Crooked Bough News Round-up

— PWB Peeps Open Thread: Poetry From the Sioux

 

at 12/13/25 1:51am

My Dream Anonymous, translated from the Sioux by Frances Densmore When I was but a child I dreamed a wondrous dream. I went upon a mountain; There I fell asleep. I heard a voice say, “Now will I appear to you.” A buffalo said this to me, dreaming. When I was but a child I dreamed this wondrous dream. This poem is in the public domain. Published in Poem-a-Day on November 30, 2025, by the Academy of American Poets. A gentle  reminder of how we do things:  ??? Do not troll the diary. If you hate pootie diaries, leave now. No harm, no foul. Please do share pics of your fur kids!  If you have health/behavior issues with your pets, feel free to bring it to the community. Pooties are cats; Woozles are dogs.  Birds... are birds! Peeps are people. Whatever happens in the outer blog STAYS in the outer blog.  If you’re having “issues” with another Kossack, keep it “out there.” This is a place to relax and play; please treat it accordingly. There are some pics we never post:  snakes, creepy crawlies, any and all photos that depict or encourage human cruelty toward animals.  These are considered “out of bounds” and will not be tolerated.  If we alert you to it, please remember that we do have phobic peeps who react strongly to them.  If you keep posting banned pics...well then...the Tigress will have to take matters in hand.  Or, paw. Shopping? We got you covered. Please share with other groups! Thanks to BeadLady and her helpers the 2025 Kos Katalogue is HERE

[Author: strawbale] [Category: Buffalo, Dream, OpenThread, Sioux, PWBPeeps] [Link to media]

— Earth Matters: Trump regime wants to ensure Native tribes can never again block an energy project

 

at 12/12/25 10:42am

From Farmington to Red Lake, from Kayenta to Teec Nos Pas, the Navajo Nation is packed with places of astounding beauty. At dawn on Black Mesa, the light reveals every contour of land and memory alike. First the dry wash. Then the old fence lines, half-bent and half-buried. Then the silhouettes of sheep and the quiet movement of people whose ancestral families have lived there since long before the United States had a name. I spent much time there in the distant past. Amid the beauty, if you know what to look for, you can trace the layers of extraction etched into the land where Peabody Coal sucked up billions of gallons of groundwater to mine and slurry coal from Black Mesa to generate electricity further west. That drawdown of fossil water from ancient aquifers still negatively affects Navajo ranchers and farmers even though mining on Black Mesa ended in 2019, and tribal restoration efforts are now being undertaken in parts of the reservation.  Early last year, however, the hydropower company Nature and People First set its sights on the mesa. With its steep drop, they saw it as a perfect spot to build pumped-storage projects. Each project would use flowing water from a reservoir atop the mesa to spin a turbine to generate electricity. That water would then be held in a lower reservoir to await the time of day or night when electricity demand is lower. Then the water would be pumped back to the upper reservoir to start the process over again.  Miacel Spotted Elk Reporting in Grist, Miacel Spotted Elk writes: “Pumped-storage operations involve moving water in and out of reservoirs, which could affect the habitats of endangered fish and require massive groundwater withdrawals from an already-depleted aquifer.”   Native and environmentalist opposition to these hydropower projects was vigorous. In the past, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission would have given a preliminary green light to such projects while they were reviewed. But the Biden administration had altered that, noting that the commission would no longer “issue preliminary permits for projects to use Tribal land if the Tribe on whose land the project is to be located opposes the project.” As a result, FERC denied the permits.  At the time, Nicole Horseherder, executive director of the Navajo nonprofit Tó Nizhóní Ání, or Sacred Water Speaks, said in a statement, “It is encouraging to see federal decision-makers honoring the trust responsibilities to Native American Tribes.”   This October, however, Energy Secretary Chris Wright wrote to FERC urging a reversal of that policy change, arguing that the veto power tribes holds was hindering the “development of critical infrastructure” and creating an “untenable regime.” As Wright put it, “For America to continue dominating global energy markets, we must remove unnecessary burdens to the development of critical infrastructure, including hydropower projects.” The language echoed the familiar script of extractive capitalism — an insistence that tribes are obstacles, not sovereign nations with legal rights and lived experience.  More than 20 tribes and tribal associations, environmental groups, and elected officials pushed back, demanding that Biden’s FERC policy be reinstated.  Like so much U.S.-Native interaction. the building of water projects on Native land is filled with ugly stories. Here’s an example: In February 1954, the U.S. government grabbed land from the Yankton Sioux Tribe to build the Fort Randall Dam and Reservoir in southeastern South Dakota. That dam and four others built on the Missouri River by the Army Corps of Engineers from 1946 to 1966 were approved for flood control, pollution and sediment control, navigation, conservation, recreation, hydroelectric power and enhancement of fish and wildlife under the Pick–Sloan Missouri Basin Program, a part of the Flood Control Act of 1944. Construction of the dams and consequent flooding forced the relocation of more than 1,500 Indian families on seven reservations, including some 136 on the Yankton Reservation. The tribes lost more than 350,000 acres. Besides at Yankton, fertile bottom land was condemned on reservations at Fort Berthold, Cheyenne River, Standing Rock, Lower Brule, Crow Creek, and Santee. The tribes didn't only lose their land but also any timber, wildlife, and native plants plus homes and ranches. In the case of Fort Thompson on the Crow Creek Reservation, an entire town was inundated. As a consequence, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service offices were moved off the reservation to Pierre, making it far more difficult for the Indians to use them. The losses also included spiritual ties to the land and the intangible benefits that came from living along the Missouri. The tribes were never consulted about the project during the planning stages. No America Indians were asked to testify during hearings on the projects in Congress. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, which supervises Native land held in trust by the Department of Interior, raised no objections.The Corps of Engineers handled negotiations. Tribal sovereignty and treaty rights, including the Yankton Treaty of 1858, were completely ignored. So also was the Winters Doctrine, a Supreme Court ruling that Indians have inherent rights to water resources on their lands. Philleo Nash, who had advised Presidents Roosevelt and Truman to integrate the armed forces and later served as BIA Commissioner under JFK and LBJ, would later say that Pick-Sloan "caused more damage to Indian land than any other public works project in America." The amount of money offered to owners of individual Indian land allotments was often significantly less than the amount offered to non-Indian land owners. Likewise, as the dam projects began in a time when termination of reservations was in full swing, government compensation for damages caused by the taking of communally owned tribal land was well below its market value. Land at North Dakota's Fort Berthold Reservation of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara people was condemned and bought for $33 an acre. It took decades—and four Government Accountability Office reports—for Congress to even acknowledge the harm, let alone consider reparations. Of today's situation, Spotted Elk writes: If the commission decides to retract tribes’ ability to veto hydropower projects, it will mark a shift in the relationship between Indigenous nations and the federal government. Horseherder described such a move as the “first step in eroding whatever’s left between [these] relationships.” She is pessimistic about the commission’s decision and expects it will retract the current policy. “The only thing I’m optimistic about is that Indigenous people know that they need to continue to fight,” she said. “I don’t see this administration waking up to their own mistakes at all.” But, of course, the Trump regime sees this move as a blessing, not a mistake.  —Meteor Blades WEEKLY ECO-VIDEO YouTube Video GREEN BRIEFS Federal Judge Vacates Offshore Wind Order, Says Wind Foes Are “Tilting At Windmills” If he could, Donald Trump would stop the installation of a single new wind turbine anywhere in the world. Fortunately, he cannot, so the UK, the Chinese, and other nations continue to move ahead planting turbines where they can, with more and more going offshore, where they are bigger, more powerful, and more efficient.  Twenty-seven miles off the coast from Virginia Beach, two wind turbines sit out of view from the shoreline.  From the moment he stepped into the Oval Office, Trump showed he would far be more aggressive than in his first term, turning grumbling into policy. One of those was his dreadful Offshore Wind Order Jan. 20. This barred all future offshore wind leases and suspended for review those already in the pipeline.  U.S District Judge Patti B. Sariss responded Monday for the plaintiffs who sued in the matter: “After review of the parties’ submissions and a hearing, the Court concludes that the Wind Order constitutes a final agency action that is arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law,”  Tina Casey at CleanTechnica wrote: Of course, just because a judge exercises the US judiciary’s authority as a co-equal branch of government under the Constitution to order something to be done, it doesn’t mean that President Trump will do it. After all, he’s gotten away with rule-breaking every year of his adult life, why should 2025 be any different. Besides, who’s gonna make him obey the law? Certainly not the half-dozen toadies currently posturing as the majority voice of the US Supreme Court, where the case is all but certain to go on appeal. [...] The December 8 ruling is a bittersweet victory for the US offshore wind industry, which has already been disrupted all up and down the Atlantic coast. Even if the decision is upheld on appeal, the damage is already deep and widespread (see more wind order background here). —MB TRUMP REGIME ORDERS PURGE OF DEI, GENDER REFERENCES AT NATIONAL PARK SHOPS  Our Outlaw Prez is keen to get everything whitewashed and sanitized for the celebrations next year of the 250th anniversary of the Republic. As he made clear with orders to the Smithsonian’s museums, he wants to emphasize the positive and eliminate the negative about the United States during this historic milestone.  That vision he also visited on the National Park Service, demanding an ousting of programs and references to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The exclusion applies to plaques and explanatory signage in the parks as well as exhibits. Thus did we have the ludicrous removal of all transgender references at Stonewall National Monument in New York City, famous for a 1960s gay rights protest that came about partly because of police mistreatment of several transgender people. References to slavery at the Harriet Tubman National Monument in Maryland are probably headed for the chopping block too.  In addition to installing Trump-approved histories in federal facilities, National Parks Traveler reports that the Department of Interior sent a Nov. 25 memo ordering NPS staff to conduct a December review of all “retail items” for sale at park stores, whether run by the government or concessionaires. This, it says, is to ensure nothing being sold is out of compliance with the Trump administration’s executive orders on DEI and gender. Material that violates the rules should be removed immediately, the memo states. Says Alan Spears, senior director for cultural resources at the National Parks Conservation Association: “Banning history books from park stores and cracking down on park T-shirts and keychains is not what National Park visitors want from their Park Service. Going after gift shops is just one part of the administration’s deeply troubling pattern of silencing science and hiding history in our parks. It’s a bad idea that has proven deeply unpopular with the millions of people who come to our national parks to learn about America’s natural wonders and unique diverse history.” At Greenwire, Heather Richards writes: In the broader review, which is ongoing, parks submitted content for potential noncompliance to leadership at headquarters in Washington. After an opaque decision-making process, leadership ordered parks in some cases to remove or change content, such as panels that talk about climate change at the Acadia National Park in Maine and the reproduction of a photo from the Civil War era of an enslaved black man scarred by whippings that was on display at a national monument in Georgia. After public backlash, it was unclear if the photo would be taken down, however. —MB HALF A DOZEN OTHER THINGS TO READ (OR LISTEN TO) BLM nominee draws criticism from conservation groups over support for selling public land by Micah Drew at the Nevada Current. Conservation groups across the West are raising concerns about Steve Pearce, a former New Mexico representative who is President Donald Trump’s newest nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management. The nomination has reignited a fight over the management of public lands which was highlighted during negotiations over Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” due to proposed amendments to sell off federal land. The fight also spawned two new bipartisan caucuses in Congress, both co-chaired by Montanans, and predicated on public land access and management. In Nevada, the BLM manages nearly 48 million acres of federal land, about 67% of the state. Nationwide, the BLM oversees 245 million acres of federal land, along with 700 million acres of subsurface rights for extraction and energy development, putting the position directly in the crosshairs of energy developers and outdoor industry groups. According to the Center for Western Priorities, Pearce amassed a “lengthy anti-public lands record,” sponsoring bills to shrink national monuments and increase extraction on national forest land. Indigenous Dayak sound alarm as palm oil firm razes orangutan habitat in Borneo by Hans Nicholas Jong at Mongabay. Indigenous Dayak communities report wildlife encroaching into villages, land grabbing, and loss of cultural and livelihood resources as a palm oil company begins clearing forests on their customary lands — in some cases without consent or even prior notification. PT Equator Sumber Rezeki (ESR) has already cleared nearly 1,500 hectares (3,700 hectares) of rainforest inside this region that’s designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and orangutan habitat, with much of the deforestation occurring this year and signaling far more destruction to come. The company’s parent group, First Borneo, is driving widespread deforestation across Kapuas Hulu with two other plantations, yet its palm fruit is still entering global “zero-deforestation” supply chains through intermediary mills despite corporate no-buy pledges. Environmental groups are urging the government to halt or revoke ESR’s permits and protect the orangutan-rich landscape, warning that continued clearing undermines Indonesia’s climate commitments and threatens both biodiversity and cultural survival. Related: Save This Species: Bornean Orangutan. (The Revelator) Child Farmworkers: To Protect Underage Farmworkers, California Expands Oversight of Field Conditions by Robert J. Lopez at Capital & Main/Los Angeles Times. California officials said they are launching new enforcement actions to protect underage farmworkers, including enhanced coordination among two state agencies charged with inspecting work conditions in the fields. The actions follow an investigation by Capital & Main, produced in partnership with the Los Angeles Times and McGraw Center for Business Journalism, which found that the state is failing to protect underage farmworkers who labor in harsh and dangerous circumstances. Thousands of children and teenagers work in California fields to provide Americans with fresh fruit and vegetables. While laborers as young as 12 can legally work in agriculture, many described being exposed to toxic pesticides, dangerous heat and other hazards. Related:  California’s Child Farmworkers: Exhausted, Underpaid and Toiling in Toxic Fields (Capital & Main/Los Angeles Times) Lax Oversight, Few Inspections Leave Child Farmworkers Exposed to Toxic Pesticides (Capital & Main/Los Angeles Times) An Alaskan Village Confronts Its Changing Climate: Rebuild or Relocate? by Scott Dance at The New York Times (gift article). From the beige confines of Room 207 at the Aspen Suites Hotel on the outskirts of Anchorage, Maggie Paul and her daughter, Jamie, struggle to envision the future. A little more than a month ago, the women were evacuated along with about 1,000 others from Kipnuk, their remote coastal village in western Alaska that was destroyed by the remnants of a typhoon. They were airlifted to safety; there are no roads to their community. Many landed in hotels about 500 miles away in Anchorage, which might as well be a different planet for all the ways the city differs from their tight-knit rural community. It’s here the Pauls are wrestling with the kind of uncertainty facing more communities as the planet warms, weather grows more destructive and vulnerable places face repeated disasters. Maggie Paul, 64, wants to return to Kipnuk and the way life used to be, before a series of floods and storms repeatedly bashed the village, with the most powerful blow yet landing on Oct. 12. However long it takes to put the decimated village back together, Ms. Paul said, “I will wait.” Related: As millions face climate relocation, the nation’s first attempt sparks warnings and regret (Floodlight News) FEMA’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year by Rebecca Egan McCarthy at Grist. As 2025 draws to a close, the departure of the beleaguered acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, David Richardson, caps a tumultuous year for FEMA. In January, President Donald Trump took office and vowed to abolish the department. Though the administration subsequently slow-walked that proposal, its government-wide staffing cuts have led to a nearly 10 percent reduction in FEMA’s workforce since January. Now it faces a long-awaited report issued by a review council, commissioned by the president and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, just as a new interim FEMA chief prepares to take the reins in December. Although some expected the review council to recommend further cuts or try to fulfill the president’s suggestion of disbanding FEMA entirely, a leaked draft of the report, obtained by the New York Times, recommends preserving the agency. “There’s been a need for emergency management reform for a while,” said Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, a professor at the Columbia Climate School and the director of its National Center for Disaster Preparedness. “But the wrecking balls came in before there was a blueprint for what to do.” Related: Trump’s Katrina Is Coming  (The American Prospect) Congress urged to reform “nearly complete moratorium” on U.S. solar projects by PV USA magazine. A letter signed by 143 prominent solar companies in the United States has been sent to the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, urging congressional leaders to make reforms to permitting. Donald Trump’s executive actions this year have led to “near complete moratorium on permitting for solar projects,” said the letter. As of July, per a Department of Interior (DOI) memo, solar projects seeking leases, rights-of-way, construction and operation plans, grants, consultations and biological opinions have been subject to approval by Trump-appointed Interior head Doug Burgum’s office. [...] “This extends well beyond projects on public lands,” said the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “Many solar and storage projects located partially or entirely on private property are now being entangled in a myriad of federal reviews.”  SEIA estimates that over 500 projects in the development pipeline across the country are in danger of delays or cancellation as a result of political attacks, based on its analysis of data from the Energy Information Administration.  WEEKLY BLUESKY SKEET ECOPINION A National Security Strategy with no strategy for managing existential risks by Alexandra Bell at The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The authors of the NSS assert that “the purpose of foreign policy is the protection of core national interests” and uses that logic to justify a policy of isolationism. They then state that “[n]o adversary or danger should be able to hold America at risk.” But there are basic problems with both assertions. The core national interests of the United States are undeniably affected by human-caused existential risks that have no respect for sovereign national borders and cannot be mitigated by any one country.  Further, America is at risk every day, all day from these threats. The looming, multi-player nuclear arms race, the increasingly devastating effects of climate change, and the exponential growth of disruptive technologies are all part of an inescapable reality—one with which any serious foreign policy thinker is intimately familiar. The future of farming depends on supporting young farmers by Jeff Tkach at Fast Company. Across America, a new generation of farmers is reimagining what it means to work the land. They are engineers, ecologists, and entrepreneurs—people who see farming not only as a way to grow food, but as a form of innovation. In fields across the country, these farmers are harnessing soil science, biodiversity, and technology to restore what decades of extractive agriculture have depleted. Their work represents one of the most powerful opportunities of our time: The opportunity to regenerate our planet from the ground up. Yet, the odds they face are immense. Land prices have soared, access to capital is limited, and isolation comes with choosing a career path few understand. Farmland continues to disappear, and for those eager to farm differently, access to resources and mentorship remains limited. These farmers are proving that the next era of agriculture can be both economically viable and ecologically sound. They are experimenting with cover crops to build soil health, integrating renewable energy into operations, and rethinking distribution through community-based models. Their work underscores a truth we must all recognize: The future of farming depends on our ability to empower the people willing to reinvent it. Corn’s clean-energy promise is clashing with its climate footprint by Ames Alexander at Investigate Midwest.  A growing body of research reveals that America’s obsession with corn has a steep price: The fertilizer used to grow it is warming the planet and contaminating water. Corn is essential to the rural economy and to the world’s food supply, and researchers say the problem isn’t the corn itself. It’s how we grow it. Corn farmers rely on heavy fertilizer use to sustain today’s high yields. And when that nitrogen breaks down in the soil, it releases nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas nearly 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Producing nitrogen fertilizer also emits large amounts of carbon dioxide, adding to its climate footprint. Agriculture accounts for more than 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and corn uses more than two-thirds of all nitrogen fertilizer nationwide — making it the leading driver of agricultural nitrous oxide emissions, studies show. What's going on in electricity world? by David Roberts at Volts. With load growth projections all over the map and politicians zeroing in on high electricity prices, I take a step back in this audio essay to ask how we should build the grid in the face of massive uncertainty. The answer lies in modular, distributed technologies that strengthen the system regardless of whether the AI bubble eventually bursts. RESEARCH & RESOURCES The Illegal Trade Bulletin is the Environmental Investigation Agency’s periodic report on the illegal trade in (ozone-eating) substances controlled under the Montreal Protocol. You can now see Issue 3 at the link. Trust in science is low among minorities for a reason, according to research published by Nature Human Behavior. Historically, at least some of that distrust has been a function of medical experiments and undisclosed sterilizations, among other atrocities. No surprise that people who by race or sex/gender are under-represented in most scientific fields are more trusting of someone whose has the same characteristics as they. The study noted that not just sex/gender and race/ethnicity but also “rurality and economic status” of a scientists made a difference among underrepresented groups’ trust levels.  Researchers explore dangers of ‘forever chemicals’ on babies. Published at PNAS, the study found that mothers in New Hampshire who were downstream of sites contaminated with “forever chemicals” experienced triple the rate of infant deaths and had more premature births or babies with low birth weights. The chemicals, polyfluoroalkyl substances known for short as PFAs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of half the nation and in the blood of nearly every American.  OTHER GREEN STUFF Data centers for AI could nearly triple San Jose’s energy use. Who foots the bill? US solar tops 11.7 GW in a huge Q3 despite political roadblocks Global Scientists Anticipate Less Reliance on the US in Future Carbon Monitoring Citing “serious ethical concerns,” journal retracts key Monsanto Roundup safety study From commitment to reality: how Chinese cities are delivering on climate goals Almost Half of China’s First Time Car Buyers Want an EV, BI Says Trump admin invests $800M in latest move to bolster US nuclear industry In A Contest Between Solar & Ethanol, There Is One Clear Winner IEA Report Reveals Slow Transition Away From Fossil Fuels West Coast Chinook salmon denied federal protections In New York City, Congestion Pricing Leads to Marked Drop in Pollution

