10 Billion Beats 2013

Wounded Knee Mystery Bidders Working to Secure Land for Tribe

Indian Country Today Media Network -- http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/05/08/wounded-knee-mystery-bidders-working-secure-land-tribe-149255

Nathan Blind Man - Descendant of Survivors of Wounded Knee Massacre

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0kNGCUyfeg

Return Wounded Knee to the Lakota People

Return Wounded Knee, South Dakota, to the Lakota People! Sign this petition to appeal to the Governor of South Dakota, 605-773-3212, and to President Obama, www.emailthepresident.com/, to collaborate with the Lakota People on regaining the ownership of Wounded Knee and helping them honor this sacred land where 300 of their beloved family members were massacred by the US military in 1890.

Petition Background
Lakota descendents of Wounded Knee should be respected as massacre survivors. Return all of Wounded Knee land to them instead of placing 80 acres of it on public sale beginning May 1st for an unaffordable $4.9 million (worth $14.000) for commercial and tourist development. Call South Dakota Governor, 605-773-3212 to stop this sale for the sake of Wounded Knee descendents. Email President Barack Obama, www.emailthepresident.com/, to work in collaboration with the Lakota people for a national monument at Wounded Knee, respecting the traditional approach and opinions of the Lakota descendants in honoring their beloved grandfathers, grandmothers and family members decimated and afflicted in the Wounded Knee massacre. Don’t hesitate to give your words, spoken and written, to prevent its commercialization. The public sale has begun. Do something now in support of returning Wounded Knee to the Lakota People!

Go to: http://signon.org/sign/return-wounded-knee-to?source=c.tw&r_by=209100 to sign petition.

Wounded Knee Historic Site Now for Sale on the Open Market -- ICTMN -- http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com//2013/05/02/wounded-knee-historic-site-now-sale-open-market-149151 

Sale of 'Wounded Knee' Massacre Site Extended -- ABC News -- http://abcnews.go.com/Business/indian-historic-site-wounded-knee-sale/story?id=19084522#.UYMCx8ofgZx

RETURN WOUNDED KNEE, SOUTH DAKOTA, TO THE LAKOTA PEOPLE!!!

Nathan Blindman, Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, informed attendants at the 2013 Flint Hills Wisdom Keepers Gathering in Council Grove, Kansas, on April 28th, that Wounded Knee on Lakota land would be put on sale on Wed, May !st, by the non-Indian owner who is selling it for $4.9 million, with the county appraisal at $14,000, with hopes to develop it into a tourist site.  This sacred ground of the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre and further tragic uprising in 1973 needs to be returned to the Lakota people still mourning the loss of their innocent men, women and children massacred by United States military upon their own land.  

Those attending and sponsoring the Flint Hills Wisdom Keepers Gathering, 75 people, wish to go on record in support of the Lakota people regaining their land immediately through a reasonable sale that they can afford or with help from the government that took their land away.  This latest earthshattering news of the fate being thrust upon Wounded Knee on May 1st has been broadcast nationally and internationally (New York Times, the BBC, Al Jazeera, and the Australian Broadcasting Company) in the last few days and needs immediate action from US citizens to respect and uphold the rights of the First Americans on this land.

The afflictions of genocide, manipulation, and neglect must be stopped and reversed for the Lakota people, starting immediately with the return of Wounded Knee! 

Call Governor of South Dakota, Dennis Daugaard, at 605-773-3212, and tell him not to allow commercial selling of Wounded Knee by and to non-Indians.....to return this burial ground to its rightful owners as anyone would respect the cemetary of their parents and ancestors.  Who would allow the sale of their parents' cemetary to be turned into a tourist site?!!

