Volume I Issue II 1997-98 JUNE 1997JUNE 1, 1868: Treaty Day. To begin the return of the Navajo to New Mexico.
The Editor, Mike Smith, gets to say what he wants. There is no editorial "we." |
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| Kayenta: A New Idea | Smoke From A Distant Fire | The Golden Rule |
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| Do It Yourself | A Quick (Sour) Note | If They Are Unidentified? |
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On April 30, 1997, Kayenta, Arizona became the first community on the Navajo Nation to have its own governing body. This has been a 14 year project for the people of this small town, which was once known as "the farthest place from anything." (See Map)
They are planning improvements such as solid waste transfer stations, an airport, a fire station, flood control, city parks, and youth recreational facilities. And streets.
The first order of business was a city tax of 2.5 per cent,
first ever on the reservation. They say this will raise $500,000
a year with 80 per cent of it coming from tourists.
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana could become
extinct within 200 years due to a change in the tribal constitution
in 1960.
Within 30 years the death rate will overtake the birth rate and a
decline of 40 percent per generation is expected as fewer people can
prove membership in these tribes. Those born before 1960 were enrolled
under less strict guidelines which allowed ancestry from related tribes.
Following tribal customs or tradition, residency on the Flathead
Reservation, and skin or hair color is not considered proof of
tribal membership.
One result of this change in requirements is the splitting of
families. Siblings with the same blood and residency, yet born
on either side of the dividing date of 1960, are now separated
by this abitrary line.
The requirement of one-fourth Salish-Kootenai blood to qualify
did not come from tribal tradition. It is a U.S. law imposed
on the tribes.
To understand the importance of this here is some background.
In the Hopi religion the golden eagle is a messenger between
this world and the spiritual. When a bird is sacrificed the soul
is sent with prayers. Of further concern to the Hopi is the
growing belief that the
Hale-Bopp
comet fulfills the prophesy of end times.
And now for the news: The Navajo President has granted a permit
for the Hopi to gather 12 golden eaglets on the Navajo reservation
for use in their ceremonies. The full provision of the permit is a combination of golden eaglets and red-tail hawks up to 14 birds, with no more than 12
to be eagles.
This permit is in sharp contrast to the one written by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Department, which had allowed 40 golden eaglets
and an unlimited amount of red-tail hawks.
The Hopi say that according to the 1974 settlement agreement
they do not need permission for the gathering of birds. Last year
Navajo arrested 11 Hopi for trespassing.
There is a lot of gray area involved here, and I'm not
going to touch it at this time.
But we shall get down to the heart of the matter.
Apparently - likely - confirm or deny - rumors - speculation - did
not disclose - could be - unclear - does not know -
trying to figure out - concerns about - suspicious - sneaky.
These are all the words and phrases used in a recent
copyrighted story, evidently to protect the writer from being
involved in the reporting of the matter.
Here is the story - you may sprinkle the words liberally
through it to confound yourself as you see fit.
The Hopi tribe recently bought a 100,000 acre ranch near
Flagstaff, AZ, using money from a $50 million U.S. government
settlement.
There is a related story about the
Navajo/Hopi Partition
in the May 1997 issue of the Four Corners Clamor.
Plot this curve: In 1994 it was 30.48 per cent. In 1995, 39.46 per
cent. Latest survey, 44.61 per cent. These are the figures for the
unemployment rate on the Navajo Reservation. Prediction is that by
1998 there will be more unemployed than employed.
Like acronyms? 4SUFOG. The Four States UFO Group began meeting
in January this year, and over 100 people attended the first
meeting. The March gathering brought out 40 people, and these
matters were discussed:
Though Roswell gets all the press a UFO crash occurred in Hart
Canyon near Aztec, NM in 1948, less than a year after the famous
Roswell incident.
Another UFO has crashed in Chaco Canyon and a man tried to pull it
from the cliff face with his four-wheel-drive. Though he was interrupted
by the military, he managed to salvage a piece of the craft.
Many people are reporting strange lights in the sky over Archuleta
Mesa, which is on the Jicarilla Reservation. The evidence shows that
aliens are maintaining a base under the mesa.
Membership dues for 4SUFOG are about one dollar a month, which
seems reasonable.
My viewpoint is identify one and then we'll talk. I have allegedly
never seen one.
Email:
Mike and Sheilah Smith
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© Copyright 1997 by L. Michael Smith. Fair use granted.