[Author: Meteor Blades] [Category: AmericanIndians, Environment, NativeAmericans, Recommended, Water, EarthMatters] [Link to media]

— Animals in Inuit Religion

 

at 12/11/25 2:12pm

Welcome to the Street Prophets Coffee Hour cleverly hidden at the intersection of religion, art, science, food, and politics. This is an open thread where we can share our thoughts and comments about the day. Let’s look at animals in Inuit religions. The Inuit, also known as Eskimo, are native peoples of the Arctic Culture Area, a region which includes the Aleutian Islands, most of the Alaska Coast, the Canadian Arctic, and parts of Greenland. It is an area which can be described as a “cold” desert. The area has long, cold winters and short summers. During the summer, the tundra becomes boggy and difficult to cross. While this is a harsh environment for humans, the Inuit have lived here for thousands of years. An important part of the Inuit worldview is the connection between humans and animals. In his entry on the Inuit in the Encyclopedia of North American Indians, Charles Smythe writes: “Animals were thought to resemble humans in having souls or spirits that could think, feel, and talk. Eskimos believed that animals would give themselves voluntarily to the hunter who acted properly toward them, and the purpose of many ritual practices was in fact to show respect for and give thanks to the spirits of animals taken for food.” Animals—mammals, birds, fish—could also take human form, looking and speaking like human beings. It is important for hunters to be able to maintain a perfect equilibrium with the animals and that, in turn, means keeping a peaceful relationship with the powers that regulates them. In his book A Profile of Primitive Culture, Elman Service writes: “Animals have souls or spirits just as humans do; therefore, a slain animal has left a ghost which must be treated ritualistically like a human soul, so it will not become vengeful.” While all things have souls, the souls of animals, especially animals which are hunted and provide food and clothing for the people, were most important in daily life. Writing about the Saint Lawrence Island Eskimo, Charles Hughes, in his chapter in the Handbook of North American Indians: Volume 5: Arctic  reports: “But more important in the affairs of men were the souls of animals—seals, walruses, whales, polar bears—that were the quarry in the life-and-death encounters out on the sea. The souls of these animals were conceived to be very much like those of human beings.” In the Arctic, as in many other regions of the world, the souls of animals could be reincarnated and harvested by the hunters. The spiritual nature of animals was an important element of Inuit religion. Writing about the North Alaska Coast Eskimo in the Handbook of North American Indians, Robert Spencer reports: “An elaboration of folklore and myth demonstrates that animals were morally and intellectually superior to men, that the game hunted allowed itself to be taken or could be coerced by ritual and magic.” The spiritual and physical connection between humans and animals was an important part of the Inuit worldview. In her article on shapeshifters in Indian Country Today, Rachel Attituq Qitsaulik writes: “In Inuit culture, all human beings have ‘personal animals,’ those that are friend or foe (i.e., an animal that one must especially respect, or altogether avoid).” Shown above is Pursuing Sea Creatures by Janet Kigusiuq (1926-2005). Displayed in the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, Washington. This is an open thread

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: CoffeeHour, Inuit, OpenThread, Religion, Commumity, StreetProphets] [Link to media]

— Indians 101: Nobleman and wife (museum exhibition)

