Baregrass.Com » Native Americans

Getting Lazy Again

baregrass — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:22:36 +0000

Looks like I have abandoned this blog again but to tell the truth I just haven’t had a lot to say lately and I’ve been rather busy with other interests. My bandmates and I have been getting ready for the bluegrass festival coming up in May in Tucumcari, New Mexico so it’s been practice, practice. Strange thing I have noticed; it’s not as easy to learn new songs as it was 30 years ago. I really don’t know why. But it is still fun!

Oh, and by the way concerning New Mexico native Americans, Santo Domingo Pueblo has reclaimed its original name and is now officially Kewa Pueblo. Good for them.

Questions For Eloise Cobell

baregrass — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:26:29 +0000

In the case of Cobell vs. Salazar Ms. Cobell is taking questions from those native Americans that will be affected by the recent settlement offer from the federal government. Here is the web site and instructions:

http://cobellsettlement.com/class/ask_elouise.php

It is our hopes that Congress will pass the enabling legislation and the process can move forward.

Cobell vs. Salazar

baregrass — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:26:15 +0000

Finally! Looks like there might be a resolution to the lawsuit filed so many years ago by Elouise Cobell of the Blackfeet tribe against the US Department of the Interior. The lawsuit claimed that the federal government mismanaged individual Indians’ trust accounts and had been doing so for around a hundred years. For more and better details go to the plaintiff’s press release here.

For all my criticisms of the Obama administration they have made an effort here to clear up one of the festering wounds in the relations between the Native Americans and the federal government. I just wish the amount settled on was much closer to the real damage done to the tribes. We can send billions overseas but we can’t do right by the poorest and most under represented population in this country. Now Congress has to do the right thing and clear this settlement out fast.

Congratulations to Ms. Cobell and God bless you.

August Events At The Pueblos

baregrass — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 21:47:34 +0000

Here are some upcoming events at some of the Indian Pueblos in August. Be aware that all the Indian Pueblos do not allow cameras nor recording devices and tribal officers will confiscate them.

August 2 – Jemez Pueblo – feast day and Corn Dance

August 4 – Santo Domingo Pueblo – feast day and Corn Dance

August 10 – Picuris Pueblo – feast day and Corn Dance

Santa Clara Pueblo – annual feast day and native dances

Cobell vs. Salazar

baregrass — Mon, 11 May 2009 23:17:53 +0000

The three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia held an hour long hearing today in the appeal of trial judge Robinson’s ruling in the case of the over 100 year’s of mismanagement of the Indian Trust Fund. Even after Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s statements that he would try to settle the litigation, the government argued today that the Native Americans who have had their trust money mismanaged are owed nothing.

So much for the Obama administration providing “hope and change” in Federal-Native American relations. It’s the “same old, same old” all over again. The government could settle this in a heartbeat by offering a fair settlement to the plaintiffs but, and this is the third administration that has been dealing with this, the only attitude is to stonewall and offer nothing. Let’s hope the Court of Appeals does the right thing.

In an ominous note regarding the case, one of the plaintiff’s attorneys, Mark Levy, committed suicide by gunshot just a few days ago. I hope there will be an investigation of this.

Here isthe Indian Trust website: http://www.indiantrust.com/

Another Promise To Indians on The Way To Being Broken?

baregrass — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:41:51 +0000

“Honor the Trust Responsibility: Barack Obama recognizes that honoring the government-to-government relationship requires fulfillment of the United States’ trust responsibility to tribes and individual Indians. More specifically, Obama is committed to meaningful reform of the broken system that manages and administers the trust lands and other trust assets belonging to tribes and individual Indians. Further, he is committed to resolving equitably with both tribes and individual Indians litigation resulting from the past failures in the administration and accounting of their trust assets.”

The above quote is from my.barackobama.com/page/content/firstamissues#sovereignty

If the president is really serious about keeping that promise he could very well start by settling the Cobell vs. Salazar case that is still in its agonizing 13 year journey through the federal court system. Despite statements that he wanted to settle the case President Obama’s new secretary of the interior, Ken Salazar, is now backtracking and saying that he has to wait for the outcome of the court of appeals hearing scheduled in May. What a bunch of baloney! If the administration wanted to settle it could do so tomorrow by contacting the plaintiff and arriving at an agreement. A radical change for the better in how the government deals with Native Americans would be a good thing and a good way to start would be for the administration to do the right thing in this case. I don’t think it will happen though but there is still hope.

Two more last comments. This administration and previous administrations have absolutely no problem with giving away billions to other countries, much of which goes into the hands of corrupt and greedy officials with no sense of social conscience for their own people. Billions more have been funneled to foreign banks by means of the recent bailouts. Is it so hard to do the right thing by the remnants of the First Nations of this country?? And, considering the treatment given to the Arapahos and the Cheyennes by the State of Colorado, it would be nice if Secretary Salazar, who is a former Senator from Colorado, could make a step towards wiping that blot out by sitting down and coming to an equitable agreement with the plaintiff.

