THE RED HEART WARRIOR VOL. 4 NO. 2 SPRING ‘05 NEWSLETTER OF THE RED HEART WARRIORS SOCIETY (RHWS) THE RED HEART WARRIOR EDITORIAL The Real Tragedy What strikes me a the real tragedy behind the Tem Schisvo sory is that no one made mention of the fact that every day thoussnds of people around the world are sarving 0 Geath or dying from preventable discases ‘while for 15 years this woman was technically Yept alve in 8 vegetative state with 1o bope of rocovery. | gog when 1 hear President Bush, who as Govemor of Texas sent more people o the cxccutioner than aay other Fovernor,alk about a “Culture of L and judges in this case by members of the Chistian Right drove home the point that to these fanafics, the rights of the unbom and the undead take over th living. From the musder of doctors and workers at abortion inics to the ben on stem cell escarch, which fas been proven to_save lives, to_ fool- drmgging in dealing with the AIDS epidemic or gemocide in Afrca, n very ua-pretty picture s emerged on the Right and this so-called “Culture of Life" The same media pundits who are howling for Prof. Ward Churchill's heod for suggesting {hnt Sept. 1% might have been a reaction to US. foreign policy, ‘and in pariculsr the anctions imposed on Imq that cuused between % and Y% million lives, mostly of Children, are hurling the charge of “murder” & Mr. Schiavo and the courts. ls this @ “Culture of Life?" The Real Tragedy, s | see i, s that the loss oflvesof non-white peopl, and poor people n geners, cavsed by government policies 104 nehinationa corporte economic exploiation e writen off as “collteral damage” e bt o cosue the Rmerican Way of Life.” And even the future survival of humasity, which is pot n jeopardy by the destruction of the Ozone Layer and unchecked global warming _caused by ‘pollution from sutomobiles, airplanes, power Plants and factories, is officially ignored as {mimportant and “bad for business” 10 even consider. Right-ving Clrisin_cvangelists_glecul {ak o these being the “End Times,” e wanton destruction of out life sustaning vironment by the white Clristian taions “od. global imperalism is pert of Crestor's Great Plan. The Real Tragedy, as | see it is . few besiden the trditional _spirtunl feaders of the indigenous peoples ar rising el volces sgains this madness and this “Culture of Desth” tat realy has 5o concern for the fate of unborn genertions. As red-hearted warriors, our responsibility extonds beyond the fight for the right 10 practice our waditional spiritial_ ways. It xtends beyond the struggle to restore our tions so that we can live and work together in community without being cxploited. Imporant s these things e, they won't mean @ thing if life on this planet extinguished. We bave to get our priorites sight, get organized, and become the leading socil and politcal force on this planet. We have o Because if we don't, the result will be the greatest tragedy imaginable. MAY CREATOR STAND US TALL! WANISHI! o Big Wavriov THE RED HEART WARRIOR vard churchill W, o COLORADO AIM CONDEMNS RACIST ATTACKS AGAINST CHURCHILL. coNTACT: . Tink Tiker (303) 229-7756 Elds Councl reprosentate. Colorado AM 3038710463 The Elders Councl and the Leadership Coundl of the American Indian Movement (AIM) of Colorado confirm our support for Ward Churchill as & momber of our chapter, and as a member of the Leadership Counci of Colorado AM. Colorado AIM further condemns the transparent, racist _attacks against Churchil by thoss who_seek to slonce allemative voices. Whie Churchi's particuar _statements aboul _events of Saptomber 11, 2001 wore his personal views, his broader criical analysis of U.S. domestic ‘and foreign policy s consistent with Colorado AiMs perspeciive. Colorado AIM is one o the largest and most aciive AIM chaplers in the United States. Our strongh, power and authority springe from our spirtualty, flom the example of our ancestors, and from the members of our communty who embrace our principles. We neither recognize, nor do we accept, the ditates of any person or persons who pretend 1o speak for us. Any person or entity that purports 1o speak on behal of Colorado AM other than our Elders Counci or the Leadership Counci, is being dishonest. Each AIM chapter is independent and autonomous, ‘and our authorty emerges fom the voice of the people in our communiy, and we support ‘Ward Churchil Ward Churchil has been an_important member and leader of the American Indian Movement (AIM) of Colorado since at least 1084, His analysis of U.S. law and policy