 

at 12/11/25 8:15am

The Tlingit are an Alaska Native people whose aboriginal homelands stretched along the Pacific coast for more than 400 miles. The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, Washington had a special exhibition, Raven and the Box of Daylight, featuring the work of Tlingit glass artist Preston Singeltary. Singletary works in the medium of glass and his works reflect the cultural heritage of Tlingit sculpture. According to MAC: “Primarily known for his celebration of Tlingit art and design, Singletary explores new ways of working with glass inspired by Tlingit design principles. Tlingit objects were traditionally used to show wealth and tell stories by representing elements of the natural world, as well as the histories of individual families.” According to MAC: “Raven and the Box of Daylight is the Tlingit story of Raven and his transformation of the world—bringing light to people via the stars, moon, and sun. This story holds great significance for the Tlingit people. The exhibition features a dynamic combination of artwork, storytelling, and encounter, where the Tlingit story unfolds.” According to the story the clan house of Naas Shaak Aankáawu (Nobleman at the Head of the Nass River) is filled with treasures. The life-size figures of Naas Shaak Aankáawu du Shát (Wife of the Nobleman at the head of the Nass River) and Naas Shaak Aankáawu is by Preston Singletary in collaboration with Dorothy Grant (Haida). Naas Shaak Aankáawu du Shát (Wife of the Nobleman at the head of the Nass River) Made in 2018; hot-sculpted glass, wool felt, shell button, and Ravenstail weaving (merino wool). Ravenstail weaving by Aay Aay Hans (Canadian Haida, born in 1982). Notice the labret or lip plug. Labrets were generally worn by upperclass women. Anthropologist Leland Donald, in his chapter in Emerging from the Mist: Studies in Northwest Coast Culture History, explains:  “Labrets are ornaments that project through a hole or holes pierced through the skin just below the lower lip or, more occasionally, the corners of the mouth.”  At about the time of puberty, girls would have the initial hole made. Over time, the hole was filled with increasingly larger labrets until the hole was about four inches across. Naas Shaak Aankáawu (Nobleman at the Head of the Nass River) Made in 2018; hot-sculpted glass, wool felt, leather, Ravenstail weaving (merino wool), and steel. Ravenstail weavings are commissioned by Dorothy Grant from Lani Hotch (Tlingit, born 1956). Note: These photographs were taken on July 11, 2025. More Raven and the Box of Daylight Indians 101: Nobleman and Daughter (museum exhibition) Indians 101: The Water People (museum exhibition) Indians 101: The Winged People (museum exhibition) Indians 101: The Animal People (museum exhibition) Indians 101: The Human People (museum exhibition) Indians 101: Raven Along the Nass River (museum exhibition) Indians 101: Stars, Moon, and Daylight (museum exhibition) Indians 101: Raven's Transformation (museum exhibition)

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, Art, Indians101, Museums, Photography, Washington, NorthwestMuseumofArtsandCulture, TlingitIndians, RavenandtheBoxofDaylight, PrestonSingeltary] [Link to media]

— Indians 101: American Indian tribes 150 years ago, 1875

 

at 12/9/25 8:15am

Briefly described below are some of the American Indian events of 150 years ago, 1875. Coeur d’Alene In Idaho, a group of Coeur d’Alene women traveled from their village on Lake Chatcolet to dig camas near Hangman Creek. One of the women, Mary Louise, found a squatter’s cabin. She went into the house and took the food that she found. Later, the band chief questioned her about the food and was told about the squatter. A group of Coeur d’Alene men then went to the site, told the squatters to leave, and burned the buildings. The chiefs of the Coeur d’Alene bands met with the Jesuits at the Cataldo mission to discuss the situation. It was decided to send a letter to the soldiers at Fort Lapwai in Nez Perce country. Peter Moctelme and Bedelle took the letter to the soldiers and then returned with the reply. In the reply, the Coeur d’Alene were told that their land had been opened for settlement, that if land was vacant and open anyone could settle on it. If the Coeur d’Alenes wanted to preserve their land they would have to begin farming it. Nez Perce In Oregon General O.O. Howard, America’s Christian General, met with Nez Perce leader Chief Joseph on the Umatilla reservation to discuss the situation in the Wallowa Valley. Chief Joseph was told that there was no message from the President about the ownership of his land. The non-treaty Nez Perce chiefs then met in the Wallowa Valley to discuss what they could do to avoid war with the Americans. Among the chiefs in attendance were Chief Joseph, Eagle from the Light, Looking Glass, White Bird, and Toohoolhoolzote. In Idaho, the council of Nez Perce treaty chiefs selected Rueben as head chief. While Rueben, a Christian, was the brother-in-law of Joseph, the leader of the non-treaty Wallowa band, the two men disagreed regarding relations with the American government. In Idaho, an American began putting a fence around Eagle Robe’s garden, claiming it as his own. When the Nez Perce objected, he was shot dead. The American was never brought to justice. According to Duncan MacDonald, in an article in Idaho Yesterdays, the dying man told his people: “Do not go to war. You will lose your country by it, and above all the loss of life will be greater.” Samish In Washington, the Samish were forced to abandon their village on Samish Island. They purchased land on Guemes Island and established a new village. The new village was not on a reservation and therefore could be used for winter dancing and potlatching—something not allowed on reservation lands. Dungeness Klallam In Washington, the Dungeness Klallam were forced off of their traditional land. They purchased land nearby and established the village of Jamestown, named after Chief James Balch. In a chapter in Shadows of Our Ancestors: Readings in the History of Klallam-White Relations, Anthropologist L.L. Langness reports: “The village was laid out in the traditional fashion, a single row of houses with entrances facing the water.” At one end of the row of houses was a large house belonging to Balch and at the other end there was a large house belonging to Lame Jack. Rather than using the traditional shed roofs, the houses had gabled roofs in the Euro-American style. One of the first public buildings erected in the new village was a jail which was used primarily to punish people for drinking. Haida In Washington, four men were accused of murdering a Haida man. They filed a writ of habeas corpus which stated that: “…the petitioners are white men, and no evidence was given ... implicating these petitioners as the guilty persons, except by witnesses who are North American Indians” In the hearing, the defendants’ lawyer argued that Indian testimony was not valid in cases with non-Indian defendants unless it involved the liquor laws. The judge denied the petition. The grand jury, however, did not return an indictment and the four men went free. Cherokee In Oklahoma, the Cherokees elected Charles Thompson principal chief. Charles Thompson’s Cherokee name was Oochalata. He was the son of a full-blood Cherokee and a non-Indian woman. His mother had been captured by the Cherokee and grew up speaking only Cherokee. After the Civil War, Thompson did some farming, practiced law, operated a general store, and served as a Baptist minister. In North Carolina, the Eastern Band of Cherokee elected Lloyd R. Welch as Principal Chief. Montauk In New York, David Pharaoh, the last Montauk hereditary chief, dies. With regard to the Montauk, R. A. Douglas Lithgow, in his 1909 book Native American Names of Massachusetts, writes: “This tribe formerly occupied the east end of Long Island, where they were at the head of thirteen tribes living there. They were closely related to the Indians of Massachusetts and of Connecticut.” Comanche In Texas, Comanche raiders liberated five horses from the company Sawyer & Shores in Frio Canyon. At the junction of the Blanco River and the Sabinal River, they kill a Mexican worker. They then captured 39 horses from Messrs. Brown, Allen, Gray, and Honeycut. The Comanches were followed by a citizen posse which caught up with them. The Comanches fled from their camp in all directions, making it difficult for the posse to follow them. In their book Forgotten Fights: Little-Known Raids and Skirmishes on the Frontier, 1823-1890, Gregory Michno and Susan Michno report: “The tired Texans, who had gone without food for several days, decided to recover what they could and call it quits. They captured thirty-five horses, two Spanish mules, one Indian pony, four shields, several headdresses, a photograph of ‘a beautiful white woman,’ and a light-haired woman’s scalp.” More American Indian histories Indians 101: Arizona Indians 150 years ago, 1875 Indians 101: Oklahoma Indians 150 years ago, 1875 Indians 101: American Indians and religion 150 years ago, 1875 Indians 101: Shoshone and Bannock Indians and the Mormons 150 years ago, 1875 Indians 101: American Indians and the federal government 150 years ago, 1875 Indians 101: A prison for American Indians 150 years ago, 1875 Indians 101: American Indians and the Black Hills 150 years ago, 1875 Indians 101: Indian reservations 150 years ago, 1875

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, chiefjoseph, History, Indians101, NativeAmericanNetroots, CherokeeIndians, charlesthompson, coeurdaleneindians, SamishIndians, NezPerceIndians, ComancheIndians, HaidaIndians, UmatillaReservation, DungenessKlallamIndians, ChiefJamesBalch, LloydR.Welch, MontaukIndians, DavidPharaoh] [Link to media]

— US government removes critical report addressing trafficking epidemic of Indigenous peoples

 

at 12/7/25 9:03am

The disappearance of a federally mandated report to address high numbers of Indigenous deaths, disappearances, and trafficking has exposed a deeper setback. The administration has reduced a national crisis to an anti-DEI measure. Claiming that the Executive Order demands it, the Department of Justice removed a congressionally mandated report with vital information, including the need for federal action, from its website. Removing this report makes an already invisible crisis even harder to confront. A vital report erased under anti-DEI orders Jezebel reports, “For the past few years, the above page on the Justice Department website was home to the mandated Not One More Report—which recorded indigenous deaths and disappearances across the U.S., and provided tribes with resources and policy suggestions to address the crisis. But, in order to comply with the cursed executive order called ‘Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government’—aka, the anti-DEI initiatives—the Trump administration vanished it in February.” The report was required by the Not Invisible Act, passed with bipartisan support. It compiles federal data, analyzes the root causes of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) crisis, and outlines solutions shaped by tribal input. For many communities, this was the first attempt at a coordinated, national response. Its removal undermines that effort. Indigenous people experience some of the highest rates of disappearance in the country. In 2020 alone, more than 9,500 Native people were reported missing. Federal agencies often have primary jurisdiction, especially when trafficking or cross-border exploitation is involved. Without the report, families and tribal authorities lose essential information about investigative failures, service gaps, and federal responsibilities. Weakening protections and increasing risks The report also included analysis of trafficking risks. Traffickers target Native women, girls, and Two-Spirit people because of jurisdictional complexity, limited local resources, and longstanding underfunding of tribal law enforcement. Many disappearances involve coercion, exploitation, or movement across multiple jurisdictions where accountability collapses. Data on these patterns is crucial for prevention. The MMIP crisis cannot be separated from trafficking and exploitation. When federal systems fail to track disappearances or deaths, traffickers operate with impunity. Missing persons are often not investigated. Families face delays or outright dismissals. Communities don’t have the data to point to trends, coordinate alerts, and pressure officials for urgent interventions. Removing the report dismantles a mechanism designed to expose systemic neglect, strengthen trust obligations, and improve investigations for the groups most at risk. It also eliminates a tool tribes use to access resources, prevention programs, and culturally informed services that protect survivors. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Lisa Murkowski have demanded answers, but the DOJ has offered none. Freedom United is calling for the immediate restoration of the Not One More Report. Add your voice to our campaign urging the administration to reinstate this critical resource and honor its obligations to Indigenous communities. *Freedom United is a global community that unites individuals and organizations in the fight against human trafficking and modern slavery, registered in the U.S. as a nonprofit. Because we’re not funded by governments or corporations, we’re free to follow the facts, expose abuse, and push for accountability where others won’t. Our work is powered by a community that refuses to look away. If you’re able to, please consider donating to sustain this work. Your gift fuels action that exposes injustice, names the powerful, and helps build a future free from modern slavery. Donate today to help us end the year strong and hit the ground running in 2026.

