Mayor to present State of the City address on Jan. 25

Source: The Marysville Globe, http://www.marysvilleglobe.com

MARYSVILLE — Mayor Jon Nehring will give this year’s State of the City address at 7 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 25, during the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce Business Before Hours monthly breakfast.

The presentation will take place in the Canoes Lounge of the Tulalip Resort Casino, located at 10200 Quil Ceda Blvd.

Nehring plans to review Marysville’s accomplishments over the course of the past year, and look at what lies ahead for the city in 2013. Among the highlights, he will discuss the upcoming downtown revitalization initiative and public participation opportunities, as well as budget measures that support new walkway and road improvements, trails and public safety. The Smokey Point manufacturing and industrial center, which Nehring deems key to stimulating job growth and promoting economic development, will also be on the agenda.

The program will be videotaped to air the following week from Feb. 1-8, with simulcast viewing times of noon, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Marysville TV 21 on Comcast, and TV 25 on Frontier.

For breakfast cost and reservation information, contact the Chamber by phone at 360-659-7700 or via email at admin@marysvilletulalipchamber.com.

Burn bans lifted for King and Snohomish counties; Stage 1 burn ban continues for Pierce County

JANUARY 21, 2013. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is lifting the air quality burn bans in King and Snohomish counties, effective at 1 p.m. on January 21, 2013. A Stage 1 burn ban continues for Pierce County until further notice.

“We are lifting the burn bans in King and Snohomish counties because winds are picking up and temperatures are warming,” said Dr. Phil Swartzendruber, agency forecaster. “But Pierce County is still under the influence of cold and calm conditions, which could cause pollution to build up in areas where wood-burning is common. We need to keep a Stage 1 burn ban in effect to protect air quality in those communities.”

 

“We encourage everyone who doesn’t rely on wood heat to use instead their home’s cleaner source of heat until weather conditions change.”

Clean Air Agency staff follow a protocol set by state law to determine when and where to issue a burn ban, and when to lift a burn ban.

 

During a Stage 1 burn ban:
  • No burning is allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves. Residents should rely instead on their home’s other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled.
  • No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas.
  • Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.
It is OK to use natural gas, propane, pellet and EPA-certified wood stoves or inserts during a Stage 1 burn ban.

 

The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors, especially when exercising. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to people with lung and heart problems, people with diabetes, children, and older adults (over age 65).

The purpose of a burn ban is to reduce the amount of pollution that is creating unhealthy air. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency staff will continue to monitor the situation.

 

For more information:

Hundreds rally to protect gun owners’ rights

 KIRO TV news, kirotv.com, Saturday, January 19, 2013

OLYMPIA, Wash. — More than a thousand advocates gathered in Olympia Saturday to fight for the right to bear arms.

The rally was part of a national movement in support of the rights of gun owners.

KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Deborah Horne spoke with a few advocates at the rally.

David Taylor, of Yakima, told the crowd that he plans to introduce legislation to protect the rights of gun owners in the state.

“Our rights come from God. Not from the government,” said Taylor. “The government did not give us those rights, and it cannot take them away. This is our line in the sand. We will not go quietly into the night.”

Many other gun rights advocates took a stand and delivered their message that the right to bear arms is sacred.

“But I feel it’s something that’s being exploited by gun prohibitionists to try to take away the rest of our important rights,” said Andrew McConaghy.

Taylor, a state legislator, promised to take the fight to his colleagues and will soon introduce the Firearms Freedom Act.

“And that legislation includes the statement any federal rule, law regulation or order attempting to ban or register firearms or magazines, unenforceable in Washington state,” said Taylor.

Supporter Linda Siler was glad to be a part of the rally.

“Ever since these shootings have happened, it’s really taken away from the preamble of the second amendment, which says that our second amendment is about keeping our government from infringing on us,” said Siler.

Similar rallies were held around the country on Saturday.

In Texas, a lawmaker proposed legislation that would block any federal ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. If it ever became a law, it would violate the U.S. Constitution.

In New York, thousands voiced their opposition to a federal weapons ban. People rallied because they wanted federal lawmakers to reconsider the recent policy change concerning weapons.

