Mayor Nehring gives State of the City

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Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring emphasizes the importance of carefully managed spending to the city’s long-term well-being during his Jan. 25 State of the City address. Photo by Kirk Boxleitner.

Kirk Boxleitner, Marysville Globe Reporter, http://www.marysvilleglobe.com

MARYSVILLE — Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring reflected on a year of transitions and partnerships during his Jan. 25 State of the City address for 2013, at the same time that he pledged that the city would continue to meet its citizens’ needs through disciplined methods.

“There is no higher priority than public safety,” Nehring told the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce during its Business Before Hours. “In the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen the work of our SWAT team, and our strike team made 100 arrests in its first month, in May of last year. Crime is on the rise throughout the county and the state, but we’re sending the message that Marysville is not a good place to be a burglar.”

Nehring credited cautious budgeting with allowing the city to reach a 10 percent emergency reserve mark, and noted that other savings are already being reinvested in much-needed infrastructure improvements, from equipment and vehicle replacements to signals, streets and sidewalks. He praised the Tulalip Tribes for their financial support of these projects, as well as the 156th Street overcrossing that was completed in time for “Black Friday” shopping last November, just as he lauded the city’s citizens for participating so fully in Marysville’s “Clean Sweep.”

“Part of revitalizing our downtown is making those areas more attractive,” Nehring said of the volunteers who painted out graffiti, took part in the Shred-A-Thon and dropped off their trash at Marysville First Assembly of God’s borrowed dumpsters. “Volunteers gave 4,400 hours of service to this city last year, which adds up to $93,000 in value to the city, which is why I encourage you to nominate Volunteers of the Month to be recognized.”

Among the positive signs that Nehring sees for the city are its uptick in building permits issued, facilitated by the city’s online permitting process, and the arrival of the Armed Forces Reserve Center and the Everett Clinic in Smokey Point last year, as well as the new Walmart and Honda dealership that will open their doors in Marysville this year.

“The new Ebey Slough Bridge will open a whole host of possibilities, especially if we can get on- and off-ramps to make it an alternative I-5 access-way to Fourth Street,” Nehring said. “A manufacturing and light industrial center in Smokey Point will also grow our jobs base. We’ve got great plans for 2013, so we should continue to promote this city and make it a community we can all be proud of.”

Urge your Senators to co-sponsor VAWA!

On January 22, 2013, Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Michael Crapo (R-ID) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The legislation closely mirrors their bipartisan bill that passed the Senate with a significant (68-31) margin last spring.

Thanks to the hard work of advocates across the country, the Senate’s VAWA bill (S. 47) already has 49 additional co-sponsors. Our goal is to get 60 co-sponsors by January 31st so that VAWA can move to the Senate floor for a bipartisan victory – and we need your help! If your Senator has not yet signed on to VAWA, call them now and urge them to join as a co-sponsor. If they are already a co-sponsor, call to say thanks. You can access an updated list of S. 47’s current co-sponsors here.

 

Action Item:

Call the Capitol switchboard at 888.269.5702 and ask the operator to connect you to your Senators. If you don’t know who your Senators are, you can look them up here.  When you’re connected to their offices, tell the person who answers the phone:

 

1)       I am a constituent from (city and state) and my name is _________.

2)       I urge Senator____ to co-sponsor the S. 47, a strong, bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.

3)       Thank you and I look forward to hearing that the Senator is a co-sponsor.

 

Background on VAWA:

The Senate could vote on VAWA as early as next week. When that happens, we want to ensure that the bill has the broad, bipartisan support it needs to pass swiftly.

VAWA is the cornerstone of our nation’s response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, and because of VAWA, millions of victims have received lifesaving services and support. Despite VAWA’s proven ability to substantially improve lives, it has not reached all victims. VAWA’s reauthorization provides an opportunity to build upon the successes of the current law by including key improvements to protect and provide safety and access to justice for Native American, immigrant, and LGBT victims, as well as victims on college campuses and in communities of color. Additionally, a reauthorized VAWA must include strengthened housing protections that provide emergency housing transfer options for survivors, as well as implementation of transparent and effective accountability measures that support and strengthen, rather than endanger, those programs that assist victims.

Tulalip Veteran Wes Charles, Jr., True Patriot: “Indian Born on the 4th of July”

 

Tulalip Veteran Wes Charles, Jr.
Tulalip Veteran Wes Charles, Jr.

By Kyle Taylor Lucas, Tulalip News guest writer

Tulalip veteran Wes Charles, Jr., was born July 4, 1942 at the “Old Indian Hospital” off Star Route at Tulalip. “A Native American born on the 4th of July! You can’t get more American than that,” exclaimed Wes. It is his common retort to the gleeful responses elicited by those who learn his birth date.

His father was Wes Charles, Sr., a Snoqualmie Indian of the Tulalip Tribes and his mother is Helen Wise Singson, a Native of Nanaimo and NitiNat First Nations, B.C., Canada.

Wes’s maternal grandfather was Bill Wise, Sr., a Chief of the Nanaimo Band, B.C., Canada. His dear grandmother, Hazel Wise, was NitiNat of Vancouver Island, B.C. “They were a blessing in my life,” said Wes.