Give your words, spoken and written, to prevent the commercialization of Wounded Knee, South Dakota.  Do it now.....May 1st is one day away!!  Don't delay and don't give up in support of the Lakota People!

http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/lakota-activists-buy-wounded-knee-face-protests/article_5773ff9f-cc7d-56d6-a7bf-2253320b0d2c.html?print=true&cid=print
 

Lakota activists: Buy Wounded Knee, face protests

April 28, 2013 6:30 pm  •  Daniel Simmons-Ritchie Journal staff

The potential sale of one of the most historically notorious sites in South Dakota history could come with the state's biggest caveat: buy Wounded Knee and plan to build there, and face the wrath of protesters.  That message is being sent by Native American activists as a Rapid City man prepares to sell a 40-acre parcel at the site of the Wounded Knee massacre.  The property, located in the heart of the Pine Ridge Reservation, is in the vicinity of where 300 Native Americans were killed by the U.S. military on Dec. 29, 1890.
Tensions have been simmering in Indian Country ever since the landowner, James Czywczynski, 75, announced his plan to sell the land two months ago.  Czywczynski offered to sell the parcel, and another in Porcupine Butte, to the Oglala Lakota Nation for $4.9 million dollars.  If they didn't buy before May 1, he warned, he would sell to the highest private bidder.  Tribal officials have consistently scorned the price and deadline, which they view as bordering on extortion.  The properties have a combined value of about $14,000, according to an appraisal by Shannon County.
Now, with the May 1 deadline only days away and no tribal deal in sight, some Lakota are offering their own warning to Czywczynski: "This is our backyard; this is our homeland," said Garfield Steele, a tribal representative. "This has historical value for our people, not to any non-Indian. We will fight to keep it, as is, by all means.  "Steele said that opposition could include protests to stop the land from being converted into a tourist attraction.  Many Lakota oppose commercial development because they see it as an exploitation of a tragedy.
Protests promised
The land is currently desolate prairie, but it formerly hosted a trading post and several houses owned by Czywczynski before they were burned down during a protest by Native Americans in 1973.  Don Cuny, 61, a member of the American Indian Movement and a protester in 1973, pledged to stage a sit-in if the land was developed. "I'm totally against it," he said.  "And I know I'm not the only one."
Czywczynski's offer, and the controversy surrounding it, has attracted national and international attention.  Over the past month, he has conducted interviews with the New York Times, the BBC, Al Jazeera, and the Australian Broadcasting Company.  Asked on Friday whether he was concerned about protests, Czywczynski was nonchalant.  "Let them protest," he said Friday. "I don't care."
Czywczynski reiterated that he believed the tribe had ample money to meet his $4.9 million list price.  He said that the price was fair given the potential for the tribe to convert it into a commercial venture.  Before his trading post was burned down in 1973, he said, it was a profitable endeavor that attracted busloads of tourists each week.  "They just wanted to see Indian land, the mass grave, they wanted to buy arts and crafts," he said.  "A lot of people are just interested in Indians and Indian culture."
Czywczynski said he has been contacted by five parties who want to purchase his parcel:  Two California investment groups, an overseas investor, an American who offered $1 million in cash, and a group in Wall that wants to raise grant money to buy the land and gift it to the Lakota.  Czywczynski said he told each party that he won't consider any offers until after May 1. He also said he would only sell the Wounded Knee parcel and the other parcel, located at Porcupine Butte, as a package deal and for no less than $4.9 million.
Legal action possible?
Beyond protests, some Lakota hope to stop the sale by different means.
Nathan Blindman, a descendant of one of the survivors of the 1890 massacre, wants to take it to the courts.  Blindman said the Bureau of Indian Affairs made a mistake when it approved the original sale of land from its Lakota owners to a non-native couple in 1930. That couple, the Gildersleeve family, sold the property to Czywczynski in 1968.  The agency is required to approve sales of Indian land to private buyers.
Blindman, pointing to documents from the 1930 sale, said that the agency neglected to consider the property's historical value and didn't consult tribal leaders.  "It's always been suspicious how part of the Wounded Knee Massacre site fell into the hands of non-Indians," he said. "That's always been a question."  He said the federal government should step in to return the land to the Lakota.
But Frank Pommersheim, a law professor at the University of South Dakota, said the courts are unlikely to be convinced by that argument.  Pommersheim said if the Bureau of Indian Affairs incorrectly appraised the value of the property in 1930, it was likely that too much time had passed to challenge it under the statute of limitations.  "Even assuming that to be true, it's difficult to know what could be done in the year 2013," he said.
Cris Stainbrook, president of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation, based in Minnesota, also believes that Blindman's legal challenge would be a long shot.  However, he said he believes the commercial potential of the property has been heavily over-hyped. He doubts that Czywczynski will ever get the $4.9 million he is seeking.  "He's done everything he can to pitch the thing and keep the media hype up," he said. "Don't get me wrong, Wounded Knee is an important site for Lakota people, at the same time, lets get real, it's not as though this is a developable property in any significant way."
Fears were high that a buyer would convert the land into a casino or hotel. But Stainbrook said, given the site's proximity to a mass burial, he just couldn't see it.  "If someone's going to make a Disneyland type of attraction, what's the theme going to be?" he said. "I'm trying to envision who would be so crass to make much of a tourist attraction."