Update # 2 on Cobell vs. Kempthorne

baregrass — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:33:08 +0000

Cobell vs. Kempthorne is now Cobell vs. Salazar since Ken Salazar, the former senator from Colorado, is now the head of the US Department of the Interior. It will be interesting to see what happens because the history of the state of Colorado’s relations with Native Americans is very bad. Basically the Native people were all killed or driven out except the Southern Utes. Salazar maintains that the Obama administration will try to settle the litigation. The proof will be in the pudding of course.

For more information go to the Cobell vs. Salazar home page.

In a previous post I stated that the plaintiffs were offered a $7 billion settlement by the federal government. That statement was based on information from media sources and since has proven to be false. The government never made a settlement offer at any price according to the plaintiffs and they should know.

When will the day come when the Native People in this country get a fair deal?

Here is the plaintiff’s web site: http://www.indiantrust.com/index.cfm

December Happenings In The Rest Of New Mexico

admin — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 22:00:18 +0000

Here are some of the events in the Northern, Central, Southern and Western parts of New Mexico.

December 1-31

Aztec – Fantasy of Lights Show at Riverside Park.

December 5

Albuquerque – Holiday Stroll in Old Town.

Lordsburg – Light Parade on Motel Drive.

Socorro – Annual Luminarias on the Plaza.

December 5 & 6

Gallup – Red Rock Ballon Rally at Red Rock Park.

December 6

Belen – La Gran Pastorela (a Spanish Folk Play).

Deming – Christmas Light Parade downtown.

Hillsboro – Christmas in the Foothills.

December 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21

Madrid – Christmas in Madrid Open House.

December 10 & 11

Las Cruces – Our Lady of Guadalupe Fiesta in Tortugas.

December 12

Santa Fe – Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.

Bernalillo – Christmas at Kuaua at Coronado State Monument.

Albuquerque – Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.

Jemez Pueblo – Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day and Matachines Dance.

Pojoaque Pueblo – Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day and traditional Dance.

December 13

Jemez Springs – Farolito Tour at Jemez State Park.

Las Cruces – Luminaria Tour at Ft. Selden State Monument.

Rio Rancho – Jingle Bell Balloon Rally at the Events Center.

Socorro – Christmas at El Camino Real Heritage Center.

Truth Or Consequences – Beachwalk Luminarias at Elephant Butte State Park.

December 13 & 14

Albuquerque – A Pueblo Christmas at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. (Lots of good stuff here!)

December 14

Santa Fe – Las Posadas (a traditional Spanish Christmas Play) at the Palace of the Governors.

December 16

Las Cruces – Las Posadas at St. Genevieve Church.

December 18

Silver City – Frontier Christmas at the Silver City Museum.

December 23

Farmington – Navajo Nativity at the Four Corners Home For Children.

December 24

Albuquerque – Luminaria Tour. Bus tour Starts in Old Town. (This is well worth while!)

Angel Fire – Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade and Fireworks at Angel Fire Resort.

Mesilla – Christmas Carols and Luminarias on the Plaza.

Santa Fe – Farolitos on the Plaza.

December 25

Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan Pueblo) – Deer or Matachines Dance.

Picuris Pueblo – Matachines Dance.

Taos Pueblo – Deer or Matachines Dance.

December 25 – 27

Laguna Pueblo – Dances following Mass.

December 25 – 28

Zia Pueblo – Dances.

December 27

Alcalde – Los Comanches re-enactment and celebration.

Update on Cobell vs. Kempthorne

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 21:33:16 +0000

The plaintiffs in the case have decided to appeal Judge Robinson’s ruling. The judge has agreed to enter a written order next week that will allow a prompt appeal of his latest rulings in the class action suit over the government’s mismanagement of the Indian Trust Funds. Go here for the latest.

I wish the plaintiffs all success.

Update To Cobell vs. Kempthorne

admin — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 00:22:23 +0000

Well, Judge Robinson finally made a ruling and it was a shocker. He bought the government’s argument hook line and sinker! The award was a little over $455 million dollars, a bare fraction of what the defendants were asking. This paltry sum for what amounts to over 100 years of demonstrated fraud, incompetence and outright theft by the government is a outrage and an affront to decency and the rule of law. If you want to read his opinion click here. You can read his reasoning, if you want to call it that, but I still have one more question. There are multifarious instances of judges spelling out their legal reasoning to cover a corrupt decision. Is this such a case? Did he bow to pressure or was he promised something? To me anyway, the decision just plain stinks.

At this point it seems that the plaintiffs should have settled for the $7 billion figure that was offered in settlement by the government a while back but even that was way too low.

I am so outraged by this that it is hard to write coherently about it so I will simply close by saying that if the plaintiffs choose to appeal I wish them all success.

To read about the background of the case go to the plaintiff’s web site.