from New Zealand. Keep this in mind. We may need help funding this trip but rest assured we will get them back!

Well that's a lot to digest, thanks for checking in and email me if you have questions about these updates.

On a personal note, I hope that you have all enjoyed the Halloween season and are ready for the next series of holidays. As my friend Bill Jenkins said, be safe, watch out for your little ones and yourself (paraphrasing there Bill).

We have a lot of things coming at us in the new year and we need all of you ready to act.

Mark

Four Funerals and a Wedding

Since my mother passed away last year, I have been to four more funerals and learned about the wedding of a young person we knew when she was a fresh faced new student.

I realize that we are all getting older; people die - that's the nature of life, and people age, find love, and marry. Both of these thing, funerals and weddings are profound events and both can be cause of tears and joy at the same time.

Here at the village we lost, my Mother, our cousin Randy, our niece Erika, and our sister-in-law, Sarah. Each funeral was held at our tribal cemetery, in the traditional way, and we sang our relative home to the other side where we hope we will be fortunate enough to see them again.

The last funeral I attended on behalf of the Tribe was for my Brother Richard and his very large family in Sacramento, who lost their matriarch at the age of 91 this past week. I, unfortunately missed the days before the burial due to the work being done on stopping the water bonds and canal plans, but made it to Sacramento in time for the grave-side service. I was struck by the difference of place:this was a beautiful, flat, park-like place with thousands of grave markers and monuments. The service was short but moving; I am not a church person but understood the connection of the saints to our spirit people and to the passage to a better place. While the location was different and there were no songs to help the departed in their travel, the grief was the same as the funerals I had been to at home.

I cried for this mother who had welcomed me into her family as one of her own and I cried for her children and relatives she was leaving behind in this physical world but, I was happy to remember that her family had been brought up in the best way possible: with love and respect and a sense of duty to their communities. I remembered from other times seeing one son in his police uniform, a grandson in his military regalia, a daughter caring for those who were sick and another who worked in youth corrections but with a firmness that was like an aunt making sure you stay out of trouble and my Brother who educates and counsels the students of the university. These gifts that Tina left for the world erased the tears from my face as they, like the gifts left by the others I have sung to the other side, will remain strong and vibrant with the memory of their mother.

We are losing the golden generation due to disease and age, just as we are starting to lose the "boomers" and the children of Gen-X. At ceremony this year, my 10 year-old great nephew spoke to the people. He talked of a great many things, but what fits for me today is his statement:"the children need to take care of their parents and the parents need to take care of their children." This lady that passed, just like my own mother, did just that. And for the children, I know you all did just that too! We will all continue on until we too join our people on the other side of the river but until then we need to continue what that young boy said and take care of each other.

The wedding, I didn't get to, but I want to add the Winnemem family congratulations to Yvonne C and her spouse. Remember that it is the female eagle who chooses her mate and we know that you have chosen well.

Ted Kennedy and the Winnemem

As we all now know, Senator Ted Kennedy passed away. Why is this noteworthy to the Winnemem? Well, although he was from Massachusetts and had a past that was not all that stellar, he made up for it and served the country to the best of his ability.

He died due to a cancer in his brain I hear, and I wonder if the stem cell research he was talking about awhile back might have saved him? I don't know but I do know that of all the Senators in Washington, even including those from our state here of California, Mr. Kennedy, gave the Winnemem some of his time and encouragement.

Caleen and I met him at a dinner we attended and spoke to him about his brother Jack's visit to Redding for the dedication of Keswick Dam. We talked to him about Bobby's committment to Indian people while he was running for President in 1968. We talked to him about the broken promises made to the Winnemem and all California Tribal people and you know what? He listened, offered some suggestions and shared a laugh with us, not at our expense but from his heart.

We join those who knew him and respected him for his work in the Senate in expressing our condolences to his family: one that seems to have had its share of misfortune amidst the fortune it realized. We are sad that he has gone: as I said he, a man from the East Coast, took the time to meet with us and talk with us. Perhaps Senators Feinstein and Boxer will some day do the same.