“Being an urban Indian and raised here in the city [Seattle], my one great regret is that I didn’t get to know my people at Tulalip. I have relatives at Tulalip, some I don’t know and I feel truly sorry and ashamed for not knowing them,” said Wes.

Of his Tulalip family, Wes has two half-sisters, Audrey and Diane Charles. “They live on the Tulalip reservation and I wish that I saw them more” His father, Wes Charles, Sr., has passed, as have his two uncles, Leo P. Charles and Joseph Charles, Jr.

Wes is grateful to have kept in touch with his Tulalip cousin Don (Penoke) Hatch whose generosity and habit of doing good without accolade he praised.

A second regret among the few of his life is not receiving his Indian name. “It is one sad aspect of urban living away from the people and culture of the reservation,” said Wes.

He spent much time with his grandparents at Nanaimo. His Nanaimo Indian Band has a family Sacred Mask dance and song, “SkweSkwe” that has been in his family for generations.

Of his Nanaimo, NitiNat, and Filipino family, Wes has three half-brothers, Marvin “Bunny” Singson who lives at Hoodsport, Sonny “Marciano” Singson who lives in Lacey, Mike “Butch” Singson who lived on the east coast but passed from cancer, and two half-sisters, Marilyn “Lynn” Singson who lives with his mother, Helen Singson, 90, in Renton, and Marian “Snookie” Singson who also passed from cancer

Wes said his has been a full life. “Like most Indian families, in my childhood, I experienced issues with family alcoholism, but my life was mostly good. I don’t like to think about the negative.” He was raised in Seattle and graduated from Garfield high school in 1960.

Wes was raised by his mother and his stepfather, Marciano Vincent Singson, a Filipino American who loved Wes and who taught him to cook specialty Filipino dishes loved by his family. “Dad raised six kids and worked with Great Northern on the railroad,” said Wes, adding that his family in B.C. was very fond of him.

 

Marine Corps Military Service

Wes served eight years in the Marine Corps where he traveled all around the world,  Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Philippines, Mexico and many U.S. states, Hawaii, Florida, North Caroline, and Guam

Wes Charles Jr. with his Medal of Valor.
Wes Charles Jr. with his Medal of Valor.

In Chu Lai, a seaport in Nui Thanh district, Quang Nam province, Vietnam, Wes made five major operations, engaged with the enemy. “Chu Lai was all scrub pine. We were guarding the Seabees and made an airstrip for jets to land.”

Preparing to return from Vietnam in 1967, Wes was asked to choose three possible discharge stations in preferred order. Wanting to discharge close to home, he chose Sand Point, Bangor, and Camp Pendleton in that order. Instead sent to Marine Corps Base Camp LeJeune, a 246-square-mile United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina, later determined to be a toxic site. Wes was honorably discharged from Camp LeJeune after a year of final service, leaving the Marine Corps with the rank of Sergeant E5.

“Vietnam changed everything in my life. It took a long time to adjust after I returned. Night was my best friend. I was afraid to go to sleep, so I took long walks and sat in the park and reflected,” said Wes. “For a long time, I slept with a knife under the pillow and a pistol nearby.” He had gone to Vietnam with 125 men. Only 22 of them returned. For years, he was haunted by survivor guilt and the question, “Why did I come back, and not all those guys?”

Answers came unexpectedly in his recent viewing of a documentary film. A Sioux veteran with long gray hair related his return from Vietnam and ensuing years of depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and terrible nightmares. He then went to a sweat lodge purification ceremony and talked to an elder.

Wes was surprised when the Sioux veteran asked the same questions haunting him since Vietnam, “Why did I not get hit? Why did I come home and not them?” The elder replied, “You did get hit, but the bullets passed through you because the Creator had other things in store for you.” After 44 years, these words comforted. He could finally reconcile having been spared and accept that while he was not hit, he had his wounds, and that Creator had other things in store for his life. “I hope I’ve achieved my life purpose,” said Wes.

Another striking revelation from the documentary was that, due to stereotypes, other Native veterans had been required to serve as point man on military operations. This was often the case during Wes’s Vietnam experience. There was a stereotypical assumption that Indians have some innate gifts as guides. Of course, serving as point man also meant greater risk to life or limb.

Wes acknowledges discrimination in the Marine Corps. At the same time, “Throughout my military and law enforcement career, I saw a lot of prejudice against all colors. I saw people hungry for power. I saw people efficient at their jobs. I saw people in high places that are just collecting a check.”

In his ensuing law enforcement career, Wes was often approached for advice and support by veterans from various military branches “who had seen heavy fighting in Nam.” He noted, “It was something I did gladly. It worked both ways; it was a healing process for them and me.”

Asked about service-related health issues, Wes said he was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam. “A lot of guys had a lot of diseases, lupus, cancer, arthritis, and rashes. I can’t go out into sun or I get a rash.”

Eldest son William James Charles (BJ), now age 37, had always wanted to join the service and enlisted in the Marines early in the Iraq occupation. He wanted to go to Iraq, but was instead sent to Military Occupational Service in Florida. “He made Private First Class right out of boot camp,” Wes proudly declared.

