2012: Year of the American Indian Summer

In most years, an “Indian Summer” describes a heat wave that occurs in the autumn that occurs in the Northern Hemisphere between late September and mid-November. In 2012, however, it could be argued that “Indian Summer” now means something more similar to the “Arab Spring” uprisings that arose independently and spread across the Arab world in 2011.

The “American Indian Summer” wasn’t similar to the “Arab Spring” in that it involved expressions of violence within revolutionary conflicts, but it was similar in its effective use of new media technologies in a variety of coordinated social movements.

2012: the year the American Indian Movement effectively used digital, mobile, and social media technologies.

It’s about time.

Researchers have noted the “digital divide” – inequalities in access to information and communication technologies, as well as inequalities in the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use the information gained from connecting. No doubt, there are geographic and generational barriers to connectivity in American Indian communities, complicating social fragmentation and other disparities.

However, recent events suggest that the American Indian Movement is dramatically different in the 21^st Century: it’s no longer institutional, protected by trademarks, or governed by a Grand Council.

Now, it's that and it's digital, mobile, and social. It's open source and open to all!

Take, for example, the creative mobilizing efforts of the “Save Pe’sla” movement. Artists, celebrities, tribes, and people from many other social spheres, came together to purchase the sacred site by using various digital media projects, such as this video, spread via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media platforms, most of which centered around the "Last Real Indians" website by Chase Iron Eyes.   

Or, how artist Aaron Huey raised awareness of the Lakota fight to claim the Black Hills in South Dakota, demanding that the government start Honoring the Treaties. He did so though a book, documentary film, Ted Talk, mural project, and website, to name a few of his strategies.

Or even more recently, the #IdleNoMore movement in Canada has rallied behind a collection of digital, mobile, and social strategies that include a tweeted hashtag meme, flash mobs, and website – all mixed with traditional protest methods of road blocks, marches, and even a very real, human hunger strike – inspired by assertion that if "Aboriginal people did not speak out it would mean they "comply with [their] silence" on the most important issues to indigenous communities. The movement has grown to broaden the conversation, calling for treaty recognition, tribal self-determination, and policy reformation, among other important areas.

I see these movements as the product of very real contributing factors, including:

• Policy: The 2009 passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama early in his administration.  A portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act designated approximately $7.2 billion in investments to expand broadband access nationwide, improve high-speed connectivity in rural areas and public computer centers, and increase Internet capacity in schools, libraries, public safety offices, and other public buildings.
• Philanthropy:  people today - particularly social entrepreneurs and innovators - see that the commons can be more creative and nimble than political change via government policies, or developing solutions based on markets and profit margins. The Save Pe’ Sla movement was ultimately a fundraiser, for example.
• Technology: hardware and software have dramatically improved as our phones have become smarter, increasingly light and mobile, and easier to use. The above referenced examples provide evidence to suggest that websites and widgets are dramatically improving creative connectivity through devices that are increasingly common and relatively affordable.  For example, I learned about Aaron Huey’s Documentary Video and TedTalk from a friend at a barbecue, later watched both on YouTube on my iPad and then promptly downloaded the digital illustration he used on his mural as my new desktop wallpaper.
• Society: it’s clear that people now see the adoption of digital, mobile, and social media technologies as standard tools in our mobilization kit. People can and do use a mix of basic mobile devices, such as Androids and iPhones, basic social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, to produce basic  digital with content such as images and videos, all delivered through basic digital media platforms such as YouTube and  Flickr. We consider the insights of bloggers and “posters” of all kinds, from status updates to manifestos. You can follow the hunger strike in your news feed.

Welcome to 2013 – join me in watching what will come in the year ahead for the new American Indian Movement and the digitization, mobilization, socialization of media from indigenous communities across the globe.

I'm reminded that these recent events all began after the Return of Pté San Wi, the White Buffalo Calf Woman in July. Could these events be the dawning of the Age of Illumination, the age when mankind walks upright and once again remembers his true relationship with Creator? In the words of Black Elk, "...the yellow for the south, whencer come the summer and the power to grow.