Sacramento Court Hearing Postponed

In what may be a sign of hope, the Judge hearing the Government's motion of dismissal in our case in Sacramento Federal Court, has asked both sides in the litigation for additional information in order to make his ruling regarding jurisdiction. The hearing scheduled for Friday the 21st, is postponed until all sides have submitted their documents to the court.

In an email to tribal members yesterday, Tribal Spiritual Leader Caleen Sisk-Franco, reported, "At ceremony we danced and prayed for the judge to see us and hear us. Thank all of you for that prayer because it now looks like the judge wants to take a closer look at our complaint. We will keep our fire burning and keep up our prayers. We will let you know as soon as we have a new date for the court hearing."

The tribe continues it efforts to protect the sacred land scape around us and continues to work hard on issues that affect all of your water and land issues being heard in Sacramento.

Thanks again to all who indicated they would join us in Sacramento on Friday, we will keep you informed and hope that you continue to support the tribe's efforts to rectify the wrongs committed against the earth and our cultural places.

Red Rider, The Virginian, Hoss Cartwright, Hondo

Red Rider, The Virginian, Hoss Cartwright, Hondo. Characters on TV shows running the range free and easy, killing when necessary, sanitary, no fuss no muss. Indians and Mexicans need not apply … unless you wanted to live in the High Chaparral.
I wondered as a child who my heroes might be: Gene Autry back in the saddle changing with time to Willie Nelson singing about mammas and their babies growing up to be cowboys and such. I marveled at the fool on the hill, Tonto (Spanish for fool) for those who speak the southern tongue, riding with the Lone Ranger, chasing the bad guys, knowing the signs and speaking a very clean, yet stilted version of English. Was he my hero? I’m not sure, was he yours?
I wonder why it is today people get up in arms and offended by a cartoon version of the herstory of Virginia (Pocahontas) yet allow Turner Network Television to present the worst in stereotypical caricatures imaginable. Have you seen the transformation of a rabbit into an Indian or for that matter a shufflin’ black man from the south? How about the daffiest of ducks “woo wooing” around in a war bonnet on his mallard head? Do you see the cartoons everyday or do your kids hide them from you?

TV images that no one really sees and TV images that cause every one to see. Why worry? It all comes out in the wash … I know this from the commercials on the box. Lately an Indian in a cupboard had the attention of folks. How racist they say. “Buy the video and have your own Indian!” I hear what people say and have to laugh, not so much at them, but at the idiocy of the arguments. We have people, Indian people, dying from the effects of poverty, cold weather, indifference, apathy and every other unspeakable act you can imagine.

We have California Indian people, terminated at the hand of a malevolent-benevolent government, denied services essential to their well being. And we have people dying, no longer recognized as Indian, but being buried in a cemetery sanctified by an act of congress for those very same Indians. Buried so close to their ancestral lands, now under the water of another Lake Perfidy, holding in their cold, still hands the papers, signed by President Grover Cleveland, allotting them tracts of land … and people are more concerned about an Indian and a key and a cupboard.

In this day and age, we the people need to get on the right page of the TV Guide. We need to reevaluate our thinking and forget the images we have seen residing within the magic box. We need to see what needs to be seen and not ignore it but act upon it! Forget the previous images, those that showed you a noble Redman or the one that shows the Redman drunk or dead in the gutter. Look at the people as people … do what we can and what needs to be done. Our old people are crying for us: the Indians, the white people, and all those of the other colors of the sacred circle. The old people are crying for us because we have too long been accustomed to seeing an image and allowing that image to color over the actual picture within our heart’s eye.

I see so many people in trouble, so many people with little hope and when I speak of these things I see the images coming from the mouth of those I speak with. Visualize a TV set with hair and eyes showing only the same picture over and over again. I don’t get the reaction that one would expect from such a caring, loving society … yeah right … America first brother, keep out the immigrant. Good thinking, only 500 hundred years too late.