Last chance to register without surcharge!

Today is the last day to register for the Flint Hills Wisdom Keepers Gathering without a 10% registration surcharge. If you have been inclined to register but "not just yet", this is the time to make it happen! If at all interested, call our registrar, Diane Barker, 785-539-9163 or email fhwisdomkeepers@gmail.com. Register online at: fhwisdomkeepers.org/pg04Reg.html. This will be a great Gathering of American Indian Elders from across the country sharing their traditional ways and teaching us about preserving and honoring our Mother Earth.

Native American Student Association keeps heritage, culture alive at K-State

From the K-State Collegian -- http://www.kstatecollegian.com/2013/04/11/native-american-student-association-keeps-heritage-culture-alive-at-k-state/

2013 Gathering Registration

Friday, April 26 to Monday, April 29, 2013

Your registration fee covers all scheduled activities, lodging, and meals during the gathering. There are several registration options available to accommodate  participant schedule preference or general need:

Option 1--Arrive Friday after 3 pm and depart Monday after breakfast. This option includes three nights lodging and eight meals.

Option 2--Arrive Friday after 3 pm and depart Sunday evening. This option includes two nights lodging and seven meals.

Option 3--Saturday-day pass. This no-lodging option includes three meals.

Option 4--Sunday-day pass. This no-lodging option includes three meals.

REGISTRATION FEES MATRIX
GATHERING OPTIONS	FULL REGISTRATION	REGISTRATION WITH STUDENT/CHILD DISCOUNT	REGISTRATION DEPOSIT	REGISTRATION BALANCE DUE AT CHECK IN
				Full	Discounted
OPTION 1	$320	$295	$100	$220	$195
OPTION 2	$290	$265	$100	$190	$165
OPTION 3	$100	$85	$35	$65	$50
OPTION 4	$100	$85	$35	$65	$50

In order to determine the appropriate registration fee amount, download the registration form and use the registration fee matrix table. For Options 1 and 2, if you will be arriving late Friday evening after dinner, please indicate such on your registration form or let us know a week in advance so that camp kitchen staff can plan meals accordingly. 

Please make sure to send your registration form and payment  as early as possible for our planning purposes. Depending upon the option selected, EACH REGISTRANT must send a SEPARATE REGISTRATION FORM with either: FULL OR DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION PAYMENT, or corresponding REGISTRATION DEPOSIT. Any balance due is to be paid at the time of check in at the Gathering.  

Please make checks payable to Wisdom Keepers Gathering 2013,
and mail your registration form and payment to:

Wisdom Keepers Gathering 2013
C/O Diane Barker, Board Secretary
4872 Tall Grass Rd
Manhattan, KS 66503-8449

If you are unable to submit your registration form and payment (full or discounted registration, or deposit) by the April 19, 2013 deadline but are planning to attend, please email or phone Diane Barker to reserve your spot. Space is limited which means all registrations are first come first serve. Please note a 10% surcharge fee will be added to any late registration after the deadline.

