Southeastern Native American Alliance

Vol. 1; No. 12 1 August 1996

MEETING SCHEDULE

Next Executive Council Meeting: Thursday, 29 August 1996; to be held at
                                 1314 Wildwood Lake Road
                                 Cleveland, Tennessee 37311
Next General Meeting: Thursday, 5 September 1996; to be held at
                       1314 Wildwood Lake Road, Cleveland, Tennessee.

      *              *              *              *              *
               CHEROKEE HOMELAND TO HOST OLYMPIC TORCH RUN
        [Reprinted from The Cherokee One Feather 26 June 1996]
                              [Paraphrased]
   Cherokee-- As the Olympic Torch              The torch arrived on the
Relay wound its way through the    reservation at 2:16 p.m., 26 June,
rugged Smoky Mountains of western    following its run through Maggie
North Carolina it entered the only    Valley, 15 miles east of Cherokee.
Indian Nation on its route in the    It left the reservation at about
eastern United States on 26 June    3:50 p.m.    The torch left Los
    "We are very pleased to have    Angeles 27 April and arrived in
Cherokee included in the 15,000-    Atlanta   on   19 July.   The run
mile     Torch    Relay    route,"    through Cherokee was on day 61 of
acknowledged Principal Chief Joyce    the 84-day cross-country trek.
C. Dugan before the event.   "And         "We are looking forward to a
we find it fitting that a tribal    large turnout of spectators for
member,    Gary Mancy,   will be    the   event    since   there   are
honored to accept the torch when    thousands of visitors in Cherokee
it arrives on the reservation near    at that time and we expect tribal
near Soco Gap.                        members to turn out   in great
    "The Cherokee people, whose    numbers also," Chief Dugan said.
ancestors once owned   the land         Cherokee's participation was
where the Olympic city of Atlanta    coordinated    by   Wilbur   Paul,
now stands, look forward to the    Superintendent with the Cherokee
torch being carried for one hour    Agency of the Bureau of Indian
and 34 minutes on tribal land,"    Affairs.
she said.                                  *       *      *       *

1 August 1996 SENAA Newsletter 2

WARREN WILSON SITE STUDY GETS TRIBE'S SUPPORT
[Reprinted from The Cherokee One Feather, 26 June 1996]

      On Monday, 17 June 1996, the    types of plants and animals grew
Warren       Wilson        College    naturally and which were good to
Archeological     Field     School    eat and which provided materials
officially opened for the summer.    for their clothes, utensils and
The project is the first in North    weapons.   In Cherokee, the use of
Carolina   which is   working in    this type of information can be
conjunction with the Eastern Band    seen in the waddle and daub house
of Cherokee Indians to define and    behind the Museum.
teach   cultural sensitivity   to       In collaborating with this type
future archeologists. David Moore    of project the tribe can also
from the   North Carolina State    provide    the    link     between
Archeologist office is heading the    traditional practices   and   the
school.   Students   from   Warren    lifestyle we have today. Names of
Wilson College   will   work   on    food plants, craft materials and
excavating       house      sites,    stories about plants and animals
identifying      features      and    are just some of the information
archeological materials.              which archeologists cannot obtain
     The Eastern Band of Cherokees    from their work but which presents
hopes this endeavor will be the    a more balanced image of Native
first of many to bring the work of    American lifestyle.
archeologists    home    for   our       The Cultural Resources division
community.   By giving access to    hopes to bring this information to
these materials,   practices and    Cherokee in a variety of ways. The
information,   we hope   Cherokee    state office of archeology has
people will gain an understanding    been invited to participate in the
of   what types of   homes   our    Fall Festival Kids' Day.    The
ancestors lived in, the types of    information gained from the Warren
foods we ate and the areas where    Wilson   Field School   will   be
we lived.                             presented through the One Feather
       This type of information is    and other publications and the
important to providing a record of    information will provide a basis
the lives of those who came before    for a history project   of our
us. The importance of their lives    tribe.
is the type of answer we all      We hope this project will be the
search for; the meaning of life    start of many similar projects. If
and our place in that life. Those    you have ideas on ways to make
people who came before us taught    this information available, please
us how to live in this place, they    call    the    Cultural Resources
learned to judge seasons and how    division at (704) 497-2771.
to plant crops, they learned what         *       *       *       *

