The New Making A Visible Impact Magazine Is Out

Look for it in stores starting tomorrow. Check out articles from Jed Morey and Lance Morgan. Also check out the MAVI Racing article. MAVI Magazine is free so support it by purchasing ad space. Help us spead our message.

Making A Visible Impact Magazine's Next "Signed, Mavi"

Dear Mr. Obama,

I'm not going to start listing the long list of promises and assurances that you made during your campaign and at the beginning of your presidency. I am also not going to go through the litany of treaties that most Native people feel compelled to quote from as if they define our existence. I will not rehash the most recent travesty that you and the Congress are trying to inflict on our people either.

I will tell you; we get it. Not all of us, but enough of us to matter. The Crow might be falling all over themselves to adopt you and give you an "Indian" name and there are plenty of "tribal" officials that would love to get a photo op with you or get invited to some White House function. But those of us that have been in the trenches fighting for our sovereignty and autonomy, we have always understood. We have a name for you too. Rahnatakaias: it means "Town Destroyer". It is not so much a name for Barack Obama as it is for the office you hold. Your actions are what make it personal. We understood from the start that the men who would hold your office would be praised by many and always be promoted as men of fine character even as they acted out the most cowardice and inhumane policies against our people. George Washington ordered what you and your contemporaries would call an act of terrorism his instructions to General John Sullivan regarding the Seneca people:
I would recommend,...parties should be detached to lay waste all the settlements around, with instructions to do it in the most effectual manner, that the country may not be merely overrun, but destroyed.

But you will not by any means listen to any overture of peace before the total ruinment of their settlements is effected. Our future security will be in their inability to injure us and in the terror with which the severity of the chastisement they receive will inspire them.

Washington was the first to earn the title, but you all do your part to earn the description. Jackson's "Trail of Tears", Lincoln's Homestead Act and execution of 38 Lakota prisoners (the largest mass execution in US history) as well as Kennedy's flooding of Seneca land with the Kinzua dam are just a few examples that rarely get much attention from folks like you. But we remember. So we get it.

You certainly are not the first to make overtures to Native leaders only to continue on with your belief that you and your Congress have legitimate authority to legislate over us. In 200 years you have broken many Native people and destroyed many Native communities. You have bought and paid for tribal leaders to sellout their people from coast to coast. But know this; the People of the Haudenosaunee are not beaten or bought.

Legislating against us does little to change those of us that understand our sovereignty. Criminalizing us does not make us go away. Feel free to turn off the rhetoric any time. It just makes you look foolish in the long run. Just keep doing what the 43 before you have always done. There is no reason to lie to our faces or on your taped addresses. You do not work for us. Congress does not represent us. Just because the Senate declared us citizens in 1924, doesn't make it so. As I said, we get it.

Signed,
Mavi

Tribal Leaders React to Boat Crash

This article is as it appeared in the Plattsburgh Press Republican

Published April 17, 2010 01:26 am - Tribal leaders react to Monday's boat crash in Akwesasne waters, saying Coast Guard crashed into civilian Hydro yacht.

Tribe: No contraband involved in crash

Tribal leaders seek private investigation

By ANDREA VanVALKENBURG

Staff Writer - Plattsburgh Press Republican

MASSENA — Tribal leaders say there was no contraband found in the civilian boat that was struck Monday by a U.S. Coast Guard vessel.Coast Guard operations have been suspended in the international and tribal waters as the investigation into the boat crash continues.

TRIBAL WATERS

The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne said few facts about the crash have been released, but it appears the civilian Hydro yacht, operated by two Akwesasne residents, was in Akwesasne waters of the St. Lawrence River when a chase apparently began. In a news release, tribal officials said it's still unclear what members of the Cornwall Regional Task Force were attempting to stop the men for, but that "it has been confirmed that the two Akwesasne boaters were not in possession of any form of contraband."

CRASH IN U.S. WATERS

As the Akwesasne boaters were pursued in U.S. waters, Mohawk officials say, it was "struck by one of the police vessels in pursuit." That vessel has been identified as a Coast Guard ship. The two Akwesasne men suffered serious injuries in the wreck and were airlifted to Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, where they are still being treated. Sources say one of the men was paralyzed in the crash. Four Coast Guard members suffered minor injuries. Authorities have refused to identify those involved in the accident, despite repeated requests from the Press-Republican and other news agencies.