Ironically, Wes’s younger son, Nicholas Ryan Charles (Nick), now age 34, didn’t want to go to war, but joined the Marines in order to be with his brother, yet he was sent to Iraq where he sustained a perforated ear drum from an IED. “Nick made Honor Platoon out of boot camp,” said Wes.

Wes appreciated that the Tulalip Tribes invited his sons and him to have their portraits, as veterans, included at the administration building and the Hibulb Cultural Center.

His dad, Wes Charles, Sr., was also a veteran and had served in the Army Airborne in World War II. He was in many different campaigns and ultimately lost his toes during war. Wes’s uncle, Joe Charles, was killed in Korea. Brothers Marvin and Mike Singson also served, but they were in the Air Force.

Wes had joined the service with three buddies going back to junior high school. A best part of his service is that the four returned and have remained lifelong friends. Kal lives on Capitol Hill and calls Wes every Fourth of July on his birthday. Ed moved to Hawaii and they still keep in touch. His third buddy, Pete, is also his cousin and he lives on Bainbridge Island.

 

“The Love of My Life”

After returning from Vietnam, a friend introduced Wes to Laurie who would become his bride. Laurie was a beautiful woman of Norwegian, German, and Irish descent. He offered her a ride in his brand new 1966 GTO. “It was loaded,” said Wes. He put the top down and took her on a cruise around Lake Washington, but ended up with a ticket for excessive lane change. Laurie felt badly, but he assured her “it was worth it just being with you,” and they started dating.

Wes and Laurie married two years later in 1969. They were married for the next 44 years. “She was the love of my life,” said Wes, pointing to a portrait of the young Laurie. He spoke of their happy years together, of their symbiotic sense of humor, and shared photo albums and walls of portraits reflecting their happy life.

Wes lost his beloved Laurie to brain cancer on January 1, 2011. “She had breast cancer resulting in double mastectomy, which spread to her lymph nodes and other organs, but they didn’t realize it had spread to her brain.” They made at least 180 trips to the hospital during that time, sometimes going to three appointments in one day, for blood work, radiation, chemotherapy, blood transfusions, and labs.

To preserve her dignity, Wes refused caregiver services. He took care of her bathing, toilet needs, dressing, and the household duties. “She was more comfortable with me doing it,” said Wes. “Thankfully, I had recently retired from King County, so I was able to care for her full-time and had excellent health care benefits.”

Wes described Laurie’s generosity and her charitable work. She was committed to the work of Doctors without Borders and supported the American Cancer Society, the USO and Disabled American Veterans, local food banks, Food Lifeline, and countless poverty organizations. Wes pointed to a tablet listing 25 or more organizations and annual donation amounts of $50 to $100 each, contributions that he continues in her honor.

Wes’s life, today, is filled with cherished memories of his life with Laurie, of raising their two sons together, and now seeing his son’s establish their own lives. While he points to a life well lived, he admits that it was not without challenges.

Adding to the issues associated with Vietnam, like some in his family and many in Native communities, Wes started a pattern of problem drinking established in his service years. “You’re not a Marine unless you drink boos and it was cheap in the military. But when my first son was born, I told Laurie that I was going to quit. She was surprised and asked if I could do it on my own. I said I could and I did. That was 37 years ago and I haven’t touched a drink since! My word is my bond.”

 

Distinguished Law Enforcement Career

Wes began a 37-year career at the Seattle Police Department jail where he served for four years as a special police officer. A sergeant inquired whether he could handle a gun and whether he had served in the military, and then urged Wes to apply for a newly created position of Court Detail Officer. Wes was hired as one of the original group that received special training to handle high-security prisoners.

When King County and the Seattle City Council merged jails to save money, his job became a part of King County Adult Detention. It was the largest jail in the northwest, housing as many as some prisons. “It was a dangerous time in the late seventies when there was a lot of gang activity,” said Wes.

Wes said, “I’ve seen a lot of Natives come through jail. In the seventies, with local laws such as Drunk in Public (DIP) or Urinating in Public (UIP), I saw a lot of Indians being arrested.” He sometimes saw 98 bookings in those days, many of them Natives. Asked whether DIP and UIP actually helped alcoholics on the street, he replied, “Yes. It allowed “Three squares and a flop.” It allowed many to come in and dry out in a safe environment, to get three square meals and a chance to sleep in a cell where it was safe. “It was important to those Indians who would be targeted when they received their checks, especially the Indian kids who were often brought into jail after having been beaten up. They were safe to sleep.” Then, Wes realized the bookings had dropped off. Due to alcoholism’s classification as a medical issue, the state determined the DIP law violated the rights of the accused. “A lot of alcoholics disappeared after it was no longer a crime. We stopped seeing them at all.” Asked where they had gone, Wes surmised it was to the detox center, but it worried him..

In the late seventies, conflict occurred when prisons became over-crowded. The Washington Correction Center in Shelton announced it wouldn’t take any more prisoners. The King County jail backed up and something had to be done with over-crowding affecting the prisoner’s demeanor, well-being, and the safety of the officers.

Finally, a King County Superior Court judge ruled that the Washington Correction Center at Shelton had to accept convicted felons sentenced to prison.