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

Burn bans continue: Stage 1 bans in effect for King, Pierce and Snohomish counties

Please rely on your home’s cleaner source of heat until air quality improves

JANUARY 19, 2013 The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is lowering the air quality burn ban in Pierce County to Stage 1, effective at 12 p.m. on January 19, 2013. Existing Stage 1 burn bans continue for King and Snohomish counties. These bans are in effect until further notice. 

“Unexpected winds last night helped clear out some of the pollution that has been building up during this air stagnation, which is why we’re downgrading the Pierce County burn ban to Stage 1,” said Dr. Phil Swartzendruber, agency forecaster. “Cold and calm conditions will continue this weekend. In neighborhoods where wood-burning is common, air pollution levels could easily reach the UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS category.”

“We encourage everyone who doesn’t rely on wood heat to use instead their home’s cleaner source of heat until weather conditions change.”

Clean Air Agency staff follow a protocol set by state law to determine when and where to issue a burn ban, and when to lift a burn ban.

During a Stage 1 burn ban:
  • No burning is allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves. Residents should rely instead on their home’s other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled.
  • No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas.
  • Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.

It is OK to use natural gas, propane, pellet and EPA certified wood stoves or inserts during a Stage 1 burn ban.

The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors, especially when exercising. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to people with lung and heart problems, people with diabetes, children, and older adults (over age 65).
The purpose of a burn ban is to reduce the amount of pollution that is creating unhealthy air. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency staff will continue to monitor the situation.

 

For more information:

Burn Ban Lifted in King County; Stage 1 Ban Continues for Pierce and Snohomish Counties

Puget Sound Clean Air Agency

SEATTLE – The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is lifting the air quality burn ban in King County, effective 1 p.m., January 16, 2013. A Stage 1 burn ban remains in effect for Pierce, and Snohomish counties until further notice.

“We’re lifting the ban in King County because air pollution levels there have improved,” said Dr. Phil Swartzendruber, agency forecaster. “Based on historic patterns, it’s unlikely they’ll reach trigger levels in the next few days.”

Dr. Swartzendruber added, “Pollution levels in Pierce and Snohomish counties remain MODERATE, and the forecast suggests they would worsen in the next few days without a burn ban. The Stage 1 burn ban needs to remain in place for these counties.”

“Looking ahead, calm, cold, and clear weather conditions will likely continue through the weekend, so ongoing cooperation with the burn ban will help keep our air healthy,” he said. “We encourage everyone who doesn’t rely on wood heat to use instead their home’s cleaner source of heat until weather conditions change.”

The Clean Air Agency will continue to closely monitor the air quality and weather situation.

During a Stage 1 burn ban:

  • No burning is allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves. Residents should rely instead on their home’s other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled.
  • No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas.
  • Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.

It is OK to use natural gas, propane, pellet and EPA-certified wood stoves or inserts during a Stage 1 burn ban.

The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors, especially when exercising. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to people with lung and heart problems, people with diabetes, children, and older adults (over age 65).

For more information:

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is an air quality management agency serving King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Created as a result of the 1967 Washington Clean Air Act, the agency protects public health by adopting and enforcing air quality regulations, educating individuals and businesses about clean-air choices and sponsoring voluntary initiatives to improve air quality.

 

Big Tobacco: Corporate Insight and the Red Road

By Charles Kaider, Indian Country Today Media Network, http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com

A recent study by the economist John Dunham on behalf of the New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS) attempted to show that untaxed packs of cigarettes were acquired on a one to one basis for every taxable pack of cigarettes purchased by New York State citizens. Conclusions reached by this report included the assertion that New York State failed to do enough “…to further close down an obvious avenue of tax avoidance,” i.e., Native American businesses which were circumventing established state tax schemes. The report immediately drew news outlet headlines.

Mr. Dunham’s policy group counts Big Tobacco among its clientele.

A sociology mentor of mine would reference the adage “lies, damn lies and statistics” in class. Although the Dunham study may have taken some liberties with the raw data, the point it was trying to make was made; the problem is that New York cigarette taxes are too high. This conclusion was also reached by Jonathan Taylor in 2008 in an economic impact study commissioned by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. Taylor wrote presciently, “taxes diminish the losers by more than the winners gain.”