You can read the future history of the United States by looking at the way it has treated the

Cremations and Tribal sacred landscapes

Why is it that folks find it necessary to dump their cremated remains in tribal springs and places that have been, unfortunately, revealed as sacred to Indian people?

I hate to report, again, that the Winnemem spring on Mt Shasta has been visited by the grim reapers again, with, I'm told 3 new cremains left since the Forest Service, unadvisedly I must say, opened the meadow to people this week. Readers will remember that we had to have the area closed off a few years back to remove remains that permeated the walls and earth around the spring and refused to come pout of the springs pores...it was disheartening them, as now, to watch bone fragments swirl around in our Genesis place, like debris in a washing machine. Back then the Forest Service to us, "those are animal bones!" Well, when we started pulling teeth, bridgework, gold crowns and metal tabs from Levi's, they changed their tune and closed the water area off because of the health hazard it posed.

Japanese people who came all the way here were appalled when we told them remains were in the water that they were reverently drinking. I wonder if other "pilgrims" to the spring feel the same way.

I took a cruise around the web and found sites that advocate spreading your dead at sites sacred to "Indians", because it will get your relative closer to "God". I don't think that god or the Creator, would want one of their creations (clean, pure water), defiled in this manner.

So, if you see stuff like this happening, in Winnemem Territory or anywhere tribes stand humble and reverent, ask the folks with the urns to think about what they are doing. I believe that good old Uncle George or Aunt Sue, would rather be anywhere else then stuck in the spin cycle of someones washing machine.

Getting it Right when on a deadline

Bruce Ross, an editor at the Redding Record Searchlight, had this posted on his blog:

Live from the war dance

Monday, April 20, 2009

The Record Searchlight wasn't able to send a reporter down to Sacramento to cover the Winnemen Wintus' "war dance" last night and today's march to the state Capitol (though Dylan Darling caught up with them beforehand).

The Bee, however, dispatched a war-dance correspondent, who got an earful from Mark Franco:

When legislation for Shasta Dam was approved by Congress, it contained a promise to acquire property for the Winnemem to replace the 4,480 acres of tribal and allotment lands that would be flooded.

That promise has not been kept, Mark Franco said, and the government continues to appropriate areas that the tribe considers sacred. The tribe's permit to gather wood from a manzanita grove for ceremonial fires has been rescinded and the grove turned into a campground, he said.

In addition, he said, the Bureau of Land Management has refused to allow continued use of a tribal cemetery.

"So when we bury someone, we are in danger of being arrested," Franco said.

I tried to respond on his page with the following but could not get their computer to let me log on so I will put my reply here:


The "war dance correspondent" got some of the information wrong: The permit was not to gather wood (the USFS destroyed the manzanita grove in violation of an agreement not to cut that area) The permit was one to use our old roundhouse site for open ceremony, we held the ceremony in secret until the passage of the American Indian Religious Freedoms Act in 1978 - we got the permit in 1979. That permit was revoked, no new permit issued and the area is under consideration as a FS campground - we are in opposition to this.

The BLM mention pertains to their policy of not allowing burials on "their lands". Since the tribal cemetery is now under BLM control, rather than held by the BIA, burials are not allowed. Until these issues are resolved (hence the lawsuit) we do stand to be arrested for violating federal law by burying in the active cemetery.
The Bee did a good job in the initial report but the way it comes across here, makes these very real issues seem like a minor complaint by a petulant child when in fact it is a wakeup call for all of us that our individual rights and the freedoms we enjoy are being eroded by a government too big to worry about the non-rich, non-majority people of this land. I really wish the Searchlight could have sent Dylan Darling to cover this event; he had a lot of the information right in his initial report filed Sunday the 19th.

I genuinely like the Blog items on the RS web page. Mr. Ross has covered a lot of very important issues in a humorous and honest manner. I hope he continues his work. I just want to make sure that when we are quoted (in this case not by Mr. Ross but by Sacramento Bee) that the quotation is accurate. I am not a journalist by any means, my job with the tribe is to report to the people, accurately, what leadership wants told. Hopefully, just as I tell the students who come to our village in search of information for their targeted degrees, they will get it right.

