INDIAN MEN AND BOYS MURDERED MOB STYLE BY MORMAN STUDIES SHOW
Archaeologists: Indians were executed by Mormons Friday, June 8, 2007 Filed Under: National
Utah state archaeologists who have spent nine months examining the remains of seven Indian men and boys say they were executed by Mormon settlers.
The remains -- in 1,800 bones and bone fragments -- were found in a shallow grave last August. They belonged to men and boys from ages 12 to 35.
Archaeologists initially thought the men and boys were killed in a skirmish with Mormon settlers. But after finding evidence of bullet wounds -- including some near the top of the heads -- they concluded otherwise.
"It's a situation where you see people down on the ground, with their heads lowered and then shot in the back of the head," assistant state archaeologist Ronald Rood told The Salt Lake Tribune.
The men and boys may have died in the summer and fall of 1853 in what was called the Walker War.
Get the Story: Bones whisper grisly secret (The Salt Lake Tribune 6/8)
Related Stories: Novak: Mitt Romney and a Mormon Massacre (5/4)
Bartleman trashes conditions natives face in northern Ontario "It is Canada's not-so-well- hidden secret that we harbour the Third World within our borders," lieutenant-governor says at WLU BARBARA AGGERHOLM RECORD STAFF
Ontario Lt.-Gov. James Bartleman (left) and Wilfrid Laurier University chancellor Bob Rae listen to an aboriginal song called Eagle Honour, performed by the Good Hearted Women Singers, at the Wilfrid Laurier University spring convocation yesterday.
WATERLOO (Jun 7, 2007)
Children are killing themselves and old people are living in packing cases on some northern Ontario reserves, says Ontario Lt.-Gov. James Bartleman.
It's ironic that these "terrible conditions" exist in a country that is spending billions of dollars to address human needs in the Third World, said Bartleman, who was in Waterloo yesterday.
Bartleman made the sobering comments at the first of six spring convocation ceremonies of Wilfrid Laurier University. Yesterday, graduates received masters and PhD degrees at Laurier's Athletic Complex.
Bartleman's name has been in the news most recently in relation to controversial testimony he gave during the Air India inquiry. He declined to comment on the inquiry yesterday in a brief interview before convocation.
Rather, Bartleman, who received an honorary doctor of laws degree, thanked the university for giving him an opportunity to speak "about an issue that should be of concern to all of us."
His convocation address was one of his last official functions as lieutenant-governor before his five-year term ends in July.
There is much to celebrate among aboriginal people in southern Ontario, including a "small but vigorous" middle class, said Bartleman, noting WLU's groundbreaking aboriginal social work program.
"However, this good news is outweighed by much that is negative," he said.
"It is Canada's not-so-well- hidden secret that we harbour the Third World within our borders. When we move from the south to the north in our province, we go from First World to the Third World."
Bartleman, whose boyhood as a "half-breed kid" facing discrimination and poverty in Muskoka is described in his most recent book, Raisin Wine, made it his priorities to educate people about racism and mental illness, and to help young native people.
Aware of the "transforming power of books" and education, Bartleman launched book drives that set up libraries in First Nations communities, twinned schools in native and non-native communities, created 36 summer literacy camps and a reading club for thousands of children.
He was praised by WLU chancellor Bob Rae as a man of courage who has accomplished much in his life.
There is so much more to be done, Bartleman said.
For decades, aboriginal people in northern Ontario have lived with boil-water advisories, he said. There are communities where elderly people are living in packing cases with tarps over them in weather that is 35 to 50 degrees below zero.
Fifty per cent of native children there have "special needs," not because of their abilities, but because they've never had books or access to what others take for granted, he said.
Bartleman said he knows best the vast area of northern Ontario that is north of the Canadian National Railway line.
First Nations communities there are "out of sight, out of mind," he said. They are struggling with "appalling poverty" and the lingering effects of abuse of parents and grandparents in residential schools.
"Most poignant of all is the shock of ongoing suicides of children." In 26 communities, there have been almost 3,000 suicide attempts in the last decade, and 350 who committed suicide. Almost all were young people.
"They feel inferior and they give up . . . and they have suicide pacts among themselves."
In one community, which Bartleman said he'll visit next week with Gov. Gen. Michalle Jean, three children ages 12 to 14 hanged themselves within a month's time.
Bartleman spoke to their friends. "They had their heads down," and were in a state of serious depression, he said. "They just want to die.
"That is a shock we're not paying attention to."
He blames no particular level of government. Federal, provincial and native governments are "bumping into each other" while children suffer, he said.
But Bartleman said he knows Ontario people want to help.
A recent campaign in which 900,000 books were collected shows there is enormous generosity in this province, he said.
After he retires, Bartleman plans to work with aboriginal university students at Laurentian University in Sudbury. "Generally, I'll encourage them to fulfil their dreams."