has been an essential 100l in educaling both indigenous and non-indigenous people on the history and the curent circumstances of native peoples in the Americas. Ward has baen tireless in his defense of indigenous peoples’ aspirations for freedom and jusiice around the world, and we appiaud him for his umerous contibutions. Colorado AIM is painfuy familar with racist atacks against our movement, and against ndivicuals n our movemont,of which s s simpiy the most rocen. Wo do_not have 1o agree with every stalement, or wih every posion that members of our chaplr tak n order to raly to thic support when they are subject 10 an unprincipied, antindian nch mabs. Churchill is not under attack because of & ouple of statements that he mads about the events of September 11, 2001. He is under attack because he has exposed the pain and the suffering caused by U.S. domeslic and foreign policy. He does 5o without apology., and from the perspactive of an indigenous scholar. He is under attack by.racists who would prefer to sience indigenous voices altogether, and who would erase the history. of indgenous paoples from the memory of the Western Hemisphere. ‘Our view of Ward Churchilis not through the ens of a few sentences taken out of context for calculated purposes. Our view is of an indigenous man who has devoted decades of s ife to the defense of indigenous pooples’ selfdetermination and freedom. e fact is not lost on us that the attacks on Churchilbegan _immedately _after the ‘acquital of him and ofhers i the Columbus. THE RED HEART WARRIOR M mmmm mmMmenummm .mmmmm mmw mmmmmmwmm Mmm#m i Mmm“ z_mmmmmw Mu HHHe mmr L ikl bt mmm %Mmmm% fh sirlusinahs Miallotli: R B mmm ni w dhy Mrfi hmwxw 2y mmw gz 0 il mm__fm it 18 A5 ,- mn -m =8 % H 3! o S m.m.m i m_wm mm mmm%mmwwww mmm 1585 mamm_nm ume mmm HL “ M_mwmmm With YOUR help we CAN reach the THE RED HEART WARRIOR whole worid! ‘swayed by the propaganda being sproad by the mainstream modia. fia o Wwfi i BRI HE .m mm-m: 3 mm i mmmfim»m : mwfim mm:_ : w mmm iy sl Mf,m i _memm i iy umwmmm w mmmmmwmm mmmmnm mmmmmmw mm THE RED HEART WARRIOR ‘Miakuye Oyasin - Indiivomaahganag 0 Red Lake, northern Minnesots ‘reservations *Birmingham of the North’ By Mahtowin Munro heforsfront. "Weise, & martaiy i Ofirws youlh, Kled two fomty members and Kled and wounded severa! The Red Lske communiy has beon ot With about 5000 people eroled | naunky. This s not Thi is oty difeent” (omocracy Now! March 24) o Losch Lake, neighbaring Offowe reservaton, sso inor Viewsd oo Domotracy, Now: dotaled tho History of enodal atacks on Ntwe soversgaly snd Totore that bagan win the boarding schools Srogram in the mi-1850s. She sad: *Kids died of Tarpor waced a dract progression of Hhose contlions t he povery, alcohol and substance ‘buse and related vienco todey. "Sid hat In the sixcouny nothern area including Rod Lok, Loech Lake. ‘and Whio Esrt, 57 perco 7o Nativo. Wo aro considored the Brmingham of ho not,” she sal. onch oy voces across Indan counry crifized Prosident George W. Busts faiuro 10 exress. Eympothy wih the Red Lake Naton. Bush was Dory pushing sntworker _ Socisl Secuty el and posturing obout Ter Schiav; ho ‘apparenty coukd not b bothered (0 nolice the Gevastatng Fagedy Inindan Cor “American Indan Moverent Drector 7 THE RED HEART WARRIOR Jot Weisos fathor commitid_suicide four years ago. His moiher shorty theralte suffered pormanoni brain damago as the rosul of ‘Bcohorrelsted suo sccdent. Weise was abused by his maihor boyliend and possibly ohers. Vihen he retumed to Red Lake 1 v wih olher famb membors b foksolted and frendjess. Clarly, this youlh noeded help. But Naiive poople have imied accoss (o haalth servces, nich on the reservatons sro sciely dispensed ) Or. Frank Ochber, former assocate direcor of e Natonal Insttte of Mental Healt, lod the New. York Tmes that recent_resoarch had Changed s mind on tho queston of a link between the crugs and homicial acts. *Sucidal and homeidalintonions _together could hecraticaly olow te same path” "The mainsream media made much of he fact nat Weise had rocenty posted to neoNazi websites, a5 though hat provides the_enie answer o the queston of why this lagedy hagponed. Many have asked how a Natie youth ould possibly dently s a neo-Nazi, Weise was cloaly alenaled and fel hopeiess. Like some other young pecple in his icumstances, he may have been atractsd o the simplistc_answers provided by reactonary or Thao is an mpoan svnue of escaps o hopolesaness for youl: becoming part Siugge against racem and for eccnomic and socajustce. Mahtowin Muno is a leader of United Amencan Indians of New England (UAINE)D The Indian in my Classroom Jennifer Harries schoo teacher i hester New York withsome of hex corent sudents. I was the fist day of school. 