Wes was put in charge a special detail transporting 75 prisoners in three (3) busses to Shelton. He appointed officers in charge of each bus and notified all law enforcement agencies between Seattle and Shelton of their plans. The officers had shot guns and Wes had a machine gun. To Wes’s surprise, the Chief arrived in a news helicopter, and after a status report thanked him and the men for a job well done. Wes received a nice letter of commendation, one of m any he would receive over the years.

After superiors nudged him, Wes took the sergeant’s examination. “I was competing against college educated applicants, but I had my Marine Corps training.” He took written and oral tests and scored just above average on the written examination, but scored first place on the oral board over nearly 90 applicants. He was promoted to sergeant and served for five to six years, then took the lieutenant’s test repeating the same test results. After serving for about six years as lieutenant, he was then promoted to captain and served in that role for the next 20 years.

Throughout his career, Wes processed many high-profile prisoners and addressed significant incidents. In 1984, Wes was taken hostage at jail by a prisoner who later admitted he planned to kill his parents. Five to six years into the incident, with SWAT on the roof and unable to access the prisoner, it was decided that Wes would take the prisoner down. He had a gun held to his head twice during the incident. Ultimately, Wes overpowered the prisoner and took him back into custody.

At the 1999 WTO, he said, “rabble-rousers came up from Oregon and the jail coordinated with Seattle Police Department.” His shift booked over 600 prisoners.

As an artist, Wes’s design skills were sought on several occasions. When an honor guard was created, he helped design the uniform in likeness to the Marine Corps uniform. He also helped draw and design the patches on the jail uniforms.

Commenting on what success such as his required, Wes said, “A lot of it is attitude and preparation. I took the basics, first aid, CPR, weapons, and any extra management training I could.” He also volunteered for the worst shift, graveyard, because it provided him the best experience. “Time passed quickly and I wasn’t afraid of the responsibility. Most importantly, said Wes, “In order to be a good leader, you have to be able to listen to people.” He had 75-80 officers on a shift. “I worked for 37 years in the jail and could easily have done 40 because I loved it so much.”

In 2000, Wes received a letter from King County stating he had been nominated for the Medal of Valor. The second highest award of the department, it was a unanimous nomination. Wes was the only captain to receive the Medal of Valor. “Throughout my military service and law enforcement career, I had to prove myself over and over and over again. This said I handled myself pretty good,” said Wes who served as a Captain for over 20 years.

 

A Life of Purpose

Colored pencil drawing by Wes Charles Jr.
Colored pencil drawing by Wes Charles Jr.

Wes is a gifted artist who draws and sketches in pencil and colored pencil. He “I’m thinking about doing some more carving,” said Wes, adding, “I did a little carving when I was younger and carved a few pieces, including an owl for Laurie.” Though humble, Wes is also a gifted photographer, capturing spectacular shots of nature, flowers, and scenery from his lovely home perched high atop the hill in West Seattle with expansive views of the cityscape and mountain. Daily walks to the park with his dog, Gus, provide endless opportunity to capture “Mother Earth’s bounty” as Wes put it. His son and daughter-in-law were so impressed with his photography that they had a collection of his remarkable photos captured in a bound book.

Also for fun, Wes occasionally makes the trip north to the Tulalip casino, proudly stating it is the only one he’ll visit.

Wes’s eyes light up as he announces that his son Nick and daughter-in-law Kim are expecting their first child and his first grandchild. In a recent conversation, he excitedly reported, “They just called to say I am going to be a grandfather and it’s a girl! She will be named Isabella Laurie Kathryn Charles and will be born near the end of June.” Wes happily tells of Nick and Kim’s marriage in a traditional Korean ceremony last year, adding, “It was very special and beautiful.”

Asked whether he ever considered relocation to the reservation, Wes said it was not an option, adding, “A lot of urban Indians don’t live at the rez because there’s just no housing. Also, I had my career at King County and the commute with a young family was not a possibility.”

“Besides my children being born, Laurie, and law enforcement and the Marine Corps were highlights of my life. As I look back, I hope I have fulfilled my life purpose.”

Influenza hitting elderly hard in Snohomish County

Another death reported
The Snohomish Health District
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — The Snohomish Health District reports five Snohomish County residents have died in the last month from the severe influenza (commonly called the “flu”) that is circulating throughout Western Washington. All but one death was in people over age 70, and all had underlying medical conditions in addition to confirmed flu.
 
The latest flu-related death was of an Everett woman in her 70s. The health district confirms and reports deaths through the previous week, Jan. 19. Previously the health district confirmed flu-related deaths in a Stanwood man in his 90s, a Bothell woman in her 40s, an Everett woman in her 80s, and an Edmonds woman in her 80s.
 
Nation-wide, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reports that more than 90% of flu season deaths have been in people over age 65. Older people are also more likely to be hospitalized as a result of this year’s H3N2 flu strain. To date, 71 hospitalizations related to flu have been reported in Snohomish County.
 
The Snohomish Health District has also received reports of flu outbreaks at nine longterm care facilities through Jan. 19, compared to one facility reporting flu in the 2011-2012 flu season. Facilities must report whenever at least two residents have flu symptoms and at least one has tested positive for influenza.
 