The Bush/Cheney Administration is bending over backwards to let states in the Northern Rockies kill as many wolves as possible.
Late last month, federal officials approved a wolf management plan for Wyoming strikingly similar to those they had earlier rejected. The plan gives wolves few new protections and allows them to be shot on sight if they wander outside the protected areas of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and surrounding wilderness areas.
In a related development, federal officials are also working to give the state leeway to kill more wolves -- even while they remain protected under federal law. The proposed federal rule change would allow Wyoming to kill wolves if they cause harm to wildlife -- despite the fact that wolves are wildlife.
Federal officials plan another round of public comments on both matters this summer. Well be sure to let you know how you can get involved.
Grizzly bears, wolverines, lynx, woodland caribou, wolves, and thousands of plants and other wildlife species rely on undisturbed habitat in Americas National Forests. Unfortunately, Bush/Cheney Administration policies that favor road construction, logging and energy development threaten the forest homes of these and other creatures.
When it comes to the upcoming Live Earth concert, the key number is 7. Seven concerts on 7 continents on 7/7/07 to let the world know what were up against when it comes to global warming -- and what we can do to help.
With only one concert per continent, chances are you cant be there in person. But you can invite your friends over to watch and help spread the word about how to help address global warming and protect the penguins, polar bears and other wildlife feeling the heat from global climate change. Want to host a watch party? Let us know!
Last month, Defenders welcomed activists from six states to the Nations Capitol for training on key conservation issues and a chance to speak face-to-face with their Members of Congress. After a day of training with Defenders staff, participants created a lobby plan for visits with their elected officials, and took to the Hill to Speak out for wildlife conservation!
Speaking on issues like global warming and the federal Farm Bill, these ordinary citizens became powerful advocates for our wildlife. Read more about their DC adventures and how a wolf came to the Capitol.
A Deadly Loophole The Polar Bear Protection Act aims to shut a deadly loophole in the Marine Mammal Protection Act that allows wealthy U.S. trophy hunters to kill Canadian polar bears and bring their quarry back into this country. So far, along with our sister organization Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, over 25,000 activists just like you have written to elected officials in support of the legislation.
Red Wolf Victory! When the North Carolina legislature wanted to allow night hunting of coyotes -- which can easily be mistaken for the rare red wolf -- lawmakers got an earful. Over 1000 Defenders activists in the Tar Heel State wrote their elected officials expressing concern. Thanks to these efforts, the world's only remaining red wolves dodged a bullet when the provision was scrapped.
When 11-year-old Mike Hudson first learned about the plight of the red knot, he wanted to do something to help. He shared information and sparked interest with his classmates at GreenMount School in Baltimore, Maryland. Soon, the Friends of the Red Knot -- a club devoted to protecting this struggling shorebird -- was formed. They've only been working for a short time, but these young activists are already making a difference.
Arctic Cod The Arctic cod isnt just another fish in the sea. These slender swimmers anchor the complex food web that supports some of the Arctics most charismatic characters, including polar bears, ringed seals and narwhals. But pollution, overharvesting and global warming pose a challenge for the Arctic cod -- and the entire Arctic marine food web.
Find out more about the Arctic cod and the threats it faces in Chapter Five of our ongoing report:Navigating the Arctic Meltdown.
Cutting While Mowing Mowing the grass can be a real drag on our clean air. Consider replacing a gas-powered lawnmower with an electric or reel push mower. These machines will cut your greenhouse gas emissions while you cut the grass!
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Defenders of Wildlife is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the protection of all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities.
Defenders can be contacted at: 1130 Seventeenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
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Thursday, June 7, 2007
Cherokee voters in Oklahoma are heading to the polls, once again. They'll decide whether or not federal approval is needed to amend their constitution.
The U.S. House is expected to vote today on a bill to grant the Lumbee Tribe federal recognition status. The North Carolina tribe has been fighting for federal recognition for years.
Native American author Sherman Alexie makes a stop on his book tour in Washington D.C. He discussed “Flight,” the story of an orphaned Indian who travels back and forth through time in search of his true identity.
The State of Maine honors Native veterans. On Wednesday, Governor John Baldacci proclaimed the day “Native American Veterans History Day.” Veteran Charles Norman Shay, a Penobscot Indian, was honored.
High winds cause problems across the Navajo Nation. According to the tribe's emergency management office, high winds knocked down trees and power poles in some communities on Wednesday. The Window Rock Airport in Arizona clocked wind speeds of 34-miles per hour, with wind gusts up to 54-miles per hour.
...Understanding our Present by Honoring Our Past
On this day in 1914, Abraham Christian was born in Venetie, Alaska. He helped form the Venetie Indian Reservation and was the traditional chief in the 1980's.
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Red Wolf Victory!