Instead of sticking to these revealed economic maxims, the Dunham report illuminated the real agenda at hand, stigmatizing Indian country businesses in New York, as well as in “other states with Native American reservations.” The now cliché tie-in between “organized crime, drug gangs, human trafficking and terrorism” and untaxed cigarette sales is established mid-report. The report hopefully offers “there are some immediate steps that New York should be taking…to enforce existing laws pertaining to Native Americans that could reap significant benefits.”

Only policy wonks will believe these pat answers after reading them. Ask the New York State Police how effective baton-swinging tactics are with non combatives, as that agency prepares to settle a 1997 brutality lawsuit in Onondaga Territory stemming from a raid on ceremonial tobacco-burning Onkwehonweh (Original People). Lionizing whole reservations and stirring a new generation of Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) to action is one byproduct of such hyperbole. It may be easy to start that fire, but it is much harder to put out thereafter.

Political highway theatre might be one way of thinking about grass roots pushback to thinly veiled coercion. The roads and power lines and pipelines routed through sovereign territories may have been expediently planned back in the day as convenient usage of restricted land. Now, each conveyance is an exploitable resource and exposed pressure point. It is possible that bluster has an even deeper response from threatened Onkwehonweh populations. Establishing new businesses under Indian Title land ownership, closer to metropolitan consumers, would further alter the landscape of commercialism. On-premises Indian smoke shop sales take on a whole new meaning when conducted from RV’s in Times Square.

To date, the satisfaction of reservation businesses has been just to stay open in many cases. Many such entrepreneurial efforts die on the vine without mainstream financing opportunities due to collateral recovery obstacles by lenders. If that is not enough evidence of the implications of doing business on sovereign reservations, then I do not know what is. Yet, this original status is often trivialized.

There is also a political element to the latest study. John Dunham has a recent track record of working with Republican Party candidates on both regional, as well as national levels, including former presidential candidate Texas Governor Rick Perry and former Connecticut Senate candidate / World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) executive Linda McMahon.

In classic style, deriding New York State tax impotence also poorly lights the halo of rising Democratic Party star, Governor Andrew Cuomo. It should be noted that Andrew’s father, former Governor Mario Cuomo, developed the experience that New York State government has called upon to assist with Onkwehonweh socio-economic issues, for more than a quarter-century. This in-house counsel surely lends itself to the current occupant of the Governor’s Mansion to avoid thinking that he can bludgeon these factors to solution. The recognition of complex problems is vital to any executive seasoning. Look before you leap.

New York citizens are also voters, as well as tax payers. They are not the enemy of Onkwehonweh commerce. In fact, they support it with every visit to reservation areas, voting with their feet. They understand that relationship quite well, as well as why they have that personal choice.

On the other hand, anti-sovereign activists such as the Central New York-based Upstate Citizens for Equity (UCE) relish the substance of this report. This group has sought the dissolution of Onkwehonweh businesses by brute force. The desire of such an agenda hinges on the complicity of followers to not think critically and make broad assumptions of fact.
Meanwhile, high cigarette taxes direct many citizens down reservation roads, where they are met by waiting friends. Friendships that last a lifetime.

Charles Kader (Turtle Clan) was born in Erie, Pennsylvania to a World War Two veteran. He attended Clarion University of Pennsylvania, earning degrees in Communication and Library Science, as well as Mercyhurst College where he earned a graduate degree in the Administration of Justice. He has worked across Indian country, from the Blackfeet Community College in Browning, Montana (where he married his wife) to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, and now resides in Kanienkeh.

A Passion for Eagles Takes Flight in Volunteers

eagle watchStory and photos by US Forest Service Kelly Sprute

Everett, Wash., Jan. 16, 2013—It isn’t an easy job: standing six long hours in rain, sleet, hail, sun and snow every weekend starting in December through January.  Armed with binoculars, spotting scopes and a love for bald eagles they greet and teach thousands of people who pilgrimage to Skagit River for a glimpse of eagles roosting in trees and eating fish along the banks. And these Eagle Watcher volunteers do it for free.

