Post by blackcrowheart on Nov 25, 2006 10:54:45 GMT -5
Natives share views on culture Local American Indians reflect on their
heritage, influence on United States. Sunday, November 05, 2006 By
Cammi Clark
www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1162720\
676155590.xml&coll=1&thispage=1
<http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-7/116272\
0676155590.xml&coll=1&thispage=1>
As the first people to call our country home, American Indians have a
long, rich heritage that they want to share.
November has been designated for that as National American Indian
Heritage Month since 1990.
During the month, the generations of American Indians and Alaska Natives
who have added to the character of the nation are honored, according to
a proclamation by President Bush.
<http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/posts\
tandard/n/nesreg/@storyad?x>
The Post-Standard talked to a few local American Indians about what they
wish people knew about their heritage:
Dale Rood
Rood, 46, is a studio operations director for Four Directions
Productions, which is part of Four Directions Media of the Oneida
Nation. He's also a Turtle Clan representative and an Oneida member.
Government: The federal government and state government, people think
they are the only two governments that exist. There are native
governments. Some of the Iroquois confederacy are a direct influence on
the United States of America, but people don't readily know that.
Folklore: Getting out native stories to let people better understand the
position of native people why certain things are important, get out the
Oneida stories and the Oneida way of life. Most folklore has meaning
behind it. We are working on a production called "Raccoon and Crayfish."
The meaning behind that is you don't lie. At the end of the day the
crayfish lied and all his buddies got eaten up because of it. We're
taking those stories and animating them for the first time. I try to
take native folklore and put them into a format for non-native people to
better understand who we are as native people.
Federal money: The other thing is the misperception that all Indian
nations are on a federal dole. For the Oneida Nation that's not true. We
started taking federal money in the early '90s, but we have been able to
turn back a lot of those federal money.
Stereotypes: It's not uncommon the stereotypes that take place, such as
there's no Indians east of the Mississippi, which we know is not true.
There's some people that think we still live in tepees, that we don't
have houses and still hunt buffalo.
Page 2 of 2
We hold fast to our beliefs and we want to be able to exist and run our
government just like any other government in this world.
Freida Jacques
Jacques is a home and school liaison for the Onondaga Nation School and
a member of the Onondaga Nation.
Government: Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson recognized the value
of many parts of our governing ways. Each nation governed itself but was
under the (Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois) confederacy. The
states being under the federal government (is) one example of the
adoption of our way.
Our view: Our world view and outlook on life is one of thanksgiving.
That includes all those parts of creation - like the people, the earth,
the medicine, berries, birds, tree life, thunder, sun, moon, stars -
that fulfill their duty given to them by the creator each day. We as
humans benefit from all of these; we are mere consumers. Our duty is to
be thankful.
History: Clinton (and) Sullivan in 1779 were sent by George Washington
basically to exterminate us. It wasn't a case of two armies meeting to
fight or battle. Basically, it was a land grab.
Margaret Splain
Splain, 62, is director of Central New York Indian Country Outreach for
the Oneida Indian Nation and an Oneida Nation member. Here's what she
had to say:
Veterans: One of the things that's kind of important is our veteran
heritage. Oneida people have served in every war. . . . The Oneidas were
actually the first allies of the colonists in the American Revolution.
The Oneidas were never at war with the United States.
Status of women: We were influential in the women's rights movements.
The Iroquois women were such a strong force in their own community the
Europeans were envious. We were able to wear the kind of clothing that
was comfortable . . . Iroquois women were very influential. They had
freedom of speech in their own community.
Education: We were never taught about ourselves in school. People still
think we lived in tepees, and we didn't. We lived in longhouses. We were
never written about in the history of the country.
Cammi Clark can be reached at cclark@syracuse.com or 470-6005.
heritage, influence on United States. Sunday, November 05, 2006 By
Cammi Clark
www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1162720\
676155590.xml&coll=1&thispage=1
<http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-7/116272\
0676155590.xml&coll=1&thispage=1>
As the first people to call our country home, American Indians have a
long, rich heritage that they want to share.
November has been designated for that as National American Indian
Heritage Month since 1990.
During the month, the generations of American Indians and Alaska Natives
who have added to the character of the nation are honored, according to
a proclamation by President Bush.
<http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/posts\
tandard/n/nesreg/@storyad?x>
The Post-Standard talked to a few local American Indians about what they
wish people knew about their heritage:
Dale Rood
Rood, 46, is a studio operations director for Four Directions
Productions, which is part of Four Directions Media of the Oneida
Nation. He's also a Turtle Clan representative and an Oneida member.
Government: The federal government and state government, people think
they are the only two governments that exist. There are native
governments. Some of the Iroquois confederacy are a direct influence on
the United States of America, but people don't readily know that.
Folklore: Getting out native stories to let people better understand the
position of native people why certain things are important, get out the
Oneida stories and the Oneida way of life. Most folklore has meaning
behind it. We are working on a production called "Raccoon and Crayfish."
The meaning behind that is you don't lie. At the end of the day the
crayfish lied and all his buddies got eaten up because of it. We're
taking those stories and animating them for the first time. I try to
take native folklore and put them into a format for non-native people to
better understand who we are as native people.
Federal money: The other thing is the misperception that all Indian
nations are on a federal dole. For the Oneida Nation that's not true. We
started taking federal money in the early '90s, but we have been able to
turn back a lot of those federal money.
Stereotypes: It's not uncommon the stereotypes that take place, such as
there's no Indians east of the Mississippi, which we know is not true.
There's some people that think we still live in tepees, that we don't
have houses and still hunt buffalo.
Page 2 of 2
We hold fast to our beliefs and we want to be able to exist and run our
government just like any other government in this world.
Freida Jacques
Jacques is a home and school liaison for the Onondaga Nation School and
a member of the Onondaga Nation.
Government: Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson recognized the value
of many parts of our governing ways. Each nation governed itself but was
under the (Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois) confederacy. The
states being under the federal government (is) one example of the
adoption of our way.
Our view: Our world view and outlook on life is one of thanksgiving.
That includes all those parts of creation - like the people, the earth,
the medicine, berries, birds, tree life, thunder, sun, moon, stars -
that fulfill their duty given to them by the creator each day. We as
humans benefit from all of these; we are mere consumers. Our duty is to
be thankful.
History: Clinton (and) Sullivan in 1779 were sent by George Washington
basically to exterminate us. It wasn't a case of two armies meeting to
fight or battle. Basically, it was a land grab.
Margaret Splain
Splain, 62, is director of Central New York Indian Country Outreach for
the Oneida Indian Nation and an Oneida Nation member. Here's what she
had to say:
Veterans: One of the things that's kind of important is our veteran
heritage. Oneida people have served in every war. . . . The Oneidas were
actually the first allies of the colonists in the American Revolution.
The Oneidas were never at war with the United States.
Status of women: We were influential in the women's rights movements.
The Iroquois women were such a strong force in their own community the
Europeans were envious. We were able to wear the kind of clothing that
was comfortable . . . Iroquois women were very influential. They had
freedom of speech in their own community.
Education: We were never taught about ourselves in school. People still
think we lived in tepees, and we didn't. We lived in longhouses. We were
never written about in the history of the country.
Cammi Clark can be reached at cclark@syracuse.com or 470-6005.