No offense to the reporters who must cover stories at the drop of a hat; yours is not an easy job by any means and the information that you provide is needed now more than ever.

Anyway, we will have more to say about the lawsuit when the government has had a chance to reply; until then read your newspaper, express your opinion and make a difference in the world - just do it right.

War Dance in Sacramento - Final Event Update 17 April 2009

Michael Preston
(530) 209-1235 cell



*** Media Advisory ***

Tribal War Dance and March Next Steps in Winnemem Wintu Tribe’s Journey to Justice Ceremonies Initiate Federal Lawsuit on behalf of Tribe.

Who: The Winnemem Wintu Tribe, a traditional California Tribe. The Winnemem have been fighting for years to sustain their culture and address generations of broken promises by the federal government.

What: War Dance, march and press conference from Sacramento River to the State Capitol..
Winnemem war dancers and tribal leaders will perform a traditional ceremonial War Dance next to the Sacramento River and will then march to the State Capitol building. The march and War Dance initiate the federal lawsuit the Tribe is filing, asking for compensation for damages done by federal land management policies, including the construction of the Shasta Dam.

Schedule of events:

Sunday, April 19th: 6:00pm War Dance begins at 1501 Northgate Blvd. Camp Pollock

Monday, April 20th: Ceremony continues on from the night before followed by address by Tribal leaders at Camp Pollock.

10:00 AM March from Old Sacramento to Capitol Building

12:00 to 1:00 PM Press Conference with Tribal leaders and community members State Capitol Location 27 West side of capitol building

More Information
The Winnemem Wintu Tribe is filing a lawsuit against Department of The Interior; Department of Agriculture; United States Forest Service; Bureau of Reclamation; Bureau of Indian Affairs; Bureau of Land Management; Ken Salazar, Secretary of The Interior; Assistant Secretary for Water and Science; Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks in The Department of Agriculture; and Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture asking for redress for decades of injustices and harm related to federal land management policies which have destroyed Winnemem cultural practices and sacred places.
The Winnemem began a journey to justice in 2004 with a War Dance at Shasta Dam. Today we continue that journey with another War Dance and this lawsuit. Our people are a traditional people, steeped in our culture and traditional lifeways, who have continued our cultural practices throughout the written history of the state of California. With this lawsuit and War Dance, we continue our journey to ensure our basic quality of life and freedom to maintain our traditions and culture.

Thinking of Stuff

The Tribe has been busy; meaning that the Boss and I have been on the run working on protecting what's left of the cultural places from the greedy and uncaring. We have garnered a lot of support for this effort and we are truly grateful. Anyway, as I was sitting here this morning, thinking about things other than the workings of the government and those private companies that only see monetary profit and loss (not any other profit and loss like: what can be gained sitting near the bank of a clear, cold stream or river and what the effect of the loss is to our collective souls).

So, as I was saying, I got to thinking about stuff and looked at a story I had written awhile back and I thought, today, I would share another side of myself. Before putting it down here though, I just want to thank all of the people who brought me to the place where I feel I can share: Cal, Memsy, and my very close friends. Thank you and enjoy.

The Old Ones

I observed the old ones standing along the side of the road watching as we picked up their relation and carried him away. Standing, silently observing what we did, watching each step we took as if ready to correct us for any mistakes we may have made. They stood, shoulders stooped from the wait of their years it seemed; stooped over looking to the world around as if sad men at a sad time.

Their relation had been killed on the road, hit by a car and left behind, uncared for, un-grieved and uncovered as the world rode by. We arrived a few hours after he had been killed, pulling over to the side of the freeway, looking carefully and stepping up to do what was only right. While we worked the two old ones stood, watching us.

I think to this day, that I heard them speak to each other in a soft, almost lyrical way; a way that I had not heard in a long time; a way that is almost forgotten today. They spoke in a good way, a way that leant much solace to those around and to the spirit of the one who had died.

