[Peace] Re: [Peace-discuss] American Indian vigil

[Linda Evans]

The word from PRC is the anti-chief events are going
forward as planned.

Linda
--- Al Kagan <akagan at uiuc.edu> wrote:
> Since the vote has been cancelled, does anyone know
> if this activity 
> is still going to happen?
> 
> At 11:19 AM -0600 2/29/04, Lisa Chason wrote:
> >  >
>
>****************************************************************************
> >>
> >>  For immediate release
> >>
> >>  Let's take a Stand
> >>
> >>  Native American Educational Services College
> (NAES College), along
> >>  with Native American organizations in
> Champaign/Urbana, IL. have
> >>  once again taken up the struggle that was
> started so long ago by our
> >>  Indian people.
> >>
> >>  The University of Illinois continues to degrade
> the American Indian
> >>  by allowing the racist mascot, Chief Illiniwek
> to portray the Native
> >>  American at half time shows during basketball
> and football home games.
> >>  We at NAES College ask for your help in putting
> an end to the Chief. The
> >>  Board of Trustees UI will be meeting on this
> issue at their March 11th
> >>  meeting at the UI campus. It may be the final
> vote. Should they vote to
> >>  retain the chief, then that is it. He will be
> their mascot forever. Should
> >>  they decide to vote against the chief, then it
> will be over. A
> >>  great victory for the Indigenous peoples of this
> land!
> >>
> >>  The dilemma that we face is that the Board of
> Trustees UI are
> >>  undecided as to which way to vote, and they say
> that the Indian people of
> >this
> >>  land have never come out in great numbers to let
> their voice be heard. Yet
> >>  the pro-chiefers always show up in huge numbers
> to show their support
> >>  for keeping the chief. Their claim is that they
> honor the Indian. But
> >>  it isn't about that; its about "it's their
> chief" and they can keep it
> >>  if they damn well please. And who are we to
> meddle in their affairs! That
> >is
> >>  the
> >>  pompous attitude that they project.
> >>
> >>  We organized a rally in Chicago on January 15th
> at the Board
> >>  of Trustees meeting on the UIC campus, we had
> some 70 people show up.
> >After
> >>  the
> >>  rally we had a meeting at NAES College and came
> up with an itinerary
> >>  for the March meeting, as follows.
> >>
> >>  March 10th
> >>
> >>  12:00pm Prayers and/or pipe ceremonies for 1
> hour
> >>
> >>   1:00pm Flag songs for 1 hour
> >>
> >>   2:00pm Press conference
> >>
> >>   3:00pm Dinner for all to be provided by the
> UIUC students
> >>
> >>   4:00pm Open mike for all to voice their opinion
> until 9:00pm
> >>
> >>   9:00pm Candlelight all night vigil with
> prayers, singing
> >>  and storytelling
> >>
> >>  March 11th
> >>
> >>  6:30am Breakfast provided by the UIUC students
> >>
> >>  7:30am Prayers
> >>
> >>   8:00am Flag songs
> >>
> >>   8:30am BOT members enter their meeting
> >>
> >>  11:00am Lunch provided by UIUC students, depart
> (hopefully with
> >>  good news)
> >>
> >>  The vigil will be held at the UI campus on the
> Quad, near the
> >>  Native House
> >>
> >>  Racist sports team names, logos and mascots have
> a direct
> >>  negative effect on all of the Native American
> people. They create a
> >>  hostile environment in which we have to try and
> survive. They are used to
> >make
> >>  us
> >>  look inferior to the dominant cultures. Racism
> is not only a black & white
> >>  issue. Why does the dominant culture think that
> it is ok to make fun of
> >>  the American Indian people? Let's take a stand!
> We as a people working
> >>  together can make a difference.
> >>
> >>  We are calling on Spiritual leaders from Indian
> Country, Medicine
> >>  Men, Sacred Pipe Keepers, Pipe Carriers,
> Medicine Bundle holders,
> >>  Sun Dancers to join and lead us at the opening
> ceremony. We need your help
> >to
> >>  guide us and teach us how to suffer for the good
> of the people. We
> >>  want true/real spiritual people, no fake shamen
> please, or anyone looking
> >to
> >>  make
> >>  a buck out of it.
> >>
> >>  We are calling on all Tribes to send a
> representative to carry the
> >>  flag of your Nation (Tribal Chairmen/women,
> princesses). Send your
> >>  Eagle Feather Staff, Tribal Flag or Coup Stick.
> We are calling on all
> >singers
> >>  from across Indian Country to bring your drums.
> The flags will be
> >>  presented and posted during the entire vigil. It
> would really be
> >>  something to hear all of the different Tribal
> flag songs or 100 drums
> >  > singing together 1 flag song.
> >>
> >>  The only way we can make a change is to come
> together in
> >>  unity. Remember this is about and for the
> people. We can't help you to get
> >>  here
> >>  or make any promises, this is something that you
> have to want to do. It
> >>  is something that we need to do, and if we
> don't, then we can't
> >>  cry any more about the consequences that we as a
> people will suffer. If
> >>  we allow them to continue to degrade us, then it
> is our fault.
> >>
> >>  If you can make it to Chicago on your own, we
> will provide transportation
> >>  to Champaign/Urbana on Wednesday morning, March
> 10th. We will
> >>  be departing Chicago at 8:00am traveling in
> caravan fashion. Please join
> >>  us. Let's band together to demand the respect
> that we, the original
> >>  people deserve. Let's make a final stand.
> >>
> >>  Please RSVP as soon as possible so that we can
> start making soup &
> >>  frybread
> >>
> >>  Leonard Malatare or Christine Red Cloud
> >>  NAES College
> >>  2838 W. Peterson Ave.
> >>  Chicago, IL 60659
> >>  773-761-5000
> >>  lmalatare at central.naes.edu
> >>  crnaes at yahoo.com
> >>
> >>  Davis Wounded Eye
> >>  773-465-4793
> >>  Norma Robertson
> >>  773-784-1050
> >>
> >>  Assata Zerai
> >>  Associate Professor
> >>  Sociology Department
> >>  Afro-American Studies and Research Program
> >>  326 Lincoln Hall, MC 454
> >>  702 South Wright Street
> >>  University of Illinois
> >>  Urbana, IL 61801
> >>  217-244-8074
> 
=== message truncated ===


=====
 








__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Get better spam protection with Yahoo! Mail.
http://antispam.yahoo.com/tools