Sioux Save Pe'Sla

Joint Press Release:

Rosebud Sioux Tribe
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Tribe
Contact: President Scott, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, (605) 747-2381

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Historic Reacquisition of “Pe-Sla Sacred Site” Was Signed Today

(RAPID CITY, SD) - The Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community gathered in a historic assembly of related Tribes to reacquire the sacred site, Pe Sla. Pe Sla is sacred because it is related to the Lakota Creation, is the site of annual ceremonies, and historically, hosted many village gatherings. Black Elk, the Lakota visionary, sought his vision at Pe Sla.

Pe Sla is a high mountain prairie in the Heart of the Black Hills, just north of Deerfield Lake and west of Harney Peak. Historically, Pe Sla and the entire Black Hills was protected by the 1868 and 1851 Sioux Nation treaties. The United States violated those treaties and took the Black Hills in violation of the 5th Amendment of the Constitution. So, today, the reacquisition is a healing and historic event for the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota people.

The Tribes will work together to form an Oceti Sakowin Sacred Lands Protection Commission to protect Pe Sla and preserve the sacred site for traditional and cultural ceremonies in a pristine state for our future generations.

President Scott, Chairman Vig and Chairman Sazue issued a joint statement, “Today, we are grateful to stand together before the Creator to help heal our people through reclaiming one of our most sacred sites.”

“We did not wait for the United States to deal with us justly on our Black Hills rights. We acted now, exercising our inherent sovereign authority to protect this most sacred site. We must perpetuate our way of life for our future generations.”

“We thank the members of the public that donated to the cause of justice for our people. Now, we are more determined than ever that the United States must provide justice to our people and honor our treaties.”

“We thank the Reynolds family for working with us in our reacquisition of Pe Sla as a sacred site for the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people.”

Indians Welcome

Each year on Thanksgiving, the International Indian Treaty Council presents the Indigenous Peoples Thanksgiving Sunrise Gatheringm, giving thanks to the Creator for our survival and spirit of resistance. The group is an organization of Indigenous Peoples from North, Central, South America, the Caribbean and the Pacific working for the Sovereignty and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples and the recognition and protection of Indigenous Rights, Treaties, Traditional Cultures and Sacred Lands.

And while Thanksgiving brings to mind stories of interconnected American heritage traditions, on Alcatraz Island, I remember the American Indian Movement and its occupation of the island.

Beginning on November 20, 1969, a group of Native Americans called United Indians of All Tribes, mostly college students from San Francisco, occupied the island to protest federal policies related to American Indians.

The occupiers, who stayed on the island for nearly two years, demanded the island's facilities be adapted and new structures built for an Indian education center, ecology center and cultural center. The American Indians claimed the island by provisions of the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) between the U.S. and the Sioux; they said the treaty promised to return all retired, abandoned or out-of-use federal lands to the Native peoples from whom it was acquired.

Occupiers then claimed Alcatraz Island by the "Right of Discovery", as indigenous peoples knew it thousands of years before any Europeans had come to North America. Begun by urban Indians of San Francisco, the occupation attracted other American Indians from across the country, including American Indian Movement (AIM) urban activists from Minneapolis.

During the occupation, which lasted the 19 months and 9 days, President Richard Nixon rescinded the Indian termination policy, designed by earlier administrations to end federal recognition of tribes and their special relationship with the US government. He established a new policy of self-determination, in part as a result of the publicity and awareness created by the occupation. The occupation ended on June 11, 1971.

In 2011, a permanent multimedia exhibit opened on Alcatraz examining the 19-month occupation. Located in the former band practice room in a cellblock in the basement, the space serves as the cultural center the American Indian occupiers requested upon their occupation. The exhibit, "We Are Still Here," features photos, videos and sound recordings. Curators of the exhibit interviewed descendants of occupation and others who participated.

As we share and enjoy the harvest on Thanksgiving, it's imporant to pay respect and think about the broader context of our blessings by paying attention to the trials and injustices of many that continue today.  These stories definitely give us food for thought, with or without the gravy.

Protect Pe'Sla Lakota Sioux Sacred Site

Artist Shepard Fairey and photographer Aaron Huey created this image in reference to the U.S. government's policy of ignoring the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie.Not long ago I wrote a post, Vistory at Pe'Sla, about how Chase Iron Eyes, an attorney in South Dakota, wrote an article on LastRealIndians.com to raise money to purchase Pe'Sla, a sacred site in the Black Hills. At the time, it seemed like a true success story about a group of young, professional, 21st Century American Indians reclaiming our land through grassroots activism.