As I sit now, remembering and hearing them through my mind’s ears, writing down their words, a tear comes to my eyes like hot water dripping from the leaky sink in my small kitchen. They spoke to me out there on the side of the road. Their message was to others but I know in my heart that they were telling me their story.

“He was a good one, that fellow over there”, the first said. “He was careless” the other replied. “How can you say that? Look at him dead, hit by a car that ran away. Ran away like a thief.” “I remember him” said the other. “He never really paid attention to anything around him, he never listened to anyone and he sure wasn’t good for anything1!” “How can you say that? He was our relation. If he failed at his life then we are as much to blame for his passing as the one who hit him!” “Think of this” the older one said. I remember all of this and remember too thinking how sad it was to watch people arguing in the presence of death.

“Am I to blame for all of this” answered the other. “No, not all of this but we are all responsible for some of this”. The older one continued, “We had an obligation as relatives to help steer this young one in a good direction, to show by example, how to live in a community: how to be supportive, productive and how to walk within the confines of this world. We should have spent more time and energy talking with this young one, at least as much time as we spent talking about him. That would have made a difference”. Saying this, the older one flew off to the west, the sun showing brightly on his wings as he banked slowly and look back at me and the other and the one gone on the ground below.

Even now I wonder why I was allowed into this private world where these two egrets talked about the one killed by the car. Perhaps I need to examine how I reach out to the young men around me; look at the way I help them or don’t help them as the case may be. I think that we can influence people in so many ways either negatively or positively in such subtle ways: looks, a gesture, our body posture, all of these tell such loud stories. When I think of that egret lying in the road I think of our young men who unfortunately also sometimes end up lying in the center of the road without a hand to help them up or a hand to put them away.

A good friend of mine is like that older egret. He has a way about him that I admire and wish I could emulate. He cares for all of his relations without reservation and is able to share the feelings that I keep locked away until I am in a private place where only I can see them emerge.

Rocky Point Charter School

I recently had the opportunity to talk with the students in Mrs. Hobbs combined fifth through eighth grade classes at the Rocky Point Charter School, located in Redding California. I have always been an advocate of charter education and found the experience of talking with these children, to be a highlight of the work that I do on behalf of the tribe.

Mrs. Hobbs and the staff administration of the school are to be congratulated on the innovative approach that they are taking it educating the children of Shasta County. During the time that I was on campus, which was actually more than an hour longer than I intended to be there, I found that the teaching practicum, classroom management styles, and the general behavior of the children was better than in any of the other schools that I have had the opportunity to work with. This is not to say, but the children and staff of the public schools are lacking in the ability to learn and to accept new ideas, only that the Rocky point school has made a point of including their children, as they say, as members of the "crew" that propels their ship of education.

During my presentation , the students listened attentively and I could see as they listened they were formulating questions based on information they were just then hearing, and combining that information with what they had studied prior to my arrival. The students asked questions of the caliber of those asked by students I have spoken before in universities and colleges around the country.

After we have completed our visit, students who had come into the presentation not truly understanding the effect of damming rivers, flooding traditional homelands of tribal people, or even realizing that there were other Wintu bands who still exist in Shasta County besides those of the rancheria, were heard saying that they had formed updated opinions on the topics discussed and were looking forward to seeing the areas we talked about to actually see the effect of Shasta Dam on those places .

For those of you in Shasta County looking for quality education for your children, let me wholeheartedly recommend that you look into the Rocky Point Charter School as an alternative educational experience for your children.

I look forward to visiting the school again and appreciate the questions, the hospitality, and most importantly, the children of Mrs. Hobbs' class.