Upon receipt of your registration form  and payment, you will soon be sent a confirmation letter with detailed information and instructions, as well as a map to the camp. At the discretion of the Elders, we may also include a questionnaire in your information packet with a couple of questions the Elders would like for you to answer in advance of the Gathering.

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A note from the Flint Hills Wisdom Keepers Foundation Board of Directors:

As many of you know having attended past Gatherings, the Board has worked very hard to keep registration costs both affordable and relatively stable. By doing so, our intention is to encourage participation from those of all walks of life while still being able to cover our basic operating expenses and offer an honorarium to our Elders and other special guests as a gesture of our collective gratitude.  As you are willing and able, we would certainly appreciate any added donation with your registration payment or deposit. We are a not-for-profit organization that would be truly humbled by any offer of donation to help us fulfill and sustain our mission for many years to come.  Thank you for your kind consideration.

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For more information contact:

Diane Barker, Board Secretary
E: fhwisdomkeepers@gmail.com
P: 785-539-9163

Now Showing: For The Next 7 Generations

"FOR THE NEXT 7 GENERATIONS"

Movie presenting indigenous female elders from The International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers

MONDAY, APRIL 1ST, 6:30 PM at FORUM HALL, K-STATE STUDENT UNION, MANHATTAN, KS

Sponsored by:
KSU Native American Student Association (NASA)

KSU American Ethnic Studies
KSU Women's Studies
KSU English Department
Flint Hills Wisdom Keepers Foundation

See Trailer:
forthenext7generations.com

Flint Hills Wisdom Keepers Gathering -- Program Update

Join us for our annual gathering in the Flint Hills of Kansas to both share and find inspiration.

Besides our previously announced 2013 Native American Elders and Presenters, we are very honored that The International Council of Thirteen Grandmothers will be represented at our Gathering by:

Grandmother Rita Long Visitor Holy Dance (Oglala Lakota)

Contact Diane Barker at fhwisdomkeepers@gmail.com or call 785-539-9163 with any questions.

Go to fhwisdomkeepers.org for registration information. Be sure to periodically check website for program changes/updates. ~SPONSORED BY THE FLINT HILLS WISDOM KEEPERS FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS~

Follow us on Twitter @fhwisdomkeepers or join the conversation on our Blog at fhwisdomkeepers.blogspot.com.

More Information regarding The International Council of Thirteen Grandmothers is available on their website at grandmotherscouncil.org.

Featured Activities of 2013: Auction "Fun"raiser

Typically, the last activity we enjoy as a group is a fundraising auction held on Sunday evening after dinner. For those who have experienced a past FHWK auction, all would attest to the fun had by every person in the room. It is even a chance to hone your competitive bidding skills on those items you just cannot live without!   All of the funds generated are used to directly support the Elders through honorariums and to cover other Gathering expenses.

Although not necessary for participation in the auction, we do accept your generous donation of items to go up for auction. In past years, there has been large variety of items donated…enlightening books, beautiful jewelry works-of-art, handmade “spirit-inspired” sacred rattle, snow snake (what every grown-up kid needs), pottery, clothing, and the list goes on and on. Think of it as an opportunity to practice sustainable living where items collecting dust at home are repurposed or reused by another!

Please bring some cash or a check to cover your auction “booty”! The Board thanks you in advance for your generosity of item donations. Your participation in the auction will help to make this and future Gatherings possible.

Featured Activities of 2013: Drum Workshop

For those interested, Rick McBride, a mixedblood Tsalagi (Cherokee), will lead a drum workshop on Saturday evening during the Gathering.  Each participant will learn to make their own personal hand drum using either a 14-inch round or 15-inch octagonal custom-built frame (nominal sizes).  Rick will explain the sacred nature of this special instrument and help you understand how to make the connection between your drum and the beat of your heart.   For more information and to register, go to  http://mixedblood.info/Drum_workshop_registration.html.  Space is limited so make sure to act soon!