Sadly, the victory call was too good to be true. For now.

According to The Washington Post, the land holds sacred significance for the Lakotas: "The property is important to their creation story, and tribal members have long held ceremonies there. When the land was put up for sale, tribal members worried it would be developed because of its proximity to Mount Rushmore."

This area is partly owned by the Reynolds family. They planned to auction off almost 2,000 acres on August 25, 2012 to the highest bidder. According to The Washington Post, "Landowners Leonard and Margaret Reynolds canceled a public auction of the property earlier this year after tribal members expressed outrage. The Reynolds then accepted the tribes’ bid to purchase the land for $9 million if they have the money by November 30, 2012."

The Great Sioux Nation must raise $9 million to purchase the land by November 30, 2012, securing it as a sacred, undeveloped site, accessible to all. They've raised $6.5million and with the help of a number of influential celebrities, are on track to get the rest. Spread this video far and wide. Donate and get more info at lastrealindians.com and indiegogo.com/pesla.

This is what the American Indian Movement looks like in the 21st Century. Digital media, social media, and traditional media are spreading the message: NOW is the time to act! Hoka hey!

PE'SLA 2012 from Village Beat on Vimeo.

Victory at Pe'Sla

Artist Shepard Fairey and photographer Aaron Huey created this image in reference to the U.S. government's policy of ignoring the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie.

Although I live in California, far from the the Black Hills and my family in Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming, I am still very encouraged to learn about the grassroots efforts of people in my generation making positive contributions to the Lakota people by protecting our sacred lands.

On August 1, Chase Iron Eyes, an attorney in South Dakota, wrote an article on LastRealIndians.com to raise money to purchase Pe'Sla, a sacred site in the Black Hills. He explains:

"Pe' Sla is an area in the Black Hills of South Dakota (just west of Rapid City) that is considered by the Lakota people to be the Center and heart of everything that is. It is part of our creation story. It is a sacred place. We perform certain ceremonies at Pe' Sla which sustain the Lakota way of life and keep the universe in harmony.

This area is partly owned by the Reynolds family. They plan to auction off almost 2,000 acres on August 25, 2012 to the highest bidder. It is likely that the state of South Dakota will put a road directly through Pe' Sla and open up this sacred place for development.

The seven bands of the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Oyate (people) aka Oceti Sakowin (Great Sioux Nation) have a collective effort to buy as much of Pe'Sla as we can at this auction (although we also believe that the land cannot be owned and that our sacred places were illegally taken by the United States). Yet we are trying to work within the current U.S. laws to regain custody of our sacred sites and prevent future road and industrial development. Our sacred ways must be protected and passed on to our future generations so that our children may live.

This area of the Paha Sapa (Black Hills) is also home to many plants and animals who should also be protected. In fact, many consider that the area should possibly be a historical site, which would also assist in protecting it from future development as well.

As Lakota people, our ancestors prayed here, at Pe' Sla, at certain times of year, when the stars aligned. We cannot go elsewhere to pray. We were meant to pray here. This is what they do not understand. Please help the Lakota people. "Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children." - Chief Sitting Bull, 1877.

We have a group of young professional Native people that are dedicated to the promotion of education, health, leadership, and sovereignity among our indigenous Nations. Our goal is to assist in any way possible the purchase of Pe' Sla and other sites by a collective effort of the seven bands of the Oceti Sakowin (Great Sioux Nation) - the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota people. All proceeds from this campaign will go towards that effort. This area would be open to tribal nations for ceremonial purposes. The plants, animals, water, and air in the area would be respected and honored."

Over the course of the month, the website raised more than $300,000 that was combined with $1.3 million from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Together, they are credited for purchasing and saving the sacred site:

"We are greatly encouraged by the enormous outpouring of support to protect Pe'Sla and for the reigniting of our collective consciousness related to sacred sites and the Black Hills - Wamaka Ognaka y Cante (the Heart of Everything that is)" reads a press release on LastRealIndians.com.