Pacific Gas & Electric and the Winnemem Wintu tribe

For those of you who have been following the actions that the Winnemem Wintu have been involved in over the last few years, you may remember that PG&E is in the process of renewing their hydroelectric license through FERC for the McCloud River reservoir. The tribe has been involved in negotiations with PG&E and in consultation involving the U.S. Forest Service, Sierra Pacific Industries, Hearst Corp., Cal Trout and others who are listed as "interested parties". During the initial stages of the consultation on this project, PG&E, was not forthcoming in all of the details and in all of the actions that would be involved in completing the FERC application. namely they did not divulge at this project would include additional hydroelectric generator station on the existing McCloud reservoir, nor did they divulge that an additional 14 miles of transmission line, either above ground or below, would be needed for the project. They also did not divulge any information regarding appurtenant roadwork, or other construction, that would be needed for the installation of these new components. Initial studies that had begun, did not include this information, and so the tribe feels that the studies that have been undertaken are incomplete and flawed at this stage of the process. Additionally you may remember that the tribe, while in meetings that discussed waterflow, riparian habitat, geologic and hydrologic concerns, stated our questions regarding these activities and were advised that those issues were better served in meetings that dealt strictly with cultural issues.

Seeing the difficulties that the tribe would be faced with, we asked at the beginning of the process, for the tribe to enter into an MOU that would stipulate certain requirements, rights and responsibilities to be undertaken by both parties. The tribe also asked that an ethnographer of our choosing, be hired to complete the ethnographic study on behalf of the tribe. All of this began almost a year ago in 2008. By the time PG&E and the tribe completed the paperwork required, we were almost into the beginning of winter. Now, just imagine,how difficult it is, to conduct field investigations and fieldwork in the snow, rain, and mud of the Winter. It is now February 2009, our ethnographer, Shelley Davis-King, has been hard at work trying to cram into a very short period of time, almost one year of fieldwork. I must commend Shelley, for her hard work and dedication to this project. She has done, in a short period of time, what personnel from the Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation, and other agencies that we have become involved with, have failed to do in much greater periods of time. Our tribe is extremely grateful, and recommend without hesitation, Shelley Davis-King as a person of integrity, and great understanding of tribal mores and procedures so needed by those who engage in the type of work that she does, but who do not measure up to the standards that she has set.

So what does all this have to do with the Winnemem and PG&E you might be asking yourself. As part of the contract awarded to Ms.Davis-King, money has been provided as stipends for informants who have information pertinent to tribal areas of concern within the area of potential effect of this project that PG&E is working on. Since it is now winter, the tribes' use of electricity to heat the homes of our elders and those of our members who are ill, has caused an increase in our overall consumption. The tribe now faces PG&E bills that run from approximately $1400 to $3000 each month. I was thinking about this the other day as I was paying the bills, and I realized that with all of the money that it takes to travel to meetings, time away from working on the other affairs of the tribe, and the mental wear and tear of dealing with a large corporation concerned only with making money and, apparently destroying the pristine nature of the upper McCloud River, that even with the money our tribal people obtain from working on the FERC licensing, the Winnemem Wintu tribe loses approximately $2500 a month.

It seems as though we are beating our heads against a hydroelectric dam and that when the new generators are installed, the new power lines are placed through our tribal territory, and the efforts of our ethnographers and tribal people are finally written down, we will have done all of this work for PG&E only for the reason that they need to check a box that says " we consulted with the Indians", "we heard their concerns, but we went ahead with the project anyway".

I don't know about you, but I think it's time that tribal people and those who are concerned about protecting the fisheries and the water flows of the rivers in northern California, stand up and say enough is enough. Big corporations need to better respond to the concerns of tribal people and to those who are dedicated to protecting the environment and the ecology of northern California and not just provide lip service or a mere "check the box" action to satisfy an even larger federal bureaucracy.

We are continuing to document our tribal history with Shelley Davis-King, and we are continuing to have representatives at meetings with PG&E and the other players in the McCloud Pit re-FERC, but our patience and our goodwill are flagging. We believe that people should be open and transparent at the beginning of projects, and not add changes or additions that are not considered during the initial study phases, and not try to wear down the participants by holding meetings in far off locations, where most of the participants are paid employees and where tribal people must attend using their own limited funds.

I'm sure I'll have more to say about this subject later on in the week, and I know that I have been remiss in posting our thoughts and happenings of the Winnemem Wintu on this blog, but I have been chasing down and documenting sites on the upper river in the rain, and the snow.