[Author: FreedomUnited] [Category: Community, HumanTrafficking, IndigenousRights, Recommended, MMIP, freedomunited, NotOneMoreReport] [Link to media]

— Indians 101: Nobleman and Daughter (museum exhibition)

 

at 12/4/25 8:15am

The Tlingit are an Alaska Native people whose aboriginal homelands stretched along the Pacific coast for more than 400 miles. The Tlingit were 18 distinct and autonomous groups. Each group felt that it was distinct from the others and had its own unique origins and ancestry. Like other Northwest Coast First Nations, Tlingit society was traditionally characterized by social stratification, that is, there was a hierarchy of social classes. Northwest Coast social stratification is summed up by anthropologist Edward Malin in his book Northwest Coast Indian Painting: House Fronts and Interior Screens: “People were not equal and seem never to have sought to be. Each person was recognized as holding a particular graded position involving rank and power.” In his chapter on rank, wealth, and status in Northwest Coast societies in Indians of the North Pacific Coast: Studies in Selected Topics, Philip Drucker puts it this way: “Each individual had his place in the arbitrarily calibrated social structure of his community.” In an article in The Indian Historian, Thomas Johnston reports: “Tlingit life revolved around status, so that each person was assigned a particular rung of the social ladder.” The Northwest Coast is also a region in which an entrenched and highly valued artistic tradition flourished. In her entry on the Tlingits in the Encyclopedia of North American Indians,  Rosita Worl writes: “Though their art has gained international renown, the Tlingits believe it embodies more than aesthetic qualities. For them its visual features—including clan crests—symbolize their social organization and depict their spiritual relationship to wildlife and the environment.” Like other Northwest Coast art traditions, Tlingit art is renown for its carving—wood, bone, and other materials. The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (MAC) held a major exhibition, Raven and the Box of Daylight, featuring the work of Tlingit glass artist Preston Singletary. Singletary works in the medium of glass and his works reflect the cultural heritage of Tlingit sculpture. According to MAC: “Primarily known for his celebration of Tlingit art and design, Singletary explores new ways of working with glass inspired by Tlingit design principles. Tlingit objects were traditionally used to show wealth and tell stories by representing elements of the natural world, as well as the histories of individual families.” According to MAC: “Raven and the Box of Daylight is the Tlingit story of Raven and his transformation of the world—bringing light to people via the stars, moon, and sun. This story holds great significance for the Tlingit people. The exhibition features a dynamic combination of artwork, storytelling, and encounter, where the Tlingit story unfolds.” Like other Northwest Coast art traditions, Tlingit art is renowned for its carving—wood, bone, and other materials and for incorporating its mythology into the art. Yéil ka Keiwa.aa (Raven and the Box of Daylight) is an iconic Tlingit story about Raven (Yéil) bringing light to the world. Raven finds that Naas Shaak Aankáawu (Nobleman at the Head of the Nass River) has beautifully carved boxes that hold the light and that Naas Shaak Aankáawu du Séek’ (Daughter of the Nobleman at the Head of the Nass River) drinks from the Nass River each day. Naas Shaak Aankáawu (Nobleman at the Head of the Nass River) Made in 2018; Blown and sand-carved glass Naas Shaak Aankáawu du Séek’ (Daughter of the Nobleman at the Head of the Nass River) Made in 2016; Blown and sand-carved glass Notice the labret or lip plug. Labrets were generally worn by upperclass women. Anthropologist Leland Donald, in his chapter in Emerging from the Mist: Studies in Northwest Coast Culture History, explains:  “Labrets are ornaments that project through a hole or holes pierced through the skin just below the lower lip or, more occasionally, the corners of the mouth.”  At about the time of puberty, girls would have the initial hole made. Over time, the hole was filled with increasingly larger labrets until the hole was about four inches across. Note: These  photographs were taken on July 11, 2025. More Raven and the Box of Daylight Indians 101: The Animal People (museum exhibition) Indians 101: Stars, Moon, and Daylight (museum exhibition) Indians 101: Raven (photo diary) Indians 101: The Winged People (museum exhibition) Indians 101: The Water People (museum exhibition) Indians 101: Baskets Inside the Clan House (museum exhibition) Indians 101: Raven Along the Nass River (museum exhibition) Indians 101: The Human People (museum exhibition)

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, Art, Indians101, Museums, NativeAmericanNetroots, Photography, Washington, NorthwestMuseumofArtsandCulture, TlingitIndians, PrestonSingletary, RavenandtheBoxofDaylight] [Link to media]

— Indians 201: Crow Indian migrations

 

at 12/2/25 8:15am

When the first American explorers and fur traders began to move out onto the Northern Plains following the Corps of Discovery (i.e. Lewis and Clark) in the early nineteenth century, they encountered the tribe which they came to call the Crows hunting in Montana and Wyoming. At this time, the Crows were horse-mounted buffalo hunters with a good understanding of the ecology of the country. The Crows were three separate and distinct groups: (1) the River Crow who ranged north of the Yellowstone River; (2) the Mountain Crow who lived south of the Yellowstone and farther west; and (3) the Kicked-in-the-Bellies (also known as Home-Away-from-the-Center) who lived in the Bighorn Basin. Like many of the other Indian tribes living on the Northern Plains, the Crows had migrated into the Plains from the Eastern Woodlands. Oral traditions, linguistics, and archaeological data all suggest that the Crows began their migration onto the Northern Plains about three centuries earlier.   The Crows were once a part of the Hidatsas, a farming tribe living in permanent villages near the Missouri River. Linguistically, the Crow language belongs to the Siouan language family and is most closely related to the Hidatsa language. The linguistic data suggests that the Crows separated from the Hidatsas about 900-1000 CE. The archaeological data shows a later separation. Archaeologists suggest that the Crow moved out onto the Great Plains in two migrations. The Mountain Crow moved out first, about 1550. Then a century later, the River Crow followed them. In his chapter in We, The People: Of Earth and Elders—Volume II, Crow historian and elder Joseph Medicine Crow describes the migrations this way: “Way back in the 1500s, what might be called our ancestral tribe, lived east of the Mississippi in a land of forests and lakes, possibly present day Wisconsin. They began migrating westward around 1580 until they crossed the Mississippi to follow the buffalo. As far as the Crows are concerned, they separated from this main band in about 1600-1625.” When the Crows were living in the Woodlands, their subsistence was probably based on a combination of hunting forest animals such as deer, elk, and moose; fishing; gathering wild plants; and planting some crops, including corn. At this time, they were not living in the Plains Indian tipis, but in woodlands wigwams: dome-shaped structures covered with bark. For some reason, they migrated to the west and settled along the Missouri River in North Dakota. Here they settled into a more agricultural way of life, raising corn, beans, sunflowers, tobacco, pumpkins, and squash in small, irregularly shaped fields. They adopted the more permanent earth lodge house common to the tribes along the river. From here, the ancestors of the Crow broke off from the ancestral tribe, moving onto the plains to become more dependent on the buffalo for their subsistence. According to one oral tradition, there was a buffalo hunt at which the wives of two of the chiefs argued over the upper stomach of one of the cows. There was a scuffle and one of the women was killed. This escalated into a skirmish between the two bands led by the chiefs, and several more people were killed. As a result, one band left the Missouri and migrated to the Rocky Mountains. The band that followed along the rivers and streams came to be known as the River Crow (They Travel Along the Riverbanks) and the other band became known as the Mountain Crow. The Mountain Crow later divided, with part becoming the Kicked in the Bellies. Another oral tradition tells that at one time there was a wandering tribe under the leadership of two brothers: No Intestines (No Vitals) and Red Scout. At what is now called Devil’s Lake, they did a vision quest together. During the vision, No Intestines was told to search for the seeds of the sacred tobacco and Red Scout was told to settle on the banks of the Missouri River and grow corn. No Intestines led his people to many parts of the Great Plains in search of the sacred tobacco seeds. In his entry on the Crows in The Encyclopedia of North American Indians, Barney Old Coyote writes: “No Vitals and his small band of followers embarked on the first of two odysseys, which saw them journey to the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies, in present-day Alberta, to the upper reaches of the Arkansas River. To this day the Crows still sing lullabies of the mountains of Glacier Park and the fowls of Arkansas.” The oral tradition tells of the Great Salt Lake, the geothermal features of Yellowstone National Park, of the Arkansas River in Oklahoma, and of the plains of Alberta, Canada. Finally, at Cloud Peak, the highest crest in the Bighorn Range, No Intestines received another vision.  In the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains, the Crows found wild tobacco (Nicotiana multivalvis and Nicotiana quadrivalvis). Barney Old Coyote writes: “The Crows quickly became nomadic hunters, their activities ranging from stalking large game to trapping small animals to staging elaborate buffalo jumps.” The oral traditions also tell of another group of Crow—Bilápiiuutche, Beaver Dries Its Fur—which became lost during the journey. Several explanations are offered for the fate of this group. Some feel that it split in Canada and remained there. Others say it turned east and ended up at Lake Michigan. Still others feel that Beaver Dries Its Fur became a part of the Kiowa, who were closely associated with the Crow. In his University of Montana M.A. thesis Akbaatashee: The Oilers Pentecostalism Among the Crow Indians, Timothy McCleary reports: “Still, other traditions relate that the Comanches located a group of massacred people in southern Colorado who were dressed like Crows.” Like the other tribes of the Northern Plains, they did not receive horses until sometime in the 1700s, perhaps about 1750. It is likely that they first acquired horses from the Shoshone. More American Indian stories Indians 201: Cheyenne migrations Indians 101: Tlingit Migrations Indians 101: The Northern Plains vision quest Indians 101: Traditional Northern Plains Warfare Indians 101: When the Omaha and Ponca Indians were one people Indians 101: The Comanche buffalo hunt Indians 201: A very short overview of the Mandan Indians Indians 101: A very short overview of the Gosiute Indians

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, mythology, NativeAmericanNetroots, CrowIndians, Indians201] [Link to media]

— Colville Indian cradleboards

 

at 11/29/25 2:07pm

Welcome to the Street Prophets Coffee Hour cleverly hidden at the intersection of religion, art, science, food, and politics. This is an open thread where we can share our thoughts and comments about the day. Let’s look at some Colville Indian cradleboards. One of the distinguishing features of American Indians in many parts of North America was the use of cradleboards for infants. Cradleboards allowed infants to be carried easily and safely. They also allowed the mother’s hands to be free for other tasks. Shown above is a cradleboard. This was made about 1890. This is on display in the Lake Chelan Historical Society Museum in Chelan, Washington. In his Encyclopedia of North American Indians, Frederick Hoxie writes:   “Psychologically, a baby in a cradleboard feels safe and secure; he or she is swaddled and held close to the mother. Cradleboards are objects of beauty and are a personal expression of the maker. Depending on the tribe, they can be decorated with beadwork, quillwork, weaving, woodwork, and/or ribbon and cloth designs. Cradleboards may also be decorated or designed with sacred symbols, colors, or objects to bring good life and luck to the child.” In the Plateau Culture Area, babies were generally placed in cradleboards soon after birth. A line attached to both sides of the upper end of the cradleboard allowed the the infant to be carried on the back or, when on horseback, on the pommel of a saddle. When the mother was working, the cradleboard could be hung in a tree where it could gently sway with the wind. With regard to the Northern Okanagan, Lakes, and Colville tribes, Dorothy Kennedy and Randal Bouchard, in their chapter in the Handbook of North American Indians, report: “For the first few months, a child spent most hours fastened to a cradleboard.” Depending on tribal traditions, an infant might use the cradleboard for just a few months or until two or three years of age. Among many of the tribes, cradleboards would be decorated with beads and were regarded as heirlooms to be used for several generations. In other tribes, a new cradleboard was made for each child and then discarded when no longer needed. Shown above is a cradle board made by Bernadine Phillips (Colville Reservation). This was on display in the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, Washington. In some tribes, there were no differences between the cradleboards used for boys and those used for girls, while in other tribes there were some slight differences. With regard to the Middle Columbian Salishans, Jay Miller, in his chapter in Handbook of North American Indians, reports: “Slight differences marked male or female cradleboards and bindings, in addition to the kinds of dangles hung from the protecting head loop. For a boy, the penis was exposed, while a girl had a buckskin fold between her legs to allow urine to run off.” Shown above is a cradle board made by Bernadine Phillips (Colville Reservation). This was on display in the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, Washington. Shown above is a cradleboard with a leather doll made in 1870. This is on display in the Lake Chelan Historical Society Museum in Chelan, Washington. Photographs The Lake Chelan Historical Society Museum in Chelan, Washington includes some historic photographs showing Colville Indian cradleboards. Shown above is a Wapato woman and child in 1904. Shown above is “Awake”, a Wapato boy in 1900. Shown above is Annie of the Wenatchee Band. Shown above is Mary Moses and granddaughter Nelly. This is an open thread

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, CoffeeHour, Community, OpenThread, Photography, Washington, cradleboards, StreetProphets, ColvilleIndians] [Link to media]