“Even when vaccinated, the elderly are more at risk to flu because their immune systems are weaker than in younger people,” explained Dr. Gary Goldbaum, health officer for Snohomish Health District. “That’s why flu vaccination is so important for people of all ages – so we don’t spread flu to people who are most vulnerable.”
 
State Health Officer Dr. Maxine Hayes sent a letter to long-term care facility managers urging them to encourage employees to get vaccinated to protect patients and themselves from the flu. Visitors to these facilities should get the flu vaccine and delay visits if they’re sick.
People who are at high risk of serious flu complications –seniors, pregnant women, young children, and people with asthma, diabetes, or heart disease – should contact a health care provider immediately if they develop influenza-like symptoms, including cough, fever, sore throat, and body aches. Antiviral treatment works best when started as soon as possible after you get sick.
 
For those who are healthy, flu shots are still recommended to protect yourself and others, along with frequent hand washing. Children’s flu shots are subsidized by the state. Adult flu shots are covered by most health insurance and are available in providers’ offices as well as community clinics, pharmacies, and the Snohomish Health District clinics.
 
During last year’s flu season in Snohomish County, 39 residents were reported hospitalized and there were two deaths related to flu. Only lab-confirmed deaths are counted, and not all hospitals report flu-related admissions. The CDC estimates that up to 49,000 people die from the flu each year.
 
“This flu season appears to be the worst since H1N1 in 2009, when more than 100 people were hospitalized in Snohomish County,” said Goldbaum. “However, the current flu strain is most severe in seniors, while H1N1 caused deaths in younger people. We also have plenty of vaccine matched to the current strain this year.”
 
To learn more about the flu and vaccination, visit the Snohomish Health District website at www.snohd.org.
 
Established in 1959, the Snohomish Health District works for a safer and healthier Snohomish County through disease prevention, health promotion, and protection from environmental threats. Find more information about the Health Board and the Health District at http://www.snohd.org.

Tulalips screen film about American Indian jazz great

Photo courtesy of Sandy OsawaJim Pepper was a leader in both the world music and jazz-rock fusion movement.
Jim Pepper was a leader in both the world music and jazz-rock fusion movement. Photo courtesy Sandy Osawa.

By Theresa Goffredo, Herald Writer, http://www.heraldnet.com

 
Jim Pepper was known for pioneering the fusion jazz movement as well as being the kind of musical innovator who blended jazz with American Indian music.Jazz aficionados are well aware of Pepper’s composition “Witchi Tai To,” today a jazz classic that was a crossover hit between jazz and the top 40 popular song list when it was first produced in the mid-’60s.

Pepper’s life is celebrated in the film documentary “Pepper’s Pow Wow,” showing at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Hibulb Cultural Center on the Tulalip Reservation, 6410 23rd Ave. NE, Tulalip.

Admission for adults is $10. For more information call Hibulb at 360-716-2600 or online atwww.hibulbculturalcenter.org/.

Sandy Osawa will present the one-hour film. Osawa, a Makah, is the first American Indian filmmaker to produce on a national broadcast scale and has made 16 broadcast films.

She and her husband, cameraman and editor Yasu Osawa, will answer questions following the film.

Pepper’s heritage is Creek and Kaw and the film shows a rare, personal glimpse into the life of this jazz innovator, who made his name on the European stage rather than back home in America.

The film pays tribute to Pepper’s life along with sharing his music, including a recording of his grandfather, Ralph Pepper, singing the original chant that became the basis for “Witchi Tai To.”

Pepper played the tenor saxophone and the film opens with him performing the song “Caddo Revival” during the Kaw Pow Wow in Oklahoma, where Pepper grew up.

In the film, Pepper is recorded as saying music created by American Indians “comes directly from the ground, from the earth, from the four directions and the music is a healing force.”

Along with documenting Pepper’s life, the film delves into the birth of the jazz-rock fusion movement of the mid-1960s. The film includes footage of Pepper’s band, the first jazz-rock fusion band called The Free Spirits.

Filmmaker Osawa hopes that Pepper’s life “can be a metaphor for many indigenous people who are struggling to walk in two worlds with one spirit,” she said in a statement.

“Pepper’s Pow Wow” has been shown on the Public Broadcasting Station with funding by the Independent Television Service. Osawa’s films are available at www.upstreamvideos.com.

Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.

Native American women veterans celebrate president’s inauguration

CBS News January 21, 2013, www.cbsnews.com

PUEBLO WEST, Colo. – About 2,800 groups applied to be part of the Inaugural parade on Monday. The president’s inaugural committee chose 60, including one with deep roots in this land.

They often perform to a sound of pageantry centuries old. They are the first Native American Women Warrior color guard: all veterans, all proud of their ancestry and the nation they serve.

Mitchelene BigMan is the group’s founder. Sgt. Big Man served 22 years in the Army, including two tours in Iraq.

“We’re like the heartbeat of America,” BigMan said. “We’re Native Americans. We’re still here, and I think we’re even stronger now than we were before.”

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Nearly 5,000 Native American women have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. BigMan’s grandmother served in WWII.

“She was small,” she said. “She was only five feet and maybe 100 pounds but they said she was one of the meanest ones they had.”

BigMan laughed and admitted she wasn’t that different from her grand mother.