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS

      That's right, new members --    David Morgan, Billy Morgan,   and
ten new members, as a matter of    Roger Williams joined us on 3 May.
fact. Three of the ten have been      Those who joined on 11 July are;
with us since May. The other seven    Barbara Morgan-Patterson, Patricia
joined our family at   the July    Goins, Nina Morfield, Marty Adams,
general meeting.                      Rich Dinsmore, Virginia Dinsmore,
       We cordially welcome the    and Ben Dinsmore.
following new members into the
SENAA family:                              *       *       *       *

1 August 1996 SENAA Newsletter 3

AUTUMN RIDGE WILL BE PROTECTED

    Friday afternoon, 19 July, was    either of the two state options.
an eventful one for SENAA.              The first option was that, for a
   While Treasurer J.R. Davis was    fee of roughly $250,000, the state
raising funds at Stuart School's    would "clean the place up." In
rummage sale, SENAA's President,    other words, they would make the
and Vice President were meeting    village site and the burials there
with Jim Sharp, owner of Sharp    disappear,    so   it   could   be
Developments, to learn the fate of    developed.
Autumn Ridge, a Native American        The second option was that the
village and burial site that has    state would buy the property at
been of great concern to SENAA    fair market value, then lease the
since Autumn of '95.                  land back to Sharp for 20 years,
    At the meeting, after relating    until archeological technology has
State Archeologist Nick Fielder's    advanced more.
disturbing offers of legal options         The fact that Mr. Sharp chose
Mr. Sharp then told of his plans    to keep the property and set it
for the site.                         aside voluntarily says much for
    Mr. Sharp stated that he plans    his character. The site, for him,
to set the entire village site    has between $300,000 and 400,000
aside as "green space."   Access    potential. That is no small token
streets to the remainder of the    of his respect for our heritage
property will surround the site.      and for our ancestors' right to
    With approval of archeologists    remain where they are buried and
and   SENAA representatives,   he    rest in peace.
plans to "till the soil about           It's interesting, too, that
three inches deep and sow grass on    when his crew was developing the
the entire area," and "I may plant    first phase of the property, on
a few trees in areas where it is    the   southeast   end,   Mr. Sharp
determined there are no burials,    forbade his crew to even walk onto
if that's okay with [the Native    the village site, and left word
Americans]."                          that no one except SENAA members
    SENAA officers agreed that Mr.    were allowed on the site.
Sharp's proposal was the best of       Because of Mr. Sharp's gracious
all options so far, second only to    contribution to the preservation
deeding the property back to the    of our heritage, we owe him our
Cherokees, and offered to maintain    heartfelt thanks.
the site once it was sown and          Let us also remember all the
landscaped.   Mr. Sharp   said he    fervent prayers to the Creator for
would see to its maintenance.         Autumn Ridge's protection and be
    Obviously, SENAA officers were    keenly aware that those prayers
elated at the   wonderful news,    were answered.   Let us each say a
especially considering the options    special prayer of thanksgiving for
proposed by the state.   Mr. Sharp    Creator's help and watchcare, and
had the opportunity to make his    for rewarding our faith.
money back off the property via         *       *       *       *

SENAA FUND RAISER SUCCESSFUL

       Our first car wash, held on    got a bit of sun, and fun while
Saturday, 27 July, went well for a    raising needed funds.
first effort.   Held at the TSC      Participating in the event were:
Tractor   parking lot   on Keith    J.R. Davis, Pam Triplett,   Cheri
Street in Cleveland, participants    (See FUND RAISER, Page 4)

1 August 1996 SENAA Newsletter 4

FUND RAISER (from page 3)
Lawson, Kelly Davis, Brian Davis,       While some of the funds will be
Ginny Dinsmore, Rich Dinsmore, Ben    used    for    normal    operating
Dinsmore, Patricia Goins, Steve    expenses, the remainder will be
Swilling, and Al Swilling.   Lunch    distributed to church and relief
for the participants was prepared    organizations to   maximize   its
and furnished by Tulie Swilling.      potential for good.
     SENAA has two more car washes      Much thanks for everyone's help,
scheduled at the same site for    to Rich Dinsmore for helping put
10 and 24 August. Let's pray that    the word out, and to Creator for
each will be more successful than    for making it successful.
the one preceding it.                     *       *       *       *

                      NATIVE AMERICANS REPRESENTED
                       AT CLEVELAND SUMMERFEST '96
                             by, Al Swilling
       [Reprinted from the Bradley News Weekly; 3-9 August 1996]