— PWB Peeps Open Thread: Poetry of Matthews

 

at 11/28/25 10:36pm

Song "A" Washington Matthews (1843-1905) translated from the Navajo  Where my kindred dwell, there I wander. Child of the White Corn am I, there I wander. At the Red Rock House, there I wander. Where the dark kethawns are at the doorway, there I wander. With the pollen of dawn upon my trail, there I wander. At the yuni the striped cotton hangs with pollen. There I wander. Going around with it, there I wander. Taking another, I depart with it. With it I wander. In the house of long life, there I wander. In the house of happiness, there I wander. Beauty before me, with it I wander. Beauty behind me, with it I wander. Beauty below me, with it I wander. Beauty above me, with it I wander. Beauty all around me, with it I wander. In old age traveling, with it I wander. On the beautiful trail I am, with it I wander. This poem is in the public domain. Published in Poem-a-Day on November 16, 2025, by the Academy of American Poets. A gentle  reminder of how we do things:  ??? Do not troll the diary. If you hate pootie diaries, leave now. No harm, no foul. Please do share pics of your fur kids!  If you have health/behavior issues with your pets, feel free to bring it to the community. Pooties are cats; Woozles are dogs.  Birds... are birds! Peeps are people. Whatever happens in the outer blog STAYS in the outer blog.  If you’re having “issues” with another Kossack, keep it “out there.” This is a place to relax and play; please treat it accordingly. There are some pics we never post:  snakes, creepy crawlies, any and all photos that depict or encourage human cruelty toward animals.  These are considered “out of bounds” and will not be tolerated.  If we alert you to it, please remember that we do have phobic peeps who react strongly to them.  If you keep posting banned pics...well then...the Tigress will have to take matters in hand.  Or, paw. Shopping? We got you covered. Please share with other groups! Thanks to BeadLady and her helpers the 2025 Kos Katalogue is HERE

[Author: strawbale] [Category: Navajo, OpenThread, Poetry, Recommended, PWBPeeps, WashingtonMatthews] [Link to media]

— Climate Brief:Like most people in North America I live on stolen lndian land

 

at 11/27/25 2:30pm

The National Day of Mourning is an annual demonstration, held on the fourth Thursday in November, that aims to educate the public about Native Americans in the United States, notably the Wampanoag and ... Wikipedia PBS: Native American tribes arrive in Plymouth to mourn on Thanksgiving Nation Nov 25, 2021 2:29 PM EST Members of Native American tribes from around New England are gathering in the seaside town where the Pilgrims settled — not to give thanks, but to mourn Indigenous people worldwide who’ve suffered centuries of racism and mistreatment. www.pbs.org/... ? The Lands: The Seneca nation traditionally lived between the Genesee River and Canandaigua Lake. The region was surveyed by Thomas Davies in 1766. The High Falls was then also known as the Great Seneca Falls, and the Genesee river was also spelled Zinochsaa by early writers Native People in History in the Genesee area: ( January 20, 1830): ? Sagoyewatha Seneca Chief Red Jacket lived much of his adult life in Seneca territory in the Genesee River Valley in western New York January 20, 1830: Red Jacket (Sagoyewatha) dies. The Seneca chief, who was born around 1779, is respected as a great speaker and for his refusal to adopt white ways..nativevillage.org/… Genesee trail Genesee River area          Western NY- [history]: Genesee  is a corruption of Chin-u-shio, the indigenous Seneca tribe's name for the river valley, originally Čunehstí • yu. • meaning "a beautiful open valley"The Genesee River is a tributary of Lake Ontario flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York in the United States..wikipedia. Genesee River trail The Seneca nation traditionally lived between the Genesee River and Canandaigua Lake. The region was surveyed by Thomas Davies in 1766. The High Falls was then also known as the Great Seneca Falls, and the Genesee river was also spelled Zinochsaa by early writers.[10] Historically, the river's gorge formed an clearly demarcated border between the lands of the Five Nations of the Iroquois, whose range extended east and the related tribes of the Erie people along the west side of the gorge. By the end of the Beaver Wars and the American Revolution, the lands in all of upstate New York into the Ohio Country were controlled by the Iroquois Confederation, but were also effectively depopulated, the tribes weakened in the Revolution. Subsequently, with most Iroquois having fled to Canada, the remnant tribal groups were in no position to further impede white settlers, so most of New York state west of the Genesee River became part of the Holland Purchase after the American Revolution. From 1801 to 1846 the entire region was sold to individual owners from the Holland Land office in Batavia, New York. The river demarcates the "Genesee Country" of New York to the west and the Finger Lakes geographic region, and heartland of the Iroquois to the east.en.wikipedia.org/... Park area by the Genesee trail An important transportation and trade route for the Seneca People  Genesee  By canoe, Native Americans could travel south through the Allegheny and Ohio River systems and north to Canada through the Great Lakes.  Native villages could be found all along the Genesee, including important settlements near the present-day villages of Avon, Geneseo, and the hamlet of Cuylerville.  After the American Revolution, land quickly changed hands due to the war and treaties, which displaced the Native population of western New York.  However, the land still bears the marks of Native American settlement livingstoncountyhistoricalsociety.com/... Angmar  Genesee river map en.wikipedia.org/... Map showing location of the Triangle Tract, the Morris Reserve, the Mill Yard Tract, and the Preemption Line. Lake Ontario “-a term thought to be derived from Ontarí:io, a Huron (Wyandot) wordmeaning "great lake", or possibly skanadario, which means "beautiful water" in the Iroquoian languages.” wiki Bittersweet, along the river bank More than 200 years ago, the area was largely unsettled; Ridge Road, a mere 12 inches wide, was an Indian path through dense forests. The remaining section of the original Merchants Road, with its nine twists and curves in one mile, reflects its beginnings as the well-traveled Indian link between Canandaigua and the Genesee River. Early settlers included the Algonquin, who were later taken over by the Seneca. The Seneca, who joined the League of the Iroquois, were known as the “Keepers of the Western Door” and controlled trade in all directions. The Indian Landing in Monroe County’s Ellison Park marks where their major east-west and north-south routes intersected. Seneca struggled against both the French and British to retain possession of the area, but once Revolutionary settlers returned home with stories of the good soil available here, settlement began in earnest www2.monroecounty.gov/... Genesee walkway runs from the river all the way down to the lake Genesee River area  Once known as Oak Hill, the land that bulges out at a bend in the Genesee River is a part of a string of glacial drumlins, mounds of sediment left by retreating glaciers, that stretch across Mt. Hope Cemetery to the east and to Cobbs Hill. The Algonkin (Algonquin) people were the predominant native peoples nyhistoric.com/... Park by the Genesee trail river When the Europeans came to North America, they used the so called "right of discovery" to lay title to the lands inhabited by the native people. The original inhabitants, according to the legal theory that developed and was handed down to modern times, held the right of occupancy, or "Indian Title" to the lands where they lived. This title could only be extinguished by the sovereign power that held the right of discovery. So in this view there were two title holders to the lands of the Genesee Valley - the Seneca People and whatever sovereign power held claim to the land. letchworthparkhistory.com/... Lake Ontario Native American Map www.livingstoncountyhistoricalsociety.com/... River ice breaks up Winter 2018 river 1786 December, Treaty of Hartford In an agreement between states of Massachusetts and New York over the lands stretching from the Finger Lakes to Lake Erie. the Pre-Emption line was drawn from Lake Ontario through present day Geneva to the PA border. Lands east of the line went to New York State, while Massachusetts held pre-emption rights to the lands west. So the Genesee Valley was "part" of Massachusetts until sold to land speculators Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham in April of 1788. At that time Massachusetts gave up all rights to the lands and passed the right to extinguish the Indian claims to the two speculators. The future parks lands are now in New York State, but the Indian Title is intact.letchworthparkhistory.com/... An ice covered pond on part  of the Genesee trail 1826 August Treaty of Buffalo Creek     River area This treaty brought an end to the Genesee Valley Reservations. The agreement sold the Big Tree, Canawaugus, Caneadea, Squawkie Hill, and the remaining lands at Gardeau, in addition to parts of the Buffalo Creek, Cattaraugus, Tonawanda Reservations west of the Valley. According the Jennings book, this Treaty was never ratified by the US Senate. The Senecas tried to overturn in court, but failed..letchworthparkhistory.com/... Geneseel ice breaking up The River: The Genesee is the remaining western branch of a preglacial system, with rock layers tilted an average of 40 feet (12 m) per mile, so the river flows across progressively older bedrock as it flows northward: Old tree by the river bank Woodland trail by the river It begins in exposing the Allegheny Plateau's characteristic conglomerates: sandstones and shales in the rock columns of the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian subperiods. Thereafter, further downstream as it traverses the area known as The Grand Canyon of the East,[3] where it falls (three times) through over 600 feet (180 m)[3] as to passes through the gorges in New York's Letchworth State Park, the river also often exposes older rocks such as shales(some rich in hydrocarbons[4]), siltstonesand some limestones of the Devonian period at Letchworth and, at other canyons with three more waterfalls[5][6][7]at Rochester cuts through the Niagara Escarpment exposing limestones and shales of Silurian age in the rock column. With cuttings in the geologic record showing so many early ages, the river area has a great variety of fossils for paleobiological and stratigraphic analysis. en.wikipedia.org/... Waterfall by the river   During the past million years there were four glacial ages that covered the Rochester area with the southern edges of the Laurentide Ice Sheet and those advances were major impactors in the formation geology and geography of the area. The most recent glacier that left evidence here was about 100,000 years ago and it caused compression of the earth by as much as 2,500 feet (760 m).[8] About 12,000 years ago, the area underwent massive changes, which included the rerouting of the Genesee and other water bodies. The pre-Ice age eastern branch of the Genesee runs south of Mount Morris and was completely diverted by extensive terminal moraines in Livingston County with a key blocking dam just south of Dansville, so most of the upper section of the ancient river was diverted instead to fall the off Appalachian Plateau toward the Susquehanna River system (to an eventual destination well to the southeast). Nowadays only a small creek flows in what is left of this large paleogeologic valley. .wikipedia. The Seneca  are a group of indigenousIroquoian-speaking people native to North America who historically lived south of Lake Ontario.The Seneca traditionally lived in what is now New York state between the Genesee River and Canandaigua Lake. The dating of an oral tradition mentioning a solar eclipse yields 1142 AD as the year for the Seneca joining the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee).[7][8] Some recent archaeological evidence indicates their territory eventually extended to the Allegheny River in present-day northwestern Pennsylvania, particularly after the Iroquois destroyed both the Wenrohronon and Erie nations in the 17th century, who were native to the area. The Seneca were by far the most populous of the Haudenosaunee nations, numbering about four thousand by the seventeenth century.wikipedia.org/... www.google.com/...: [Photos by Angmar] * Links indiancountrymedianetwork nativesunnews.today Eco-Aware Green stories and news (Thanks for reading Climate Brief) Dk images library PLEASE READ: Earth Matters with Meteor Blades dailykos.com ?

[Author: Angmar] [Category: Climate, Environment, Green, Holidays, Indians, NativeAmerican, NativeAmericanNetroots, NewYork, ThanksGiving, Geneseeriver, ClimateBrief] [Link to media]

— Tribal, Environmental and Delta Advocates Challenge Delta Tunnel Certification of Consistency

 