TRUST TESTED

Citing the nature of the incident, the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne is pushing for an independent investigation. The incident is currently being probed by a number of U.S. and Canadian agencies, along with tribal authorities. Grand Chief Michael K. Mitchell said, "the Akwesasne community looks to the outside police agencies to help keep our lands and waters safe from criminals who would use our geographical location to their benefit, and incidents such as the one that occurred this past Monday test that trust we place in them. The outside police agencies are entrusted to protect our lands and waterways from illegal trafficking of drugs, weapons, human cargo and various other contraband, and it is incumbent upon these outside agencies to conduct themselves in a respectful and honorable manner within the territory of Akwesasne."

INDEPENDENT PROBE

Tribal leaders say the crash has far-reaching implications to the relationship between the Akwesasne community and outside police agencies. They fear profiling by other agencies could result in a rise in similar incidents. "The real criminals in this matter are those who put the international border through the middle of our community," Mitchell said. "And we, as a community, continue to suffer from that act in our daily lives. Outside police agencies should take all safety precautions, and follow proper procedures and the law. We need to be satisfied that these standards and precautions were followed in Monday's incident. The only way to do this is through an independent investigation." Coast Guard officials have not released any further information about their investigation, citing its ongoing nature.

INFORMATION SOUGHT

Anyone with information about the crash is being asked to contact the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police at 358-9200 or Akwesasne Mohawk Police at (613) 575-2340

Or better yet post the info in the comment section so the Mohawk People can deal with it themselves.

Two Injured in Assault on the River

The following is a Press Release from the Men's Council of the Kaianerehkowa Longhouse in Akwesasne.

Kanienkehaka Kaianerehkowa Kanonhsesne

For Immediate Release
April 13, 2010

Ahkwesasne - Last evening, in the final daylight hours, members of the Men's Council for the Kanienkehaka Kaianerehkowa Kanonhsesne were called to the scene of an incident where a couple of young Mohawk men were attacked on Mohawk waters. Upon the questioning of eye-witnesses and conversations with the victims, the following was determined: The act of aggression was committed by a group effort consisting of RCMP, the US Coast Guard and the US Border Patrol using the vessels under their control. It is presently unclear which agency actually rammed the small craft operated by the young men, but the RCMP and Coast Guard immediately fled the scene after the assault, leaving the Border Patrol to fish the injured men out of the river and see to their injuries. Both men are hospitalized with back injuries with one of them currently suffering paralysis. Neither has been charged but the damaged boat which lost its motor in the collision has been confiscated. The US Border Patrol denied committing the assault on the young men.

The Men's Council of the Kanienkehaka Kaianerehkowa Kanonhsesne condemn this act of aggression and demand that those responsible for this criminal act be held accountable. The parties involved in this action have no right to interfere with our use of our water ways and, in fact, have from time to time forced our people to use the river as our only means to access areas of our community.

The US and Canada use Our land to connect their people and commercial interests and then attempt to dictate to Our people on what terms we can access Our communities. The constant high level of tension between the Kanienkehaka and our oppressive neighbors has now been ratcheted up once more. This Council will consult with the People and take steps to aggressively confront this action and any future acts of violence against our people.

The Two Row Wampum Is About Respect

The Two Row Wampum has been mischaracterized too long. We are told by too many that the Two Row started between the Haudenosaunee and the Dutch, that it is a trade agreement and that it specifically references the canoe and the ship. While it has been used over and over again in many circumstances and explained in many ways, the reality is that the Two Row is simply about respect. In the words of Kaneseraga; "Our first and most sacred covenant is with Nature and our Mother, the Earth." The Two Row starts here. When we say the Ohenton Karihwatehkwen or the "words before all else" we do this to convey our respect to all of creation. We start with the People and cover every relationship we have; from the most distant stars in the sky to the stone, soil and water at our feet.

The Two Row with its magnificently simple design depicts two rows of purple wampum set against a background of white. The two rows are equal and run side by side with each other. We represent one of those rows. The other is for any and all that we share a mutual respect. Any one of those mentioned in the Ohenton Karihwatehkwen can be placed on that second row. When we say those words before all else, we describe our connection to creation and all that it has produced. The key is respecting our relations as equals and respecting that while we all have our own path; we are still connected.