Featured Activities of 2013 -- Special Guest

Grandmother Rita Long Visitor Holy Dance – During our Gathering in 2012, we hosted a screening of the film For the Next 7 Generations, an acclaimed documentary produced and directed by Carole Hart, which captures the essence of the “13 Grandmothers” who have come together from all corners of the globe for the common purpose of helping to bring awareness, respect, and healing to our Mother Earth. The film truly resonated with those Gathering participants able to attend the screening. Since then, we sponsored a second screening on the campus of Kansas State University to share their extraordinary vision in restoring balance to our Mother earth for the sake of many generations to come.

This year, we are immensely honored to have with us, one of the “13 Grandmothers”, Grandmother Rita, who will be accompanied by her son, Nathan Blindman, also featured in the film. Grandmother Rita and her sister, Grandmother Beatrice, are part of a group of thirteen indigenous grandmothers who came together in 2004 from around the world to form an alliance for the good of all beings.

In their mission statement, they declare:  WE, THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF THIRTEEN INDIGENOUS GRANDMOTHERS, represent a global alliance of prayer, education and healing for our Mother Earth, all Her inhabitants, all the children, and for the next seven generations to come. We are deeply concerned with the unprecedented destruction of our Mother Earth and the destruction of indigenous ways of life. We believe the teachings of our ancestors will light our way through an uncertain future. We look to further our vision through the realization of projects that protect our diverse cultures: lands, medicines, language and ceremonial ways of prayer and through projects that educate and nurture our children. More information regarding The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers is available on their website at http://www.grandmotherscouncil.org/.

Let us raise our voices with them in their prayer for peace and unity of purpose. Let us be inspired to take on the challenge of this urgent mission to heal our world. Let us find that kernel of grandmother wisdom within each and every one of us. Let us act accordingly with our seed of wisdom, exceeding our human potential.

Elders and Presenters of 2013

Lloyd Elm - Ganunsasay (New House) - Onondaga: (Lakota name: He stands with children) Lloyd is a credentialed educator with leading influence in both the academic and traditional Native worlds. As a purposeful Sundancer, his personal sacrifice and prayers have benefited many including the contemporary Tibetan cause. 

Della Romero - Pueblo/Ute:  Della is a Sundancer and pipe carrier. Della attended past Wisdom Keepers gatherings at the request of deceased Wisdom Keepers Elder, Grandmother Bertha Grove, who has designated Della to carry on her work.  Della's work as supervisor in family therapy includes experiences with youth on her reservation and other Indian centers.  Her dedication to youth lends itself to providing needed care and sharing of tribal traditions for the coming Seven Generations. 

Minisa Crumbo Halsey - Wabaksekwe (Dawn Woman) - Citizen Band Potawatomi/Muscogee Creek: Minisa brings professional artistry from her Native childhood home to her present professional practice in the arts of painting, silversmithing, lapidary arts, ceramics, basketmaking, beadwork, and quilting.  She practices medicine work in presenting traditional women's ways and endeavors to work in harmony with the natural and spiritual elements of "Mother Earth and Father Sky-Sun........that we might truly be alive in a living world."

Mike Bastine - Algonquin: Mike is an Algonquin healer and former student of famous Tuscarora medicine man Wallace “Mad Bear” Anderson and Tuscarora healer Ted Williams.  In 2011, he co-authored the book entitled IROQUOIS Supernatural: Talking Animals and Medicine People with Mason Winfield.

Rita Long Visitor Holy Dance - Oglala Lakota: Grandmother Rita has spent much of her life on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. She is descended from Long Visitor and is a member of the Crazy Horse Band, named for the great warrior, Crazy Horse. Grandmother Rita is described as a Lakota keeper of the traditional ways, great grandmother, Native American Church elder, and beadworker. She is a member of the Council of Language Elders, focusing on Oglala Lakota language immersion and teaching their native tongue to both children and elders. Read more about Grandmother Rita, as our very special guest this year, on the Featured Activities page.