at 11/27/25 1:01pm

Sacramento – An avalanche of appeals by Tribes, environmental justice organizations, conservation groups, the Delta Protection Commission, Delta Counties, the City of Stockton and water agencies could pause the Delta Tunnel process from moving forward if the Delta Stewardship Council upholds the appeals. The Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) would create a 45-mile tunnel starting on the Sacramento River at the town of Hood and ending at the Bethany Reservoir west of Tracy, near the community of Mountain House in the South Delta. Opponents say the project would hasten the extinction of Sacramento River winter-run and spring-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Delta and longfin smelt, green sturgeon, white sturgeon and other fish species, as well as devastate Delta communities and Tribal cultural resources. On November 20, a coalition of Tribes and environmental advocates said they filed a formal appeal challenging the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Certification of Consistency for the proposed Delta Conveyance Project. They argue that the project “violates state law and poses an imminent threat to Delta communities, its ecosystem and cultural heritage,” according to a statement from the coalition.  The coalition, including the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, San Francisco Baykeeper, Center for Biological Diversity, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Little Manila Rising, Friends of the River, California Indian Environmental Alliance, Sierra Club California and Restore the Delta, are urging the Delta Stewardship Council to overturn the certification citing inconsistencies with the Delta Reform Act and Delta Plan. The group’s key concerns in the appeal include that the project would: “Irreparably harm Tribal Cultural Resources including cultural sites, burial grounds and traditional use areas – highlighting the lack of any meaningful Tribal consultation  “Intensify environmental harm by increasing diversions from the Delta, reducing protective water flows for threatened fish species and increasing harmful algal blooms  “Worsen environmental injustices, placing disproportionate burdens on Delta residents including low-income, Tribal and Latino communities  “Increase water reliance on the Delta, directly contradicting Delta Plan requirements, and weakening water flow protections “DWR takes every chance it gets to legitimize its ill-advised Delta Tunnel, so it should come as no surprise that it has flouted important environmental reviews by certifying its own project as compliant with the Delta Plan despite the contrary reality,” said Christie Ralston, Associate Attorney for San Francisco Baykeeper. “The Tunnel's true impacts contradict DWR's consistency determination. Instead of spending tens of billions of ratepayer and taxpayer dollars on a concrete pipe that will destroy ecosystems, fisheries, Delta economies, and communities, Californians need effective and restorative solutions that prioritize local sources of water, strengthening levees, and improving existing State Water Project infrastructure.” “Environmental and tribal partners spent years collaborating with the DeltaStewardship Council on a report for how they would engage with environmental justice communities and Tribes,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta. “It seems that they have walked away from the Council’s commitment to following their own internal processes as delineated in this report. Environmental justice and tribal collaboration seems to be for show and not for meaningful consideration by the Council.” The coalition is calling on the Delta Stewardship Council to “reject DWR’s determination and require the state to follow the law and to uphold their commitment to protecting the already fragile Delta ecosystem, tribal rights and delta communities.”  The Delta Protection Commission, Delta Counties, water agencies, the City of Stockton, water agencies and other organizations are also appealing the certification. The Delta Protection Commission voted 9-0 on November 17 to appeal the Department of Water Resources’s certification that the Delta Conveyance Project is “consistent” with the Delta Plan.  The Commission’s appeal contends that the Project would do lasting harm to the Delta, irrevocably altering “the rural character of the Delta, its economic pillars (agriculture and recreation), and its cultural heritage.” It also contends that other options that don’t harm the Delta have not been adequately considered. “The project would use thousands of acres of agricultural land during construction and leave another 1,000 permanently changed, often with industrial-looking facilities, at the four major impact areas: Hood, Twin Cities Road near I-5, Lower Roberts Island, and near the Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area. Other permanent facilities would be built in the Delta on the tunnel route,” the Commission said in a statement. The Delta Reform Act of 2009 establishes coequal goals for the Delta of providing a more reliable water supply for California and protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta ecosystem. It also states that the coequal goals “shallbe achieved in a manner that protects and enhances the unique cultural, recreational, natural resource and agricultural values of the Delta as an evolving place.” Commissioner Patrick Hume, a Sacramento County Supervisor, said at a preliminary Commission discussion of the matter on Nov. 3: “This body is the last bastion of support for the Delta as a place. This is really the voice for the flora, the fauna, the farmers, the Flyway, the fisheries, and the economy that the Delta represents.” The Commission’s vote to appeal was 9-0, with one abstention. The Commission is made predominantly of elected representatives in the Delta, with 11 of its 15 members coming from county boards of supervisors, city councils, and local reclamation districts, which are responsible for flood control in the Delta’s low-lying farmland and small communities. The remaining four members represent state agencies, and they have typically abstained on votes regarding the Delta Conveyance Project. “Commission Chair Diane Burgis, a Contra Costa County Supervisor, did not attend the meeting and has recused herself from past discussions and votes regarding the Project. Burgis serves on the Delta Stewardship Council, which will hear the Commission’s appeal and any other appeals filed by today’s deadline,” the Commission wrote. If the Council upholds any of the appeals, the Project could be remanded to DWR to address Delta Plan inconsistencies, the Commission noted. The Commission’s appeal, including maps showing impact areas, can be seen here (PDF). Below is the list of parties that have appealed the California Department of Water Resources Certification of Consistency (C20257) for the Delta Conveyance Project, submitted to the Delta Stewardship Council on October 17, 2025:   C20257-A1 – Delta Protection Commission C20257-A2 – Courtland Pear Fair C20257-A3 – County of Sacramento and Sacramento County Water Agency C20257-A4 – Steamboat Resort C20257-A5 – San Francisco Baykeeper, Winnemem Wintu, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Restore the Delta, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the River, California Indian Environmental Alliance, Sierra Club California, and Little Manila Rising C20257-A6 – Sacramento Area Sewer District C20257-A7 – City of Stockton C20257-A8 – South Delta Water Agency C20257-A9 – San Joaquin County, Solano County, Yolo County, Central Delta Water Agency, and Local Agencies of the North Delta C20257-A10 – DCC Engineering Co., Inc. The effective date for the appeals is November 17, 2025 (23 Cal. Code Regs. § 5022, subsection (d)(2)).   Review the appeal documents here.

[Author: Dan Bacher] [Category: BigAg, California, Environment, Water, RestoretheDelta, WinnememWintuTribe, DeltaTunnel, DeltaConveyanceProject, ShingleSpringsBandofMiwokIndians, RestoretheDeleta] [Link to media]

— Tribal and Environmental Advocates Challenge Certification of Consistency of Delta Tunnel Project

 

at 11/27/25 1:01pm

Sacramento, CA – A coalition of Tribes and environmental advocates have filed a formal appeal challenging the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Certification of Consistency for the proposed Delta Conveyance Project (DCP), arguing the project “violates state law and poses an imminent threat to Delta communities, its ecosystem and cultural heritage,” according to a statement from the coalition.  The coalition, consisting of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, San Francisco Baykeeper, Center for Biological Diversity, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, Little Manila Rising, Friends of the River, California Indian Environmental Alliance, Sierra Club California and Restore the Delta, are urging the Delta Stewardship Council to overturn the certification citing inconsistencies with the Delta Reform Act and Delta Plan. The group’s key concerns in the appeal include that the project would: “Irreparably harm Tribal Cultural Resources including cultural sites, burial grounds and traditional use areas – highlighting the lack of any meaningful Tribal consultation  “Intensify environmental harm by increasing diversions from the Delta, reducing protective water flows for threatened fish species and increasing harmful algal blooms  “Worsen environmental injustices, placing disproportionate burdens on Delta residents including low-income, Tribal and Latino communities  “Increase water reliance on the Delta, directly contradicting Delta Plan requirements, and weakening water flow protections “DWR takes every chance it gets to legitimize its ill-advised Delta Tunnel, so it should come as no surprise that it has flouted important environmental reviews by certifying its own project as compliant with the Delta Plan despite the contrary reality,” said Christie Ralston, Associate Attorney for San Francisco Baykeeper. “The Tunnel's true impacts contradict DWR's consistency determination. Instead of spending tens of billions of ratepayer and taxpayer dollars on a concrete pipe that will destroy ecosystems, fisheries, Delta economies, and communities, Californians need effective and restorative solutions that prioritize local sources of water, strengthening levees, and improving existing State Water Project infrastructure.” “Environmental and tribal partners spent years collaborating with the DeltaStewardship Council on a report for how they would engage with environmental justice communities and Tribes,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta. “It seems that they have walked away from the Council’s commitment to following their own internal processes as delineated in this report. Environmental justice and tribal collaboration seems to be for show and not for meaningful consideration by the Council.” The coalition is calling on the Delta Stewardship Council to “reject DWR’s determination and require the state to follow the law and to uphold their commitment to protecting the already fragile Delta ecosystem, tribal rights and delta communities.”  A plethora of counties, water agencies, one city and organizations are also appealing the certfication. In addition to the coalition of Tribes and environmental advocates, the following parties have appealed the California Department of Water Resources Certification of Consistency (C20257) for the Delta Conveyance Project, submitted to the Delta Stewardship Council on October 17, 2025:   C20257-A1 – Delta Protection Commission C20257-A2 – Courtland Pear Fair C20257-A3 – County of Sacramento and Sacramento County Water Agency C20257-A4 – Steamboat Resort C20257-A6 – Sacramento Area Sewer District C20257-A7 – City of Stockton C20257-A8 – South Delta Water Agency C20257-A9 – San Joaquin County, Solano County, Yolo County, Central Delta Water Agency, and Local Agencies of the North Delta C20257-A10 – DCC Engineering Co., Inc. The effective date for the appeals is November 17, 2025 (23 Cal. Code Regs. § 5022, subsection (d)(2)). Review the appeal documents here.

[Author: Dan Bacher] [Category: BigAg, California, Environment, Water, RestoretheDelta, WinnememWintuTribe, DeltaTunnel, DeltaConveyanceProject, ShingleSpringsBandofMiwokIndians, RestoretheDeleta] [Link to media]

— Indians 101: Some Flathead Reservation artifacts (photo diary)

 

at 11/27/25 8:15am

The Polson Flathead Lake Museum in Polson, Montana, is on the Flathead Indian Reservation, the home of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. The museum includes some American Indian artifacts. Shown above is a 1910 dancing shirt made for Joseph Albert Couchard (Kootenai). Detail of the dancing shirt Detail of the dancing shirt Detail of the dancing shirt Dancing shirt belt Detail of the Doll’s beadwork. Shown above is one of the “arrowhead” collections. From an archaeological perspective, this type of collection tells us very little about the past. Shown above is a small beaded bag. Ancient Artifacts Shown above is a grinding stone (mano and metate) used for processing food plants. Replicas According to the Museum: “These objects were made by Tim Ryan using the traditional materials and processes. We use them during educational programs both in the museum and the schools.” Shown above is a parfleche. The dream catcher appears to be attached to a dance staff.  Paintings This painting shows women processing hides. This painting shows Fort Connah, a Hudson Bay trading post. Note: These photographs were taken on June 6, 2025. More American Indian museum exhibits Indians 101: A small collection of American Indian artifacts (museum exhibit) Indians 101: 1855 Hellgate Treaty Signing (museum exhibition) Indians 101: A collection of Plateau Indian artifacts (museum exhibit) Indians 101: A display of Plateau Indian beadwork (museum exhibit) Indians 101: Flathead Reservation baskets (museum exhibit) Indians 101: Some Plateau Indian artifacts (museum exhibit) Indians 101: Sanpoil and Wanapan Indians (museum exhibit) Indians 101: Plateau Indian food gathering (museum exhibit)

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, Indians101, Montana, Museums, NativeAmericanNetroots, Photography, FlatheadReservation, PolsonFlatheadLakeMuseum] [Link to media]

— Indians 101: American Indians in Mexican Arizona and New Mexico

 