When the Two Row is described as two vessels on the river of life, it is the river that connects us. The distinction of the separate and equal rows show a respect for the distinct paths our vessels travel. It is said that everything that is ours must stay in our canoe while everything that is theirs must stay in their ship. This concept of possession was foreign to our ancestors. What they did understand was responsibility and the consequences of losing our way. It was told to me that much of the problems of today is that too many want the "things" or benefits of every path or vessel they see with the responsibility of none. When we disrupt the paths of others simply for the taking or when our path is disrupted, there are consequences.

The Two Row started with us. We used it to show respect to all that accept the responsibility of maintaining their path. Nature has always done this unequivocally. This concept was put in place between the people of the Haudenosaunee and shared with people of other cultures. The Two Row Wampum was also put in place with other Onkwe Ohnwe as a path for peace without coming under the Kaianerehkowa and the protection of the Tree of Peace. When helpless strangers reached our shores and expressed a desire for peace the Two Row was offered and accepted, first by the Dutch and followed by the French, British and ultimately by their offspring that would come to be known as Americans.

The Two Row Wampum began as covenant of respect that we shared with and offered to all that we knew. When the concept was offered to a foreign people with no common history, language or culture, it would become the first and only treaty ever offered by our people to the white man. Perhaps we should have stuck with offering the Two Row to what and who we knew. How could our ancestors know these strangers to our shores would be incapable of genuinely living with respect for others?

Brian Higgins and Chris Lee Have Turned Their Backs on Western New York

On March 17, 2010, Congressmen Chris Lee (Republican) and Brian Higgins (Democrat) voted in favor of a measure that will cost thousands of Western New Yorkers their jobs, that disgracefully interferes with the inherent rights of sovereign peoples and threatens the economic stability of one of our region’s largest employers, the Seneca Nation of Indians. An attack on the economy of the Seneca Nation and its People is an attack on the economy of all of Western New York.

Before the end of June, approximately 140 Seneca Indian owned businesses will be forced to close their doors resulting in the immediate loss of close to 3000 jobs in the Western New York area; most of these jobs are held by non-Indian residents of New York State. This figure does not include the job losses that will be experienced by non-Seneca businesses either directly or indirectly from the virtual collapse of the Seneca Nation’s private sector economy. The overall impact will be felt by Western New York’s accountants, marketing consultants, advertisers, postal delivery personnel, internet service providers, attorneys, restaurant owners, and the countless non-Seneca vendors that provide services to Seneca businesses.

Congressmen Lee and Higgins were advised of the dire economic consequences that a bill that makes tobacco nonmailable through the United States Postal Service would have on Western New York communities and jobs. Congressmen Lee and Higgins were advised that Seneca businesses had no delivery alternative to the United States Postal Service because New York State had previously strongarmed all private delivery carriers into discontinuing delivery of tobacco products for Seneca businesses. Please do not listen when Congressmen Lee and Higgins tell you that they were unaware of the consequences. Either they just didn’t listen or they just don’t care.

Congressmen Lee and Higgins are part of what is currently wrong with the political culture in Washington; these men are part of the “politics as usual” mentality running rampant in federal, state and local governments today. Republicans and Democrats alike are to blame. Politicians must learn that they are accountable to their constituents and that there will be consequences at the polls for turning their back on their communities.

Congresswomen Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota, among others, stood up in support of Indian Tribes and jobs in her state by voting NO against the bill supported by Congressmen Lee and Higgins. Congresswomen Herseth Sandlin had this to say in opposition to the bill – “I believe the bill threatens the government-to-government relationship with Native American tribes set out by our founders in the U.S. Constitution.”

In stark contrast, Congressmen Lee and Higgins said nothing.

Congressmen Lee and Higgins your silence was deafening. We are still listening; do you have anything to say to Western New York? No more excuses.