1 sat sk my desk surveying the. brighteyed, expectnt fces of the i bfore me. All exceptane:bue-eyed Joa was unging his hea, i b umbling over i fce with oo ke tundentorn spproachin. | dismised he cas twelve ok fr nch,but held Jo back: i Capreson of misry had Dot changed sine the cgimingof e oy “Whats the maer, Jon?™ 1 dont ke school 1 bt * “There mus be ot st one subject you cjey” & “What s you intrestd a7 i “Anytingclet” N, st Indians.” Hecdged towads the doceafler i, it wos enchine. id' koow what 0 sy, Bt | ey knw his: it on was going to make i throsghth schol year, we were THE RED HEART WARRIOR going 16 bive to sudy Iodims, come’ whel may, Sether he cresm called for o k. And . over the pext severa days | puledtogther books and s on wigwams, capoe, nd i and fbing. e o, terories, d the oflen_destrcive congques ofte widenes by whieseters. son s s Jpressd, Dot I waset becasse be had T et Nor hud e ke i A few ek i the e, e walked p o my dosk s sid quictly, " a0 Indien” Wit o minwe, Jo.? | said, ying 50t o smile 100 rodly. How doss et work? Yous fthe fa Swish, ‘i your mothr i Eaglih, gHe” I dopted. See?" And b handed e sple dcument. “have an Indian pen e, b avked s el i1 coukd i th ibe. Tho chief agreed ™ v sumned. 1 bd never head of such thing. end i cven Yaow I s possvle | rdsletly: MY PLEDGE AND MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION 1 am an i, prowd 1 st st and L. ot s 1 am able, pldge: 1 study hehistory,gunge, d cstoms of oy e tlive s imply and natrally s possbo nd o Tt o of the commerilpresars that would rlave me by coud; 4o sty come o he i of sy Indian, pecialythoreofmy own tibe: 4o scqaintmysel it the nees ofmy people, it ender 14 wheover possive: 1o o formyselfhehighet educaionsl Sindard h | can; 4o wok or the comervtion of ur envionment: i o keep mysef rom kool and drog adicion ndanying it woukd dshanor my pame or bt of my people. “Letus ot our minds togeter o 0 what e we will e fo ot childrn.” Siting Bl The clas fll s, tryig t caeh s few smices of ot camersaon. For whseve resson dout wk e ovw-bey sened somtbing out of e ordinary. S0 | rered s pledg, loud i tme. As 1 6id he choss Came 1o lf, one by on siting bot upight, yes Bining, wide sweke, This wasexitig] There was o et that Jon was o rel Idian-te only 00¢ e Jmova. And s tho casng discsion howed, he knew e sboutIcians than sy of e, i ore thm e, their echer. Ou sodies esp cut of he pest and It the prese, ‘ot of o sl sadies extbooks d o elty. We Gcided o et e words of Naiv Americas exch us. oo, who o long los all confidene tt he would v caeh v wih his casmaes scndnically, wis o eding e through s p pl, nd inoducig uS o he culue nd vbues of b peoplc whose ways wore Complely frga 0 us. 1 vas 8 way of o tstas ey it coutd sy see-was the ot st of oo sociey, of cplaliem, mteraln, 04 oaividuium. Bt the il et e immedise ity for . By the o of the st term we had writin siple Py o prfomed I for. the chlde's pares and Jon, he psce-cie of the tibe, caricd Fimself withhe digatyof e lder o complted schoo aver Ewenty years 1ge. But | 20 ol over his Netive American "avekening” & s, Wi was 8 ht gave o white midecus hild Such senseof beonging (0 pople be vas ok eve ot What have we s ht our cildre no nger el conmetedaess with the patal woed around G or s roodnes ln iy, cilture and Commnityl More impertnt (snd-more posiivel) Tow @ the ancien wivdom refected in Naiive American waditons help to_guide-each indvidul {bvough e Docs I vt prkaps, bave someting (0 {ench 585 well Consices thse thoghts: “indians do not make un of exch ater or of et e, 1 child i ying o do somtbig » dance or whatover i might be,tht i good. This givs he hiien cournge o dare t do things.” -Bck Bear o) “Chiirn were taogh that e pltccss wes o b dfiand I stion rtber than I wort. They were neverallowed t ~4pesk while others vere speking. or Yo make un of » cripled or disigured peson” CoifLuer Staing e (Oglle) “Shor respect ol peple bt rvel 0 none” - From the fechings ofecunseh “Respct the cath md. that which erested ber Respact yoursl,children, edors and th belies of thrs. - ChifRock o Sfey THE RED HEART WARRIOR Dits et ity sy St e e e e g A e e it ot e o s Dot Reymer, i Kys Wotd he Ton Commandimens of Wt Cloe (Tsi) Recutnclse 0 h s Spi. ~Stow great respect for your fllow beings.