at 11/25/25 8:15am

Mexico obtained independence from Spain in 1821 which meant that Arizona and New Mexico became Mexican provinces. Briefly described below are some of the American Indian events in these Mexican provinces during the 1820s. The Pueblos are the village agriculturists of New Mexico and Northern Arizona.  The Pueblos are not a single cultural group: they are politically, linguistically and culturally divergent. In addition to the Pueblos, the Mexican government also had to deal with nomadic groups, such as the Comanches (a group of Central Numic-speaking tribes closely related to the Shoshones) and the Navajos (a group of Athabascan-speaking tribes closely related to the Apaches). 1821 In 1821 Mexico gained independence from Spain. In his chapter in the Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 9: Southwest, Marc Simmons reports: “The Treaty of Córdoba, consummating Mexican independence, guaranteed racial equality, preservation of private property, and personal rights. By it all Indians were granted Mexican citizenship and protection of lands held under the Spanish regime.” In the Plan of Iguala which proclaimed independence from Spain, Mexico did away with all legal distinctions regarding Indians and reaffirmed that Indians were citizens of Mexico on an equal basis with non-Indians. According to the Plan: “All the inhabitants of New Spain, without distinction, whether Europeans, Africans or Indians are citizens of the Monarchy, with the rights to be employed in any post, according to merits and virtues.” In his book Cycles of Conquest: The Impact of Spain, Mexico, and the United States on the Indians of the Southwest, 1533-1960, Edward H. Spicer reports: “All Mexican-born persons were to be citizens, and all citizens were guaranteed equal protection in the political life.” In New Mexico at the beginning of the Mexican period the Pueblo population was 9,034 (not including the Hopi). There were 20 Pueblo villages subordinate to provincial authority. In his chapter in the Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 9: Southwest, Marc Simmons reports: “The Hopi, although within the territorial jurisdiction of New Mexico, continued their isolationism and remained free from Mexican sovereignty.” Marc Simmons also reports: “For the Indians the change in government meant relief from outside interference, both in their religious practices and in the management of village affairs, so that the shift from presumptuous Spanish paternalism to indifferent Mexican neglect was greeted with genuine enthusiasm.” The Mexican regime, however, while recognizing the Spanish land grants to the Pueblos, did little to actually enforce Indian land and water rights. In New Mexico, a Comanche delegation traveled to Santa Fe to receive their annual gifts. The newly formed Mexican government, however, did not provide the gifts—something which the Comanche had received for 35 years and which they viewed as a perpetual privilege. In response, the Comanche began raiding the nearby villages, pillaging the houses, killing sheep and cows, and raping two women. 1822 In New Mexico, the newly formed Mexican government negotiated a treaty with the Navajos. Under the treaty, Segundo was now recognized as the head chief of the Navajos. The treaty called for an exchange of prisoners and the freedom of the Navajos to travel and trade throughout New Mexico. The Mexican government appointed a new governor who ignored the previous treaty. The new governor sent the Navajos an ultimatum to return prisoners, to convert to Catholicism, and to resettle in villages around the missions. In an article in the New Mexico Historical Review, historian Douglas Richmond reports: “The new governor ignored the fact that previous Spanish attempts to resettle the Navajos had failed.” 1823 In Arizona, Mexicans under the leadership of Jose Antonio Vizcarra chased a group of Navajos led by Juanico who had been raiding Mexican homesteaders. The Mexicans encountered a group of Paiutes with goats and without warning attacked them. The Mexicans killed four men and took seven captives who they intended to sell as slaves in New Mexico. When Vizcarra realized that the Indians were Paiutes and not the Navajos who they had been chasing, he released them. He explained his mistake by saying that he thought only the Navajo had goats. In New Mexico, the Mexican government negotiated a treaty with the Navajos. The treaty was signed by two Navajo captains – Batolome Baca and Juan Antonio Sandoval. The treaty required: (1) the Navajos to hand over all prisoners, (2) Navajo prisoners to be returned unless they wanted to become Christians, (3) the Navajos were to return all stolen goods, and (4) the Navajos were to accept Christianity and settle in pueblos. The peace established by the treaty, according to oral tradition, was violated before the ink was dry.   1824 In 1824, following a military campaign through Navajo territory, the Mexican government negotiated a treaty with the Navajos that called for a mutual exchange of prisoners. Even though Mexican law prohibited slavery, the use of Indian slaves was still common at this time, and many Indians were being held as slaves. 1826 In 1826, the Comanches under the leadership of Cordero, Ysacoroco, and Estrellas signed a peace treaty with the Mexicans. Under the new treaty, the Pecos River was established as the boundary for Comanche territory and the Comanches agreed not to cross the Pecos without notifying the Comandante General. The Comanches agreed not to interfere with traffic along the Santa Fe Trail and to help the caravans when necessary. There was to be an annual presentation of gifts from the Mexican government at Santa Fe and Béxar. 1828 In 1828, the Mexicans met with some 600 Comanches on the Gallians River in New Mexico. The Comanches selected Toro Echicero (Sorcerer Bull) as head chief. The Mexicans and the Comanches formalized a treaty in which the Comanche promised to refrain from raiding, provided that gifts would be made available to them. More American Indian histories Indians 101: The United States invades Mexico to destroy a Kickapoo village Indians 101: American Indians and Mexico 200 years ago, 1825 Indians 101: Indians and Mexico 200 years ago, 1822 Indians 101: Mexico and American Indians 200 years ago, 1821 Indians 101: American Indians in Mexican Texas, 1821-1836 Indians 101: Emancipating California's Mission Indians in 1833-1834 Indians 201: The Pueblos and the United States, 1846 to 1876 Indians 201: The Kickapoo War against Texas

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, Christianity, History, Indians101, Mexico, NativeAmericanNetroots, NavajoIndians, PuebloIndians, ComancheIndians, PlanofIguala, TreatyofCordoba] [Link to media]

— Inuit mythological beings

 

at 11/20/25 2:12pm

Welcome to the Street Prophets Coffee Hour cleverly hidden at the intersection of religion, art, science, food, and politics. This is an open thread where we can share our thoughts and comments about the day. Let’s look at Inuit mythological beings. The Inuit, also known as Eskimo, are native peoples of the Arctic Culture Area, a region which includes the Aleutian Islands, most of the Alaska Coast, the Canadian Arctic, and parts of Greenland. It is an area which can be described as a “cold” desert. The area has long, cold winters and short summers. During the summer, the tundra becomes boggy and difficult to cross. While this is a harsh environment for humans, the Inuit have lived here for thousands of years. There are a number of Inuit mythological beings. Writing about the Nunivak Eskimo in the Handbook of North American Indians, Margaret Lantis reports: “The nonhuman, nonanimal species were dwarfs, of two or more kinds and very common; giants, more rare; half-people, being only one side of a person, and half-birds; creatures that were half-human and half-animal or on whom one side  of the face was normal, the other side distorted; wanderers, who were formerly human; a spirit with a large mouth  on the chest; a string-figure spirit; the northern lights, which were walrus spirits playing ball with a human skull; water monsters in the lakes; a large man-worm with a human face on the head; a caribou with antlers branching like a willow; Big Eagle; and Raven.” The moon was also an important entity, and Margaret Lantis writes: “A male moon spirit would come to the earth to get a wife or to help a mistreated person, and the shaman might journey to the moon to get help.” Among the Netsilik there were three major deities. In his chapter on the Netsilik in the Handbook of North American Indians, Asen Balikci reports: “Nuliayuk, a goddess living in the depths of the sea, was considered the mother of both sea and land animals; Nârssuk or Sila, the giant baby, was the weather god, master of the wind, rain, and snow; Tatqiq, the moon spirit, was a deity generally well disposed toward mankind.” Shown above is Conversing with the Snake Spirit by Victoria Mamnguqsualuk (1930-2016). Displayed in the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, Washington. This is an open thread

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: CoffeeHour, Community, Inuit, mythology, OpenThread, Religion, StreetProphets] [Link to media]

— Indians 101: The Water People (museum exhibition)

 

at 11/20/25 8:15am

The Tlingit are an Alaska Native people whose aboriginal homelands stretched along the Pacific coast for more than 400 miles. The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, Washington had a special exhibition, Raven and the Box of Daylight, featuring the work of Tlingit glass artist Preston Singeltary. Singletary works in the medium of glass and his works reflect the cultural heritage of Tlingit sculpture. According to MAC: “Primarily known for his celebration of Tlingit art and design, Singletary explores new ways of working with glass inspired by Tlingit design principles. Tlingit objects were traditionally used to show wealth and tell stories by representing elements of the natural world, as well as the histories of individual families.” According to MAC: “Raven and the Box of Daylight is the Tlingit story of Raven and his transformation of the world—bringing light to people via the stars, moon, and sun. This story holds great significance for the Tlingit people. The exhibition features a dynamic combination of artwork, storytelling, and encounter, where the Tlingit story unfolds.” According to the Story: “As the stars fill the sky and as the moon takes its place, light begins to fill the earth. When the sun takefs its place in the sky, bringing daylight to the world, it is frightening to all those who have been in darkness. The people are able to see the world around them for the first time and are startled. Those wearing animal regalia run to the wood and become The Animal People. Those wearing bird regalia jump into the sky and become The Winged People. Those wearing water animal regalia become The Water People. Those who remain strong (and stubborn) become Human People.” Shown below are The Water People. Kéet Káa (Killer Whale Man) Made in 2018; blown and sand-carved glass Xáat Sháa (Salmon Woman) Made in 2018; blown and sand-carved glass Xíxch’I Káa (Frog Man) Made in 2018; blown and sand-carved glass Tóos’ Sháa (Shark Woman) Made in 2018; blown and sand-carved glass Note: These photographs were taken on July 11, 2025. More Raven and the Box of Daylight Indians 101: The Winged People (museum exhibition) Indians 101: The Animal People (museum exhibition) Indians 101: The Human People (museum exhibition) Indians 101: Raven's Transformation (museum exhibition) Indians 101: Stars, Moon, and Daylight (museum exhibition) Indians 101: Rattles Inside the Clan House (museum exhibition) Indians 101: Baskets Inside the Clan House (museum exhibition) Indians 101: Raven Along the Nass River (museum exhibition)

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, Art, Indians101, Museums, mythology, NativeAmericanNetroots, Photography, Washington, NorthwestMuseumofArtsandCulture, TlingitIndians, RavenandtheBoxofDaylight, PrestonSingeltary] [Link to media]

— Indians 201: Dighton Rock Petroglyphs

 

at 11/18/25 8:15am

When the Europeans first began their invasion of what would become known as New England, they encountered people—American Indians—whose origins and existence puzzled them. They were firm in their conviction that they knew the true history of the world and that this history had been written down in their holy book. Since American Indians were not mentioned in their book, they had to come up with some explanation of their origins. Ignoring American Indian oral traditions, they simply superimposed their own creation story on them, regardless of whether it made any realistic sense of not. The imagined story of the American Indians frequently had two premises: (1) that Indians, like the Europeans, were recent arrivals on this continent, and (2) that Indians, who were obviously an inferior people, could not have developed any sophisticated cultural features, such as agriculture, stonework, and writing. Unfortunately, the physical evidence did not support the Europeans’ active imaginations, and they had, therefore, to devise seemingly plausible explanations for this evidence. Shortly after arriving in Massachusetts, the English colonists noticed a large rock into which had been carved numerous symbols. The rock was a forty-ton boulder in the riverbed of the Taunton River. This boulder, now known as the Dighton Rock, had been deposited in the riverbed at the end of the last ice age about 10-13,000 years ago. Composed of a gray-brown crystalline sandstone it has the form of a slanted, six-sided block. While ice age boulders are not uncommon in this region, what make this one different are the inscriptions carved on its trapezoidal face. The carved surface is inclined 70 degrees to the northwest and faced the bay. The images on the rock feature meandering lines, round-headed anthropomorphs, turkey and animal tracks, and footprints. The images were deeply carved into the rock and carving them would have required standing in water to make them. An 1830 drawing of the carvings is shown above. The English colonists puzzled over the mysterious symbols which had been carved in the rock. The Reverend John Danforth made a drawing of the petroglyphs in 1680. Convinced that the writing on the rock was Phoenician, he sent his drawing to the Royal Society of London to see what they thought, but the English scholars were non-committal. Danforth’s drawing is still preserved in the British Museum. Danforth’s 1680 drawing is shown above. In 1690, the Reverend Cotton Mather, in his book The Wonderful Works of God Commemorated, wrote: “Among the other Curiosities of New-England, one is that of a mighty Rock, on a perpendicular side whereof by a River, which at High Tide covers part of it, there are very deeply Engraved, no man alive knows How or When about half a score Lines, near Ten Foot Long, and a foot and half broad, filled with strange Characters: which would suggest as odd Thoughts about them that were here before us, as there are odd Shapes in that Elaborate Monument.…” Some seventeenth-century scholars were convinced that the markings were actually Phoenician writing. Their world view regarding Indians made it impossible to conceive of the carvings as having been done by Indians. In 1783, Ezra Stiles, the president of Harvard University and well-known Biblical scholar, declared that the writings on Dighton Rock were the work of Phoenicians. The Phoenicians were a maritime trading culture that had flourished in the Mediterranean from about 1550 BCE to 300 BCE. While they travelled routes known to the Biblical world of this time, there is little evidence that they ventured very far outside of the Mediterranean. In an article in Current World Archaeology, Timmy Gambin and Lucy Woods report: “Indeed, it has been suggested that they may have sailed as far as ancient Britain seeking tin from the Cornish mines.” They were, however, mentioned in the Bible and thus it was assumed that they must have sailed (or rowed) across the Atlantic to the Americas. A map of Phoenician trade routes is shown above. While they did venture outside of the Mediterranean, they voyaged along the African and European coastlines, never out of sight of land. The Europeans, with familiarity with the Norse sagas, had long assumed that the Vikings had sailed to North America by 1000 CE. Thus, in 1837, Carl Christian Rafn proposed that the carvings on the Dighton Rock were actually Norse runes and therefore proof of their presence in North America. Rafn was a Danish historian, translator, and antiquarian. He was particularly interested in determining the location of Vinland which had been mentioned in the Norse sagas. Rafn was convinced that he saw Roman numbers and the name “Thorfinn Karlsefini” in the stone. In 1870, English naval officer Lindesey Brine hired a boat and visited Dighton Rock. Brine traced the figures and characters. In his The Ancient Earthworks and Temples of the American Indians, Brine wrote: “I have seen rolls of birch bark scratched in the same manner by the Chippewas, for the purpose of giving information of the movements of their hunting parties, and I think that the figures on the Dighton stone were meant to represent similar events. As, however, the inscriptions are deeply cut, and as it must have taken some considerable time to execute them, it may be granted that the Indians wished to leave, near the mouth of the river, a permanent record which would be intelligible to others.” In 1912, Edmund B. Delabarre declared that the carvings on the Dighton Rock had been done by the Portuguese. According to Delabarre, a professor of psychology at Brown University, the inscriptions on the rock had been carved by Miguel Corte-Real, a Portuguese explorer whose 1502 expedition into the western Atlantic never returned. He claimed that the carvings include the Coat of Arms of Portugal, the name Miguel Corte-Real, and the date 1511. Delabarre also claimed to have deciphered the writing as: “Miguel Cortereal by the will of God, here Chief of the Indians.” In 2002, Gavin Menzies, in his book 1421: The Year China Discovered America, suggested that the carvings were evidence of Chinese exploration in eastern North America. While the book was a best seller, most academic scholars remained unconvinced. I haven’t seen any reports claiming that the carvings on Dighton Rock are evidence of ancient aliens from other worlds exploring and/or colonizing North America, but I suspect that there are some advocates of this hypothesis. The petroglyphs on Dighton Rock were made by American Indians. While there are still a few people today who will dispute this, the fact remains that Indian people left petroglyphs (carvings in rock) and pictographs (paintings on rock) throughout North America, including New England. The problem today is not whether or not they were made by American Indians, but why they were made and what the symbols mean. Let’s start with why. In general, rock art was created by American Indians for several basic reasons: (1) it was a way of recording spiritual experiences, such as vision quests, (2) it was a way of recording historical experiences, such as battles and deaths, and (3) it was a way of marking tribal territories, pathways, and usage rights. The location of Dighton Rock makes me suspect that it was a territorial marker. However, it is possible that it was a vision quest site as we know very little about vision quests among the Algonquian people who lived in the area. As to what the symbols mean, unless we have access to the cultures which created them it is easy to misinterpret them. The best we can say is that we don’t know what they meant to the people who carved them. Present day claims by non-Indians as to their meaning are based in non-Indian imaginations, not in the actual Indian cultures. Another question to is: When were these petroglyphs made? It is probable that they were made over a period of time rather than in a single event. However, petroglyphs are difficult to accurately date which means we may never be able to answer this question. In 1963, the rock was removed from the river and installed in a museum in the Dighton Rock State Park. In 1980 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. More American Indian stories— Ancient America: Pictographs Ancient America: Rock Art Ancient America: Columbia River Pictographs (Photo Diary) Ancient America: Columbia River Rock Art (Photo Diary) Indians 101: American Indians 400 years ago, 1620 Indians 101: 17th Century Books About Indians Indians 101: American Indians 400 years ago, 1625 Indians 101: Animism and Shamanism Among New England Tribes