Family and friends in Rapid City, a rally will be held Wednesday, September 5 at 5 p.m. to celebrate the purchase of Pe’ Sla at the Memorial Park Band Shell.

Watch this video from their press conference on Saturday, September 1, 2012 - Chase Iron Eyes tells the story of this important victory for the Lakota:

Mid-month, I was at a BBQ event in San Francisco and a friend told me about how his family, on vacation, watched a documentary by Aaron Huey, Honor the Treaties. It was in viewing these videos that I came to learn about Chase Iron Eyes' efforts to mobilize people to protect our lands. The documentary, with many hard truths, sends our message of self-determination.  Watch the video:

Honor the Treaties | The Film from eric becker on Vimeo.

Traditional Ecological Knowledge

I recently watched this video (below) from Bioneers about traditional ecological knowledge. The mission of Bioneers is to inspire a shift to live on Earth in ways that honor the web of life, each other and future generations.

The Bioneers Indigeneity Program works to promote indigenous leaders and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) as a critical path to support all people in learning to honor bio-cultural landscapes and reconnect to place-based ways.  Native peoples are keepers of the earth's "old growth" cultures, living in harmony with their Native environments for thousands of years.  This indigenous science offers a different way of knowing that provides a crucial complement to the tools of western science.

Over the last decade, Bioneers commitment to indigenous peoples' social and ecological issues has brought together some of the greatest indigenous leaders of our time in one place. 

I originally wanted to post a presentation by Melissa K. Nelson, Ph.D. (Anishinaabe/Métis [Turtle Mountain Chippewa]), a cultural ecologist, scholar-activist, writer and media-maker, is a Professor of American Indian Studies at San Francisco State University and the President of the Cultural Conservancy, a Native American nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of indigenous cultures and their ancestral lands. She is the editor of the Bioneers anthology, Original Instructions: Indigenous Teachings For A Sustainable Future and producer of the award-winning documentary film, The Salt Song Trail. She is the co-founder/co-producer of the Indigenous Forum at Bioneers and co-founder of the new Bioneers Indigeneity Program as well as serving on Bioneers’ board.

However, they password protected the video (why do they not want to share this?!?!), so I removed the link.  Hopefully, Bioneers will be more share-friendly in the future.

Big Bang Gala 2012: Illuminate

Explore the tastes, sounds, and creatures of the night at the California Academy of Sciences during the Big Bang Gala, a special evening benefiting the Academy's research and education programs. The evening features Ira Flatow, NPR science correspondent and host of Talk Of The Nation: Science Friday; Dean Kamen inventor of the Segway and many other inventions; Salman Khan, founder and one-man faculty of the Khan Academy; and Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google.

Big Bang Gala 2012: Party After Dark

April 19, 2012
8:30pm to midnight
For adults 21+

Tickets to the Gala are sold-out (!), but tickets are still available for Party After Dark, a post-dinner celebration featuring live music by Fitz and The Tantrums, late-night bites, and an open bar. Tickets for Party After Dark are $75 ($45 of each ticket is tax-deductible). For more information call 415.379.5411 or email events@calacademy.org.

Join me!

Museums Advocacy Day

On Monday February 28 and Tuesday March 1 over 320 museum advocates – museum professionals, trustees, students and supporters – will be gathering in Washington, DC for the third annual Museums Advocacy Day. 

According to the American Association of Museums, it is important to remember that museums play a key role in education, job creation, tourism, economic development, historic preservation, environmental conservation, global competitiveness, and more. The museum community - which includes aquariums, art museums, children’s museums, historic sites, history museums, maritime museums, military museums, natural history museums, planetariums, presidential libraries, public gardens, science centers, zoos, and more – has worked together to develop positions on the vital federal issues affecting museums.

If you're like me and unable to attend the events in Washington, DC, you can be part of the action in your hometown:

• Watch live streaming of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (a grant-making federal agency supporting museums and libraries of all types) Director Susan Hildreth's address (9:55 a.m. ET Monday) and the Congressional Breakfast (8:15 a.m. ET Tuesday)
• Learn how to advocate from home —through economic impact statements, dear colleague letters and encouraging those in your community to write to their elected officials on the value of museums.