Eagle Watchers are stationed at three locations along the Skagit River on the North Cascades Highway: Howard Miller Steelhead Park near Rockport, Wash., nature viewing area at milepost 100 and the Marblemount Fish Hatchery.

The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and North Cascades Institute created the program in 1992 to control crowding that disrupted the birds and caused traffic problems on the highway according to Tanya Kitterman. The Forest Service Eagle Watcher coordinator said the Skagit River watershed boasts one of the largest wintering populations of bald eagles in the continental United States.

“The birds flock to the Skagit River for three reasons: the abundance of food, the river has good flows for spawning and it doesn’t ice over,” Kitterman said. Each year it takes 45 volunteers run the program, but most are eager to return, so she usually only needs to recruit about five people.  All it takes to be an Eagle Watcher is enthusiasm about eagles and be an adult.  “I bring the canopies, scopes, tri-pods and binoculars and they run with it. Their passion for the eagles is contagious,” Kitterman said.

Harry Ota
Harry Ota

The Forest Service trains volunteers about eagle biology and how they fit into the Skagit River ecosystem, readying volunteers for a multitude of questions: “How long do they live? How big is their wingspan? How much do they weigh? Why is the female bigger than the male? Where are they from?”

Harry Ota, a retired US army colonel who lives in Mt. Vernon, Wash., is a 20-year veteran Eagle Watcher.  “It beats getting cabin fever,” he said. He still gets ready for the season every year by digging out his reference books and reviewing old videos.

“The eagles that arrive here are frozen out of their territory and food source up north and follow the salmon traveling south. It is amazing how nature works together. As one spawning route ends, another begins and the eagles move to follow,” Ota said. They are hungry when they arrive on the Skagit. “You’ve heard the saying about eating like a bird. Well, eagles are very voracious eaters and eat about a pound of meat a day. That is like us eating 40 quarter-pounders,” Ota said.

The years of observing these birds have given Ota insight into the eagle’s behavior.

He has noticed that some have become attuned to the presence of human activity.  Although most will fly away from their meal when a boat drifts down river, some eagles just stop, guard their salmon, watch the boat pass and continue eating.

“Eagles are incredible animals with personalities. They have a favorite perch they return to, just like we do. Some watch the world go by, others fight over food, and a rare few perform flybys worthy of jet fighters over the bridge near the Howard Miller Steelhead Park,” Ota said.

In 2000 he got to help trap, tag and release eagles along the Skagit River for a Washington State wildlife research study.  “Holding an eagle in my hands was an experience of a lifetime,” Ota said. They tagged 23 eagles and tracked them for five years. “The study discovered the eagles came from up north in the Yukon and were flying down the coast to northern California or east across the Cascades following the Yakima River,” he said.

One of Ota’s favorite stories is of the eagles’ resiliency and recovery. “In the 1950s there was an estimated 412 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the lower 48 states. The bird was later listed as an endangered species. By the 1990s the eagle’s population had rebounded to an estimated 115,000 and was later removed from the endangered and threatened list in 2007,” he said.  But Ota said what keeps him coming back every year is seeing peoples’ face light up when they view an eagle through the scope for the first time. “It is wonderful,” he said.

You can view the bald eagles each weekend until the end of January. Learn more about the Eagle Watcher program or contact Tanya Kitterman at 360-856-5700.

 

 

 

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.

7 Questions with John McCoy, Washington State Representative

Courtesy of John McCoy
Courtesy of John McCoy

Richard Walker, http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com – January 16, 2013

John McCoy, a citizen of the Tulalip Tribes in Tulalip, Washington, was elected November 6 to a sixth term in the Washington state House of Representatives. A Democrat, he represents the 38th District, which includes the Tulalip Tribes reservation, 40 miles north of Seattle.

He’s an important voice and a builder of bridges of understanding about the state’s First Peoples. The hallmark of his fifth term was a bill that establishes a procedure for states to cede jurisdiction over criminal and civil matters on tribal lands to federal and tribal governments. This year, he’s chairman of the Community Development, Housing and Tribal Affairs Committee; vice chairman of the Environment Committee; and member of the Education Committee.