BigMan was born and raised on the Crow reservation in Montana. Unemployment was high. Alcoholism and domestic violence were chronic. So, she enlisted at age 21 and went on to become a mechanic supporting a combat battalion.

Mitchelene BigMan served as a mechanic in the Army. / CBS News

“It was an all-male battalion,” she said. “When I showed up, they were really disappointed, and the tension, I could just see it. First of all I’m female, a minority and a Native American. I had to prove myself three times as hard sometimes.”

And she did. When she retired after two decades, she formed the Native American Women Warriors. The group includes all ranks and branches of service. They promote diversity and equality in the military and on reservations.

In today’s parade, they displayed their badges of military service on their native warrior dresses — dresses worn during a traditional dance for prayer and healing.

“I think it’s time for us to heal, not only as veterans but as a nation,” she said.

“Healing” for the warriors and for the nation they served is something worth a dance about any day including today, each said.

Tulalip snowboarders head to competition, Jan 27-28

Article by Kim Kalliber and Jeannie Briones, Tulalip News staff

TULALIP,WA – For 19-year-old Tulalip Tribal member, Moses Williams, snowboarding is all about sportstmanship, teamwork and fun, and not to mention, speed, cool tricks and no limitations on style.

Moses is a member of the First Nations Snowboarding Team (FNST) of Tulalip. FNST Tulalip is an off-shoot of FNST Canada, and was selected as the first U.S. team to represent the Nations. What began with staff at the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club seeking ways to keep kids engaged in sports, has grown into a 50+ member team in their second year of competition snowboarding.

FNST Tulalip operates in three divisions: High Performance, Jr. Elite and Beginner. Moses, a six-year snowboarding veteran, is one of 19 members competing as the High Performance Team. The competition will take place January 27-28 at Mount Hood, Oregon. Winners of this competition may be eligible for the National competition in Denver, Colorado.

“You have to be on the High Performance Team to be able to compete. You have to be good enough to ride on your toes, heels, and go off jump,” said Moses, who competed in the Nationals last year.

Boarders may compete in any of three styles: slope, which consist of tricks in the air, on rails, and boxes; boarder cross, which is speed racing; and half pipe, which they can perform tricks on. Moses plans to compete in the boarder cross and slope style snowboarding categories.

Moses also devotes his time as a coach for the team, helping fellow teammates achieve their goals. “I like helping and teaching the younger kids to get better at snowboarding,” said Moses.

FNST, an international team of athletes training to compete in the Olympic Games, is the only snowboarding team operated solely by Native Americans. For more information about FNST, visit http://www.fnriders.com/

Jeannie Briones: 360-716-4188; jbriones@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Idle No More Art: Posters Promote A Revolution

Idle No More CanadaBy Jesse Ferraras, The Huffington Post B.C.

riseArtists have become a vibrant part of Idle No More, illustrating the movement in bold colours as it sweeps across Canada.

The work of Emily Carr student and Kwakwaka’wakw member Lou-Ann Neel has gotten the most exposure.

Her work “Our Home on Native Land” altered the Canadian flag by replacing the maple leaf with a traditional raven design and by attaching mountains and trees to the red borders. She later added the “Idle No More” slogan and the design was printed on bags, hats and T-shirts.

Neel’s design got a big platform when it appeared on a T-shirt worn by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado. She tweeted a picture of herself with the message, “‘Canada- Our Home On Native Land’.. I couldn’t agree more.”

nelly furtado

Winnipeg-based Dwayne Bird designed posters known as the “Indigenous Rights Revolution” series.

The posters generally show a hand holding an object in a rousing gesture. The object is a feather in a few photos, while in others it’s a sign or a smartphone.

Bird’s designs inspired the work of Comox, B.C.-based artist Andy Everson, who is known for his indigenous take on Star Wars’ characters.

Everson’s Idle No More designs show hands holding feathers against various backgrounds such as an eagle rising or a medicine wheel.IdleNoMore

Brutal beating leaves shoeprint on 12-yr-old’s forehead

kirotv
Posted: 9:34 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013

 

MARYSVILLE, Wash. — A Marysville middle school student was beaten so brutally that the boy’s attackers left a footprint on his forehead. News of the attack spread like wildfire on Facebook, and many people in Marysville fear the beating may be part of a gang-related initiation. Police said the attacked appeared to be random.

Faint signs of Austin Calvin’s beating are still pressed into his head. But the 12-year-old looked much better Wednesday than when his father first heard his friends yelling a few blocks from their house Saturday night. Two cars full of high school-aged boys saw Austin and his two friends walking to the movies around 8:30 p.m.

“My friends, they ran. I tried to, but I didn’t get away fast enough,” said Austin.

He went down under a hail of punches, kicks and stomps that were so ferocious that tread marks were imprinted into his forehead.

“I was terrified — just speechless, and I didn’t know what to do,” said Austin.

He blacked out.  His parents rushed him to Children’s hospital in Seattle   He had three facial fractures and several chipped and fractured teeth. Doctors still haven’t cleared Austin to play football after his concussion and say he could have been injured far worse.

“I just don’t understand why kids are doing this, said Austin’s father, Scott Calvin.

While Austin has been recuperating, they’ve heard the same group of boys has been involved in two other violent attacks. Police have made two arrests so far and are continuing to look for others involved in the beating.