Friends of the Seneca People and nypoliticiansunveiled

The 44th Rahnatakaias signs the PACT Act into Law 3/31/10

Well he did pretty much as we expected. Oh! And that seat at the table he promised..., well, let's just say we were promised a seat, but no one said we would be allowed to sit in it. We didn't hear too much out of Kimberly Teehee or Jodi Gillette either. I suppose they are only interested in posing as the White House token Indians to add diversity to the Obamacare campaign. They slipped this one through before the Jobs Bill starts being batted around. After all, how can you talk about stimulating jobs and addressing the "historically underemployed when you just signed into law a measure that will either kill 2000+ jobs or criminalize them. I guess Jodie and Kim will be kept out of the photo ops for this one. Indian Country has the highest unemployment rates on the continent but I can't help thinking that the historically under-employed that the Congressional Black Caucus obsessed over in this bill, does not include Native people or Native lands. Congress and the President made it clear once more that we are not a part of their system nor do they want us using any part of it. They don't speak with us, they don't respect us and they don't represent us or our concerns. We are still as much in their way as the day they landed on our shores. We don't have to look at a bunch of bullshit 200 year old treaties that offered false promises as our land was being stolen. We only have to listen to the bullshit uttered over the last couple of years by Mr. "Hope". I have hope too. I hope that all those Native people who bought into the Obamania will finally recognize him as the 44th to earn the title: Rahnatakaias. I don't care how many aspiring Indian girls he packs in the White House, he is still just another Town Destroyer in my book.

The Republicans Abandon Principles to Hold Hands with the Dems on the PACT Act

We have certainly come to expect the paternalistic, ward-custodian, we know what's best for the under privileged attitude from Democrats. But where were all those anti-socialist, pro-freedom, fight for liberty, keep government out of business, free market, leave it to the states, fiscally responsible Republicans on this one? Only 20 out of 178 House Republicans voted against this bill.

The states were quite capable of shutting down remote sales on their own with one exception; Native sales. This is the whole reason the Feds acted; because the states have no legal authority over us. And frankly the Fed don't either. That is why they had to regulate the US Postal Service to get to us.

The Congressional Budget Office determined that the 2003 version of this bill would cost $140 million in enforcement and implementation. I suspect the cost has risen since then. This law has no funding in it so how will it be paid for?

The USPS will lose between $150 and $200 million in the revenue that remotes sales generate. Teetering on the brink of survival, the Postal Service will have to take this hit and find dollars to enforce the law. Prevention of mail fraud, kiddie porn and shipping of hazardous materials like anthrax and explosives will have to shift resources to intercepting otherwise legal tobacco products.

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), only 1% of their case loads and 2% of their budget is attributed to alcohol and tobacco. They received no additional funding in this law so firearms and explosives will have to wait. Bomb sniffing dog will have to be retrained to search out cigarettes and chew instead.

So neither the do-gooder Democrats nor the less government intervention Republicans got this one right. They were both bought and paid for by the Marlboro Man and threw the Post Office and ATF under the bus along with another freedom of the American people.

Making A Visible Impact Magazine Hits Stores Today

MAVI Magazine is in distribution starting today. By next week most Native retailers should have it available. The magazine is free as is the conversation and thought we hope it stirs. Articles from Native Pride will be featured as well as features from other contributors. The magazine's website, mavimag.com will feature additional articles, photos and information. Readers can submit comments and photos for future issues and to be featured on the website. Ask the retailers in your community for MAVI Magazine.

Check out previous posts on the PACT Act

As the drum beat gets louder over this new Federal legislation, take a look at some of the previous posts on the subject.

http://letstalknativepride.blogspot.com/2009/11/what-next.html

http://letstalknativepride.blogspot.com/2009/11/shutting-down-native-mail-order-tobacco.html

http://letstalknativepride.blogspot.com/2009/06/seneca-people-warning-of-possible-trade.html

http://letstalknativepride.blogspot.com/2009/05/apology-not-accepted.html

http://letstalknativepride.blogspot.com/2009/05/pact-act-will-not-necessarily-end.html

http://letstalknativepride.blogspot.com/2009/05/when-is-fight-worth-fighting.html