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: AmericanIndians, History, Indians101, Massachusetts, NativeAmericanNetroots, petroglyphs, RockArt, DightonRock] [Link to media]

— Vatican Returns 62 Artifacts of Canadian Indigenous Peoples.

 

at 11/15/25 12:31pm

Pope Leo XIV gave the artifacts to a delegation of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops during an audience. The items, including an Inuit kayak, had been part of the ethnographic collection of the Vatican's Anima Mundi museum. Most of the items had been sent by Catholic missionaries to the Vatican in 1925 for display as part of an exhibition in the Vatican gardens. The Vatican maintains that the artifacts were a gift to Pope Pius XI. Historians and Indigenous Peoples of Canada question whether they could really be considered a gift, given the imbalance of power between Catholic missionaries and the Native Peoples in Canada at the time. Screenshot of today's press release from the Vatican. You can read more about this on the CBS website.

[Author: A Pagan in Arizona] [Category: CatholicChurch, Indigenous, nativepeoples, Vatican] [Link to media]

— Salish Indian Dolls

 

at 11/13/25 2:08pm

Welcome to the Street Prophets Coffee Hour cleverly hidden at the intersection of religion, art, science, food, and politics. This is an open thread where we can share our thoughts and comments about the day. In 1841, the Jesuits established a mission among the Bitterroot Salish (also called Flathead Indians). Today the Historic St. Mary’s Mission Complex includes a number of historic cabins, including Chief Victor’s Cabin. Chief Victor (1790-1870) served as chief from 1840 until his death in 1870. His cabin today contains displays of Salish artifacts. One of the ways of displaying traditional Salish culture and clothing is through dolls. According to the display: “Doll maker Mary Jane Charlo is a direct descendant of Chief Victor. Mary Jane is an enrolled tribal member of the Confederated Salish, Kootenai and Pend d’Oreille Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation. Mary Jane specializes in Native American dolls, dressed in traditional Salish style clothing.” According to the display: “The baby is dressed in a buckskin shirt, moccasins and leggings of deer hide. He wears a pouch suspended on a buckskin string around his neck. The contents of these pouches were known only to the wearer and/or the person who made it.” According to the display: “The female porcelain doll is dressed in high top moccasins and a dress style that would have been made of three tanned deer hides. The brown color comes from being smoked, a technique used by tanners to make the hides more water proof and stain resistant. She had mink fur hair wraps on her braids with a hishi shell necklace with an abalone pendent. These shells were acquired through trade during this time period.” Shown above is an authentic replica of a Flathead Salish lodge made by tribal member Mary Ann Combs. Shown above is Saint Kateri Takakwitha, the first American Indian to be named a saint. She was Mohawk and the Iroquois who came to the Bitterroot Valley, bringing with them knowledge of the Blackrobes (Jesuits), were also Mohawks. This is an open thread—all topics are welcome.

[Author: Ojibwa] [Category: CoffeeHour, Community, Jesuits, Montana, Museums, OpenThread, Photography, SalishIndians, StreetProphets, HistoricSt.MarysMission, ChiefVictor] [Link to media]

— Native American Rights to Colorado River Water

 

at 11/13/25 11:19am

By Ken Ransford, Esq., CPA Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press  When seven states got together in 1922 to effectively divide up Colorado River usage, their resulting compact declared: “Nothing in this compact shall be construed as affecting the obligations of the United States of America to Indian tribes.” So, even more than a century ago, states recognized that Native Americans had rights to Colorado River water and, even earlier in 1908, the U.S. Supreme Court said in Winters v. U.S., that when we dedicated land to reservations it included enough water to make them habitable. But the reservation treaties never said just how much water. A case of: Next question, please! We still don’t know how much. But, thanks to University of Colorado Law School research, we know it is a lot. It is probably around 4 million acre-feet, which is about a third of the entire natural river flow, About a third of the Native American allotment, around 1.5 million acre-feet, is what the water community calls “wet water.” That is, water actually delivered to Indian Tribes. About another third has not yet been formally adjudicated, and the remaining water has been adjudicated but Congress hasn’t appropriated funds to build the pipes to get the water to the reservations. That last third creates what water insiders call “paper water,” recognized in paper agreements but not actually delivered. (An acre-foot is enough water to cover a football field, not including the end zones, with 12” of water. Water providers used to say it was enough water for two families for a year, now it’s enough for three, but on the Navajo reservation, where many subsist on 10 gallons a day or less, it supports about 80 people.) All that history is becoming more important because we face a deadline. Political procrastination over decades has pushed nearly every aspect of Colorado River allocation into a series of 2026 federal deadlines. It's not unfair to describe it as a comprehensive reform of how we use the Colorado, which heavily supports both Southern California agriculture and Los Angeles drinking water supplies. If the states and other stakeholders, like the Indian Tribes, cannot agree, then the Trump Administration will likely decide for them. Federal reclamation officials are soliciting alternatives from stakeholders in the “2026 Negotiations.” The Upper Basin states of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico say they’re planning to use about 50 percent MORE than the four million acre-feet they’ve historically used to “grow into their supplies.” The Lower Basin states, including California, might be seen as a bit more practical, agreeing to immediately drop use to six million acre-feet, 80% of what they received in the 1922 Compact. But, still, they argue that the Upper Basin will have to absorb half of any cutbacks over that. True to form, neither Basin plan said much about Indian water rights. Next question, please! As many Southern California residents no doubt recall, in 2000 the Colorado River supply started dropping. The river had sustained a natural flow of about 15.2 million acre-feet per year all the way from 1906 to 2000 but dropped to only 10 million acre-feet per year from 2000 to 2004. Things have improved, but only a bit—the last 25-year annual flow is about 12.5 million acre-feet—but with hotter temperatures, scientists expect the average natural annual flow by around 2050 to be closer to the 2000-2004 average of 10 million acre-feet per year. Of course, it could be less. We don’t know. In 2007, those same seven Compact States from back in 1922 agreed on “operating criteria” to govern how much water gets released from Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The federal Bureau of Reclamation, formed in 1902 to build those and all the other big dams in the West, drafted the 2007 Interim Guidelines to balance releases between Lake Powell and Lake Mead. In 2000, those reservoirs were 96 percent full. By 2005, they were less than 50 percent full, and today they’re 33 percent full. And, remember, the Indian Tribes are still getting only about a third of their water. Those 2007 Guidelines were based on demand: releases that were geared to meet Lower Basin states demand – California, Arizona, and Nevada, which the 1922 Colorado River Compact set at 7.5 million acre-feet a year. The 2007 Guidelines could have said water would be released based on supply, meaning how much the reservoirs actually held, but instead they focused on what the Compact said the states could demand. Come hell or low water. As the name implies, the 2007 Interim Guidelines were short-term, set to expire in 2026 because a lone environmentalist, described on page 14 of the guidelines, told Reclamation we need to check in after 20 years to see how the fish and birds are doing. Well, we might start that evaluation by noting we have completely dried up the last 75 miles of the Colorado River into the Gulf of California for most of the last 100 years, really since Hoover Dam was built in 1933. That now-dry area was formerly a productive estuary and important flyway for migrating birds. There are now four endangered fish species living in the Colorado River, and as many as 151 imperiled fish in rivers in the seven Colorado River basin states. From a river’s perspective, dams are about the worst thing you can do to them. From a state’s perspective, the endangered species act is about the worst thing you can do to rivers. Before getting too wrapped around the axle, don’t forget we consume about 50 percent of the Colorado River flow just to grow hay. In the West, whoever got there first and diverted water from the river for a “beneficial use” gets the water. First it was mining, today it’s hay fields. The easiest way to prove “beneficial use” was (and is) to dig a ditch across rocky soil and flood a field to grow hay, which is among the thirstiest crops on earth. It takes about 24 inches of water to grow it in the Mile High State, and over 60 inches of water to grow it at the Mexican border. As it gets hotter, crops need more water. It has not gone unnoticed in these highly political times that we sure do ship a lot of hay grown in the Colorado River Basin overseas, largely to China, Japan and Saudi Arabia. We might also notice that in hard times, things get much, much worse for Indian “wet water.” Of the four million acre-feet that can be claimed by Indian Tribes, the Arizona tribes are entitled to just over half. Much of the “wet water” they now receive comes through what’s called the Central Arizona Project (CAP), a 1968 Congressional bill to divert up to 1.5 million acre-feet of Colorado River water 2,900 feet uphill to serve Phoenix and Tucson. That bill came with an allotment cost—in times of shortage, Arizona’s CAP water is cut off first, meaning before California loses its share. That means the Arizona Tribes would be the first to suffer the shortfall, just the latest shot in our nation’s Indian wars. Building infrastructure to get pipes to Indian Reservations so they can grow more hay is one solution. However, that’s much like installing telephone poles instead of cell phone towers to deliver phone service. Paying tribes to lease water to cities, or to leave it in the river to re-water the lower Colorado River Delta, are other approaches. Granted, the Native American water rights will be just one issue, but the 2026 Negotiations will govern Colorado River usage over the next 20 years starting October 1, 2026. This process is really a generational opportunity to make better use of the Colorado River, a national treasure and still the lifeblood of civilizations built here millennia before newcomers began allocating resources. It’s also a chance to address a century of brutal procrastination on Indian Water Rights, or we can just revert to the existing policy: Next question, please! About the author: For more than two decades, Ken Ransford has served on the Colorado Basin Roundtable, a volunteer advisory group formed by the state to help develop Colorado’s Water Plan. The Basalt, Colorado-area resident grew up in Pacific Palisades and is also a practicing attorney and CPA, however, he notes that he is not a water-law legal specialist.

[Author: CACourtsMonitor] [Category: Agriculture, Colorado, ColoradoRiver, Crit, DrinkingWater, HooverDam, IndianReservations, NativeAmericans, SouthernCalifornia, riverrights, 2026negotiations] [Link to media]

As of 12/14/25 3:30am. Last new 12/13/25 6:09am.