No summer festival in Cleveland,    degree in Electronic Engineering,
Tennessee, would be complete, nor    took him from his tribal home
would it accurately portray its    11 years ago, he still follows
residents, if it didn't include    in the traditions of his people as
Native Americans, since Bradley    a Tigua singer. Taught the sacred
County was the last official home    and social songs of his tribe by
east of the Mississippi River for    the elders, he is keeping alive a
the Cherokee people at the time of    vital part of his heritage for
the Trail of Tears. And, as such,    future generations.
has not only a deep tradition in          In the interest of educating
the area but also deep roots in    other races and indigenous tribes
the population.                       about cultural differences among
     Asked by Lois Osborne, of Red    Native Americans, Frank has been
Clay State Park, to represent the    active in schools and other arenas
Native American heritage of the    presenting     entertaining   edu-
area at SummerFest, Frank Villegas    cational    programs   on   Native
and his beautiful wife Jerry, were    American heritage and issues.
on hand Friday, 26 July, to talk        "It's surprising," said Frank,
about   and   demonstrate   Native    "how many people think that all
American cultures and weaponry of    tribes have the same customs and
the tribes who once dominated this    traditions. That's part of what I
land. Hand arrows propelled by an    try to do -- teach them that there
atlatl    and   a   blowgun   were    are    some     very     important
skillfully demonstrated   by the    differences in the customs and
couple.                               traditions of the various tribes,
    Other cultural items were also    so they can better appreciate the
on display;   such as handwoven    huge variety that the many Native
Native American baskets, a rattle,    American tribes have to   offer
traditional Cherokee style flute,    American society. It would be nice
and a drum, which were used to    if someone said,    'Hey,   he's
illustrate their imformative talks    Tigua,' or 'Hey, she's Cherokee,'
about Native American cultures.       instead   of just   saying, 'Oh,
      Frank, of the Tigua tribe of    they're Indians.'"
Pueblo, is a native of New Mexico,          Area residents have probably
where he was brought up as a Tigua    seen Frank at   Red Clay Park,
dancer. Though a career change and    donating   his   time    to   give
educational pursuits, including a    (See SUMMERFEST, Page 5)

1 August 1996 SENAA Newsletter 5

SUMMERFEST (from page 4)
interpretive lectures about the      Together and individually, Frank
area. Though not Cherokee, he is    and Jerry are active in the many
perhaps as informed as anyone of    issues   concerning   and   facing
the history of the Cherokee people    Native Americans in general and
in and around Bradley County; due    their tribes in particular.   They
in part, perhaps, to his Cherokee    are   only   a   small   part   of
life companion Jerry.                 continuing efforts nationwide, by
Employed at a local dental firm,    the   tribes,    Native   American
Jerry, grew up in the Chattanooga    organizations and individuals to
and   Cleveland   area after her    raise public awareness.
family migrated here from North       Though Frank and Jerry were the
Carolina.   She is also devoted to    only Native American performers at
educating the public about tribal    SummerFest,   there   were   other
customs, culture and heritage of    Native    American-like    vendors
her people.   Much of her time    present.
apart   from   her job   is spent       Using a play on the spelling of
speaking to civic and community    her name was "Engraved Glass by
organizations, especially women's    Sioux;"   a display of   quality
groups, about women's roles in    engraved glass items.
Native     American     societies;        Around the corner from Sioux's
addressing and helping to dispel    display was a canvas tepee, where
the many misconceptions.              "Ray   Bald   Eagle"   and "Ty-Na
    In addition to her lectures on    Wounded    Dove,"    dressed    in
women's    issues,    Jerry   also    nondescript   buckskin   clothing,
educates   her   audiences   about    displayed   their collection   of
cultural differences among Native    Native American   style jewelry.
American tribes; sharing Frank's    Behind their tepee were a small
concern    for    generic   ethnic    pony and a wolf/dog.
stereotyping.                               There was even a "Native
    When asked about the age group    American" clown among those who
she and Frank represent, Jerry was    roamed the area, which just goes
quick to respond, "Mother earth is    to show: fun knows no boundaries.
ageless, therefore her children
are ageless."                              *       *       *       *

AUGUST BIRTHDAYS

    "Happy Birthday" to the following SENAA members, who are celebrating
birthdays in August:
Lynn Triplett . . . . . . 2 August    Al Swilling, II . . . . .15 August
Rebecca M. Warren . . . . 3 August    Rich Dinsmore . . . . . .28 August
Crystal Meeks . . . . . . 4 August    Ben Dinsmore . . . . . . 30 August

NOTE: SENAA's records are incomplete on some members. To be sure we
don't inadvertently leave someone out, all members are asked to submit
their birthdates to SENAA VP Al Swilling at (423) 479-2827.
(The year of your birth will be kept confidential, if you wish.)