He also is chairman of the executive committee of the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators; there are 79 Native legislators in 18 states. He is the former general manager of the Tulalip Tribes’ Quil Ceda Village.

McCoy, who along with Jeff Morris [D-Anacortes] are the only two self-identified American Indians in the state legislature, recently talked to Indian Country Today Media Network about his expectations for 2013.

Sales tax revenues are up, but overall revenues are nowhere near where we need them to be. Where’s the money going to come from to fully fund education and meet the state’s other needs without implementing a state income tax?

Everything is on the table. We’re discussing, right now, what can we accomplish as a legislative body and what items are we going to need to take to the voters of Washington. You know, the voters, they’ve sent a mixed message. They keep voting for the supermajority vote of two-thirds [of the Legislature] to pass any tax issue, but they turn around and tell them that they want all these services. Well, those services have to be paid for. So their message is we want all these services, but we don’t want to have to pay for it. There needs to be some reality set in with the voters, that if they want all these things they’ve got to pay for it because we can’t print money.

Will the Legislature be proposing some funding measures?

More than likely, I don’t know. Because of the makeup of the Senate now, we’re going to have to step back and review what we’ve been working on for the last year to figure out what we can and can’t do.

There are some brilliant young leaders in Indian country in Washington state. How do we get more Native people to run for state office and the Legislature?

I struggle with that almost every day. We need more bright young leaders. Because of the lack of resources, they in essence have had to stay home and take care of the community at home. But now that a majority of the tribes have resources, that they’re taking care of their own, now they need to understand that if they’re to be more successful, they’re going to have to start working with surrounding communities to accomplish things that they need to. In essence, we can’t live in a vacuum anymore, the vacuum of the reservation. You have to expand because you might say you’re outgrowing the reservation. If you’re going to outgrow it, then you have to work with surrounding communities. Standing around and thumping your chest over sovereignty – no, it’s the art of negotiation now: What is it that we can do to co-exist that is a win-win situation for everybody in the community. Tulalip’s done a pretty good job of that, but like everything else, it needs constant nurturing.

It seems too that if there were more Native people in the Legislature and mainstream politics, it probably would do a lot to improve the understanding of the culture and people as well. Wouldn’t it help build relationships?

Yes, I strongly believe that.

Was there anything that came out of the last session that gives you hope for the future, either in bipartisanship or the Legislature’s ability to work things out?

As horrible as last session was, I was able to get the retrocession process revamped. The previous process, which I used to take Tulalip through in ’96, that process was cumbersome. It was difficult to get through … I streamlined it. The first session of the biennium, there were all kinds of crazy things happening to that bill. I talked to the speaker, the majority leader, the governor. … The governor appointed a task force, which I chaired, and I convinced the Legislature to apply for and get that process qualified as a [Continuing Legal Education course], and they did.

We went through the education process, of what retrocession really is. We only needed three sessions [and] when we reintroduced the legislation, it sailed right on through. Again, it was about education, getting everyone to understand what retrocession really is – It’s Indians having jurisdiction over Indians within the boundaries of the reservation. Don’t read anything into it, that’s all it means.

What legislation of import do you see coming up in the next session?

I’m introducing a heavy lift bill to allow tribes to compact for their own tribal schools in the state. A heavy lift bill is a bill that is going to generate a lot of controversy. Once again, I have a lot of education to do.

How did that issue evolve?

A few tribes came to me and said they wanted it. They actually got excited about the charter school initiative, because they wanted their own schools. Well, the charter school process is cumbersome for tribes, not that it couldn’t work, it was just going to be cumbersome, and I had this bill in the works before the language for the initiative was done. The reason for the bill is that some tribes were successful in negotiating with their local school districts to create their own school which is actually in current law. The problem is, unilateral action can be taken and a couple tribes had their school districts tear up the memorandums unilaterally, so it undid everything that they had been working so hard on. So they wanted certainty. So, in working with the tribes and a couple of national organizations, we think we have a bill the tribes and the state can agree to. Another bill I’m working on which almost got passed in last session – it got caught up in the budget morass – is having the state recognize the fourth Friday of the month of November as Native American Day.