 

Watch the video coverage here:

http://www.kirotv.com/videos/news/high-school-boys-pummel-12-year-old/vnjx9/

The Idle No More Movement for Dummies (or, ‘What The Heck Are All These Indians Acting All Indian-Ey About?’)

Gyasi Ross, Indian Country Today Media Network, indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com

INTRODUCTION

Lately, Native people have taken to the streets malls in demonstrations of Public Indian-ness (“PI”) that surpasses the sheer volume of activism of even Alcatraz and the Longest Walk. There’s a heapum big amount of PI going on right now! Many people, non-Native and Native alike, are wondering what the heck is going with their local Native population and how this so-called #IdleNoMore Movement managed to get the usually muffled Natives restless enough to be Indian in public. I mean, like Chris Rock said, he hasn’t ever even met two Indians at the same time. He’s seen “polar bears riding a tricycle” but he’s “never seen an Indian family just chillin’ out at Red Lobster.”

Yet, now people can’t seem to get away from us.

And that’s cool—but isn’t that what pow-wows and November is for? People (non-Native and Native alike) can only take so much PI, right? Is that what the Idle No More Movement is—an extended Native American Heritage Month, where non-Natives have to act like they’re fascinated by Native culture?

In a word, no. It is much more. Please consider this a fairly exhaustive explanation of the Idle No More Movement, what it is not and what it is. If for some reason you cannot read the next 1000 or so brilliant words, I can be summed up thusly: the Idle No More Movement is not a new movement. Instead, it is the latest incarnation of the sustained Indigenous Resistance to the rape, pillage and exploitation of this continent and its women that has existed since 1492. It is not the Occupy Movement, although there are some similarities. It is not only about Canada and it is not only about Native people. Finally, and probably most importantly, it (and we) are not going away anytime soon. So get used to it (and us).

#IDLENOMORE MOVEMENT: WHAT IT IS ABOUT

“The ground on which we stand is sacred ground. It is the blood of our ancestors.”

Chief Plenty Coups, Apsaalooke

“…you have come here; you are taking my land from me; you are killing off our game, so it is hard for us to live.”

Tasunke Witko (Crazy Horse), Oglala Lakota

 

As the above quotes display, the Indigenous Resistance to the raping and pillaging of the Earth is not new. Likewise, Indigenous peoples’ efforts to protect the mothers of our Nations—the women—are not new either. The Idle No More Movement is simply the latest chapter in that resistance.

It’s About: PROTECTING THE EARTH. Idle No More is an inherently grassroots and localized movement, informed by the founders, but with local flair.

Photo art by Steven Paul Judd
Photo art by Steven Paul Judd

 

First and foremost, the Idle No More Movement is about protecting the Earth for all people from the carnivorous and capitalistic spirit that wants to exploit and extract every last bit of resources from the land. Therefore, anybody who cares about this Earth should be interested in the Idle No More Movement. The engineers were Nina Wilson, Sheelah Mclean, Sylvia McAdam and Jessica Gordon. It was a response to Canada’s Bill C-45, which overhauled the Navigable Waters Protection Act and removed protections for many waters that go through First Nations. Changing the Act literally moves the emphasis of the protection—it morphs from protecting the waterways to protecting the navigation on those waterways. Now, instead of 30-some thousand lakes being protected under the old Act, only 97 lakes will be protected. As Canadian Parliament Member Kirsty Duncan eloquently states, “The days when Canadians take an endless abundance of fresh water for granted are numbered…”

These mobilized Native people wanted to ensure that children two, three and twelve generations from now would have clean water. The children who will benefit from the Native mobilization are not just Native children—it’s for all children. Lakes and rivers tend to be either clean or dirty for Native and non-Native children alike.

It’s not a Native thing or a white thing, it’s an Indigenous worldview thing. It’s a “protect the Earth” thing. For those transfixed on race, you’re missing the point. The Idle No More Movement simply wants kids of all colors and ethnicities to have clean drinking water. It’s also not a “Canada” or “United States” thing. Multinational corporations do not care about borders and neither should we. Despite legislation to intended to prevent pollution, corporations pollute freely with almost complete impunity and our children are the ones who suffer. We likewise should not care about borders—we are mobilizing on both sides because we understand that what we do affects one another.

We will continue to aggressively organize and be Idle No More about the attempts to destroy our sacred lands, whether its Keystone XL Pipeline or Tar Sands Mining in Canada. We will be Idle No More on SSA Marine’s attempts to create a deep-water shipping terminal for water and air poisoning dirty coal in the Lummi waters near Puget Sound, WA or any disrespect to our lands.

We’re not going anywhere, we’re not going to be silent, we’re Idle No More !

It’s About: PROTECTING WOMEN.  Similar to the sustained, capitalistic effort to exploit and pillage the Earth, the carnivorous, capitalistic nature has also exploited and abused women since the founding of both America & Canada. That is something else about which Indigenous people have vowed to be Idle No More. America’s first marriage and property laws, or ‘coverture,’ stipulated that married women did not have separate legal existences from their husbands. Indeed, a married woman was a dependent and could not generally own her own property or control her own earnings.  “…once she married she became a legal nonentity. Her husband not only assumed her legal privileges and duties but certain rights to her property as well.” (Women, Family, and Community in Colonial America: Two Perspectives, Linda E. Speth, Alison Duncan Hirsch, Pg. 8.)