The US Senate Passes the PACT Act

Well the "good ole boy's club" finally got it done. By unanimous consent, without a discussion, debate or even a comment of concern, the Senate managed to come to one voice on an issue they could all agree. Make no mistake about what they agreed upon because it wasn't underage smoking, it wasn't tax avoidance, it certainly wasn't concern about funding terrorism. What was stated clearly by this chamber, just as it was in the House, was that Native jobs, the economy of Native territories and in particular the private sector of Native lands mean shit to them. Anyone who believed for a second that representatives from New York could give a rat's ass about the Native People or Native communities that affect their districts should finally get the message; They don't! Schumer is a pompous ass who thinks he knows what is best for everyone which is really laughable since he doesn't care about anyone or anything but his camera time and air time. Gillibrand proved herself just as untouchable as Schumer and is so busy licking his boot heals that she can't make a decision for herself. Not to mention her ties to Philip Morris who practically wrote and paid for this legislation. On the House side is our old friend Brian Higgins. You remember him; he is the one who tried to apologize for voting against our businesses in the late 90's when he was a State Assemblyman. He told us he was new on the job and didn't read the bill back then. This time he votes for a Federal law to kill our businesses and then says he changed his mind when it is too late. When are we going to learn that these guys don't represent us. They don't even represent the non-natives who live around us; they get thrown aside with us. The Senators from New York might just as well call themselves the Senators from New York City. The rest of the State matters little to them. There are a few wealthy people scattered throughout the State that command a little attention but New York only matters when it is said twice; New York, New York. The House Representatives in our areas pay lip service to us but know their responsibility is to people like them; wealthy and white, not us. They don't mind posing for a picture with us, at least those of us that look like them, but they know we can't get them elected and once they are in only their own self destruction takes them out. You certainly won't hear any of these guys challenge a Peter King or any other down-State bigwig when they are accusing us of supporting terrorism or organized crime. This type of governance is based on posturing for the future not actually governing for the present. What ever current problems we have with the State or the Feds, these politicians know there is no future and certainly no benefit in going out on a limb for us. So when the PACT Act wipes out a couple of thousand jobs from our communities, many of them non-native jobs, they can just blame it on the recession and claim they had no idea their actions would cost jobs. We have plenty of non-native support in and around our communities but we must acknowledge when it comes to the State and Federal representatives; the lines have been clearly drawn. It is us against them!

NYS Governor Hanging by a Thread

While everyone sits back to determine how seriously to take the weakest Governor in the State's recent history as he tries the most aggressive and, frankly, ridiculous attempt to shut down the Native tobacco business, we have to decide what we will do to protect ourselves. It is fine to dismiss the actions of Governor Paterson, but perhaps just being dismissive will end up creating a situation where we miss an opportunity to thwart attempts by future governors as well future State legislatures.

Even if we look at Paterson's attempts as a weak political ploy for a guy who already has been forced to throw the towel in on a run for re-election, it doesn't change the fact that state politicians have been dogging us for years. Even the local state representatives have catered to downstate interests. Only George Maziarz has stood unflinchingly with us and we appreciate it.

We are now a position we always longed for and that is to have control over the product we sell. If the State wants to regulate their wholesalers out of our business then we should let them. There are enough Native tobacco products to support our businesses. We no longer need the products sold by non-native retailers. Our products by and large are just as good or better and priced where theirs can't compete even with coupons and buy downs. The fact is that big tobacco used us to pushed their sales and then turned on us when we started producing our own. Philip Morris has been colluding with state and federal authorities to specifically attack our businesses. They are allowed to advise and actually help craft anti-Indian legislation. Why should we sell their product anyway?

The one issue we need to address is any involvement by State wholesalers in the transportation and distribution of Native product. This never should have been allowed to develop in the first place. Theirs is an unnecessary step in the process of transporting Native product to our territories. We have the right to carry goods to our people without interference from anyone. Native to Native business does not require State involvement. The current situation is tantamount to extortion by the State. We pay their wholesalers to move our product for us and the State leaves us alone. The State gains an accurate count on our trade and uses that info against us.

By taking the logical step towards Native product only in our shops we wipe out all three issue the State has bitched about for twenty years. Revenue will be lost both from the inevitable death of State wholesalers and the loss of MSA payments collected from our sales of premium brands. Information Sharing will be lost with the elimination of the State licensed wholesalers from our territories. We certainly will not provide information to them. Parity will never happen. In fact they will not even have a product to compare. In the past they could look at the price of a carton of Marlboros on and off our territories, all the while ignoring how much buy downs and special promotions by those manufacturers added to the disparity. Now they will have compare Senecas to Marlboros, a comparison that Philip Morris dreads. And the prices will never compare.

The other thing we need to do is break down the barriers to trade between our people and our territories. Mohawk products should be promoted in Seneca territory and Seneca products should be pushed in Mohawk territory. Of course every Native territory in between should included and those Native territories outside the Six Nations as well. At some point we need to address the interference of our commerce by the feds, but the start of this battle is with our own people and those bent on working with the State. Unified opposition to the State will be an easy fight especially with a Governor hanging by a thread.