AAM Statement on NEA Funding Cut

The House of Representatives' 217-209 vote to cut $20.6 million from the National Endowment for the Arts budget for the remainder of FY11 would have a disastrous effect if it is enacted into law. The National Endowment for the Arts supports many of our nation's outstanding museums and plays a key role in building creativity, innovation and the skills necessary to compete in the 21st century. I urge the Senate and President Obama to reject this language as it finalizes the federal budget for the remaining 7 months of FY11. —AAM President Ford W. Bell

I support the AAM in this effort because I strongly believe in the value that museums add to communities, informal knowledge and experiential learning, as well as the preservation of our cultural, artistic, and scientific assets. So many museums exist due to creative public/private/corporate partnerships, so their continued prosperity depends on such collaborative efforts. 

Support your local museums today!

Membership Models Support Bozeman's Best

My recent vacation to my hometown of Bozeman, Montana was filled with many highlights, including visits to two nonprofit organizations that have dramatically shaped my evolving interests.

These organizations reflect two different models of membership, with different forms of impact in the direct community and beyond. It's safe to say that I've always considered a nonprofit career in large part due to their influence in my life and their contribution to my hometown community.

Museum of the Rockies

When I was probably 12-years-old, I asked my mother for one birthday present: a gift membership to the Museum of the Rockies. I would often visit alone, as it was only a short ride on my bicycle to visit the collections. From an early age, I have been fascinated with the sociology of science, how knowledge evolves, and the relationship between people, the planet, and the cosmos. 

The museum’s mission is to “inspire visitors to explore the rich natural and cultural history of America’s Northern Rocky Mountains.” The museum's collections feature the physical and cultural history of the Rocky Mountains and the people and animals that have lived there, dating back more than 500 million years. The museum houses the largest collection of dinosaur remains in the United States and possesses the largest Tyrannosaurus skull ever discovered.

Cool!

Its permanent exhibits include: Enduring Peoples, which chronicles the life of American Indians on the Northern Plains and near the Rocky Mountains; History of the Northern Rocky Mountain Region, whose inhabitants included Native Americans, fur traders, gold seekers, and settlers from frontier days through World War II; Living History Farm, which includes the Tinsley House where costumed interpreters demonstrate life in a turn-of-the-century home; and the Taylor Planetarium, a 40 ft (12 m), 104-seat domed theater.

Of course, philanthropy makes institutions like this possible, historically and presently. In 1957 the Museum of the Rockies was born as Dr. Caroline McGill’s remarkable gift to the people of Montana. Today, a wide range of philanthropists support the museum in a collaborative public partnership. The museum is both a college-level division of Montana State University and an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit institution. It's also a Smithsonian Institution affiliate and a federal repository for fossils.

Membership at the museum not only carries visitation benefits, it also directly supports the preservation and prosperity of the collections. Although large-scale gifts by prominent philanthropists are important, individual and family memberships provide the base of support for this important scientific and cultural institution.

As the year ends, please consider giving to the Museum of the Rockies. Mark my words: its exhibits and programs are life-changing and inspire many to keep learning.

Bozeman Community Food Co-Op

The mission of the Bozeman Community Food Co-Op is “To provide food and goods, promote sustainable practices and follow co-op principles.” As a community of cooperative consumers, it promotes an understanding of nutrition and ecological principles. Based on mutual aid rather than profit, the co-op strives to provide viable options for its members, offering consumer control over resources, supplying basic needs, and supplying those needs at the lowest commercially reasonable prices.

The co-op also nurtures relationships with other cooperatives, farmers, small businesses and local producers, thereby strengthening the alternative food network, the community at large, and the benefits of cooperation.

As a youth, my family worked at the co-op as members. Together, we awoke hours before it opened and, for a few days a week, cleaned the entire store. My mom would play Bob Dylan cassettes on the stereo and we used to sing and play games to make the work fun. I am thankful for the time we spent working beside one another, and also for the discount on food and other household items that helped us in many ways.

Please consider donating to the Bozeman Community Food Co-Op - or better yet, if you live in Bozeman, become a member! This organization exemplifies a community working together for peace and prosperity. It is also a great place to give your time and talents, as the new building reflects members’ collective spirit.