1 August 1996 SENAA Newsletter 6

OUR NATIVE TONGUE

Syllabary Tsa-La-Gi Pronunciation English

I-gi-nv-tli Ee-gee-nuh-tlee (My) Brother

A-we-tsi Ah-way-chee
A-ge-yu-tsa Ah-gay-yoo-chah (My) Daughter

E-li-si Ay-lee-see Grandmother

E-du-du Ay-doo-doo (My) Grandfather

Gi-ni-do-da Gee-nee-doe-dah (His) Grandfather

U-ni-si Oo-nee-see Grandparent

U-dv-sa-nv-hi Oo-duh-sah-nuh-hee Old Man

A-ga-yv-li-ge-i Ah-gah-yuh-lee-gay-ee Old Woman

I-gi-do Ee-gee-doe Sister

Ga-tli-ha Gah-tlee-hah Sleep

A-tsu-tsa Ah-choo-chah (My) Son

U-we-tsi-dv-hi Oo-way-chee-duh-hee (Another's) Son

                            GUIDE ME JEHOVAH
      (Can Be Sung to the Tune of "What A Friend We Have In Jesus")
                  (See Page 7 for English Paraphrasing)

1. S-qwa-ti-ni-se- s-di, Yi-ho-wa, e - la-di-ga - i - sv - i;
2. Nv - wo-ti-gah-nu - go-gv -i A - nv-wo-sgi-sdu - i- si;
3. Ga - la-si-nv - u - wa-tla-v Tso-da-ni- u - we -yv - i

Tsi- wa -na-ga-li- yu- a- yv. Tsa-li-ni-gi-di- ni -hi.
A- tsi -lv-no u -lo-gi -lv I -gv-yi- a- i- se-sdi.
Sgi- yo - hi-sda-ne-lv-qwo-no, A-qwe-li-hi-sdi-sgv - i;

Verse Endings used with "What A Friend..." tune:
Ni - go (Ni - go) hi - lv (hi - lv) Sgi -sde -li-sge-sdi- yo-go.
Sgi -sde (Sgi -sde) li- sgi (li- sgi) Di - sge- ga-hna- wa- di-da.
Sgi- sde (Sgi -sde) li- sgi (li- sgi) To - hi- de-sgi- sa-sta-nv.

Ni - go (Ni - go) hi - lv (hi - lv) Sgi - sde -li-sge-sdi- yo-go.
Sgi -sde (Sgi -sde) li -sgi (li- sgi) Di - sge- ga-hna- wa- di-da.
Ni - go (Ni - go) hi - lv (hi - lv) Do - da- gv- no- gi-sta-ni.

Original Verse Endings:
Ni - go   hi - lv, Ni - go   hi - lv Sgi - sde -li-sge-sdi-yo-go.
Sgi -sde   li- sgi Sgi -sde   li- sgi   Di - sge- ga-hna- wa- di-da.
Ni - go   hi - lv   Ni - go   hi - lv   Do - da- gv- no- gi-sta-ni.

1 August 1996 SENAA Newsletter 7

GUIDE ME JEHOVAH
[English Paraphrasing]

1. Take me and guide me, Jehovah,    3. Help us when we come to the
   as I am walking through this       Jordan River (death) and we
   barren land. I am weak, but       will sing thy praise eternally.
   thou art mighty. Ever help us.

2. Open unto us thy healing waters
   Let the   fiery cloud   (Holy
   Spirit)   go   before   us and
   continue thy help.