And that was for privileged white women. Obviously for Native women, Black women and any women of any other color who were unfortunate enough to live in the United States, it was much worse.

Deborah Parker speaking about Violence Against Women Act at Seattle Idle No More rally. Image courtesy Alex Garland Photography
Deborah Parker speaking about Violence Against Women Act at Seattle Idle No More rally. Image courtesy Alex Garland Photography

 

 

That pattern of condescension and indeed hatred for women has continued until the present. From the case Bradley v. State which affirmed a man’s “right” to “moderately” beat his wife to the Indian Health Service’s pattern of forced tubal ligations of Native women, the United States has shown a consistent trajectory of hatred and destruction for Native women.

Congress’s recent failure to pass the Violence Against Women Act—specifically because Republicans did not want tribal law enforcement to be able to prosecute non-Native sexual deviants—is a continuation of that exploitation of our  women.  Similar to the “clean water” discussion, above, the protections afforded by the Violence Against Women Act protected women of all colors—not just Native women.  Conversely, Congress’s failure to act on the Violence Against Women Act hurts all women. Strong Native women leaders like Deborah Parker and others are advocating for safety and reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act for all women, not just a few.

It’s not a Native thing.

It’s a “NO women, of ANY color, should have to worry about getting raped” thing.

It’s a “NO women, of ANY color, should get beaten and battered” thing.

Those who are transfixed by race, again, are missing the point.

And we will continue to organize and be Idle No More about this attack on the women within our communities, as well as all communities. That is not new and it’s also not just about Native people.

We’re not going anywhere, we’re not going to be silent, we’re #IdleNoMore !

It’s Not an OCCUPY MOVEMENT.  The Occupy Movement was powerful and necessary—yet the foundation was frankly not strong enough to sustain.  Occupy was about a slowed-down economy and a lot of folks who were, unfortunately, out of work from that slowdown. As the economy began to improve in 2012 and also, significantly, the weather got colder, the Occupy Movement got noticeably weaker.  As the economy got stronger, the sheer amounts at the Occupy events got smaller.  Now, it looms very strong in everyone’s psyche, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not; Occupy emboldened the Idle No More Movement, just like Syria, Egypt and Libya emboldened the Idle No More Movement.  Absolutely.  Still, Idle No More is NOT Occupy for these reasons:

The Primary Reason #IdleNoMore is Not Occupy—Native economies are NOT getting any better. In many of our communities, there is 70% PLUS unemployment—more than a simple “boom and bust” economic upturn can fix. There are structural problems that will prevent a quick-fix, and therefore most Indigenous Idle No More will not have an economic incentive to stop their activism.

#2 Reason #IdleNoMore is Not Occupy—We’re Native… Hello? You’re not going to scare us off with the cold weather.  My friends have literally texted me pictures of sisters and brothers in Alberta and Saskatchewan standing outside with #IdleNoMore signs in -35 degree weather; I have spoken at events where it is freezing and brothers and sisters are outside in t-shirts.

If we’re mobilizing 2,000, 2,500 people at an event in the freezing cold in January, just imagine how that number is going to multiply when it’s 65, 70 degrees outside.

#3 Reason #IdleNoMore is Not Occupy—Occupy was snapshot response to a 3 year economic downturn.  #IdleNoMore is a continued response to more than 500 years of destroying the Earth and exploiting women. The foundation on which we’re building is literally centuries of resistance.

Finally, it’s not Occupy because we are surrounding our advocacy around the specific substantive areas that were discussed earlier—protecting the environment and protecting Native women via the Violence Against Women Act. Yes, like Occupy, this is grassroots—the people are fluid and definitely can change. Indeed, the specific subjects that we choose to organize around certainly could change in the future—whatever we need to be Idle No More about. Still, for now fighting against gratuitous exploitation of our lands and fighting against violence against women are areas where good organization can make a difference.

CONCLUSION

This has nothing to do with race or ethnicity. Native people did begin this movement—energized by Chief Spence’s sacrifice and sparked by the Four Founders’ initiative.  Yet this movement belongs to anybodywho wants to stand up for the Earth and women and also make a positive change in the community. That means that non-Natives are certainly welcome. We need non-Natives involved to save this Earth, to give our children and grandchildren the same quality of life that we have enjoyed. It’s about clean water. It’s about clean air. It’s about safety for all women. It’s about making a positive change in our communities. Critics seem to be so caught up on race; yet even racists want their children to have clean water just like non-racists.  Right?  Well, we want racists (and NON-racists, of course) to have kids with clean water too. Oh, and we don’t want them to get raped or beaten either.

Not too unreasonable, is it?

Here’s a little music and video to close this piece. It’s a project that we (Rock Paper Jet Productions, LLC) did with rapper and producer Brother Ali. Coincidentally, it doesn’t mention race—it mentions wanting to make the world slightly better. And when it comes down to it, that what the Idle No More Movement is about.

“I want to pass this planet to my son

A little better than it was when they handed it to me…”

Peace.