     CHEROKEE BAND SEEKS TO BUILD BINGO PARLOR IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
                         by the Associated Press
         [Reprinted From Chattanooga Free Press; 25 July 1996]

Adairsville, Ga. -- Some Cherokee          "Typically a land base for a
Indians in Oklahoma want to return    group   of   Indians    would   be
to   their   ancestral   home   in    considered if it is around the
northwest Georgia   to   build a    area where   they live.   It is
$4 million dollar bingo parlor.       indisputable that the Cherokees
     The planned location is about    originated from that area and were
50 miles southeast of Chattanooga.    removed from it and their lands
Both local and federal officials    taken, but I think a tribe asking
say there are problems with the    for land this far away from their
plan by the Keetoowah [Band], a    own location becomes   a harder
group of about 8,000 living in and    problem," Gonzales said.
around Tahlequah, Oklahoma.              "All this by way of saying that
   The federally recognized tribe,    we've got a lot of research to
which has no land of its own,    do."
wants   to    buy   32 acres   in          Usually such a request would
Adairsville in northwest Georgia    take a year or two for a ruling,
and have that placed in federal    Gonzales said, and in this case,
trust,   which would essentially    "it could be even longer than
establish it as a "quasi-sovereign    that."
nation"   unaccountable to state        Only after the land was placed
laws, according to Ralph Gonzales,    in trust for the Keetoowah Band
spokesman for the Bureau of Indian    could they apply for a gaming
Affairs in Washington.                license, and federal law on that
      The plan the Keetoowahs have    subject, Gonzales said, requires
filed with the BIA says they want    that "the state and the tribe have
to build on the Adairsville land    to enter into a compact before the
because it is near the New Echota    gaming can begin."
State Historic Site, seat of the          The governor's office had no
Cherokee government   before the    immediate reaction to the plan.
Cherokees were uprooted in 1838
and sent on the "Trail of Tears"
to Oklahoma.                               *       *       *       *

1 August 1996 SENAA Newsletter 8

SENAA'S FIRST ANNIVERSARY

The Southeastern Native American    at the Westwood Baptist Church
Alliance will celebrate its first    pavilion at 2200 Peerless Road NW,
anniversary on 12 September 1996.     in Cleveland, beginning at noon.
      To celebrate, we will hold a    Members will be notified of any
pot-luck social, with friends and    changes in time or location.
loved-ones invited.   The date is           Plan to come and bring your
tentatively scheduled for Saturday    favorite dish to share.
14 September, and will take place         *       *       *       *

                    GRACE THORPE FIGHTS NUCLEAR WASTE
                          by, Michelle Sheldone
               [Reprinted from Family Circle, Sept. '96]

   Not since the Black Hawk war of    February 1993 the Sac and Fox
1832, when the Sac and Fox Indian    nation bowed to her pressure and
Nation fought for its land, had    voted against the site.
the Oklahoma tribe battled. But in        Word of Thorpe's success moved
1992,   75-year-old tribe member    quickly   through   the   informal
Grace Thorpe launched a new fight.    network known as the   Moccasin
The enemy:   the Department   of    Grapevine. In 1993, she founded
Energy, which had persuaded tribal    NECONA   (National   Environmental
leaders to allow construction on    Coalition of Native Americans) to
tribal land of a storage site for    fight nuclear dumping on Indian
highly radioactive material.   The    lands.   Thanks to her efforts, 20
government was offering a carrot    nuclear-free   zones   have   been
that could be worth $2.8 million.    established on reservations and 14
"They knew we needed money," says    of 17 tribes   that had   sought
Thorpe.   All 50 states had turned    nuclear waste zoning have with-
down the proposal.                    drawn their applications. "She's
     "I thought about all that has    done   an excellent job,"   says
happened to our people over the    Oklahoma state senator Enoch Kelly
years," says Thorpe, daughter of    Haney.
legendary   Olympian Jim Thorpe.          Known as Notenoquah, or Wind
"Every treaty we have made has    Woman, Thorpe also convinced the
been broken.   I couldn't let this    International Olympic Committee to
happen."   To bolster her cause,    return the two gold medals that
Thorpe    used    research    that    her father won in 1912, which were
indicated exposure to radiation    stripped from him because he had
raises the risk of cancer and    played semiprofessional baseball.
genetic deformities.   She learned    This   year   she convinced   the
that the hundreds of radioactive    Olympic Torch Run to stop at the
rods   to be   stored   had   the    Oklahoma site where her father was
destructive power of 200 nuclear    born. Thorpe arrived for the event
bombs.     Armed     with     this    in her car, with a license plate
information, she began a petition    that reads, NO NUKES.
drive against the facility. In         *       *       *       *