Southeastern Native American Alliance

                   This is the beginning of a new day.
           The Creator has given me this day to use as I will.
                   I can waste it or grow in its light
                      And be of service to others.
                But what I do with this day is important,
            Because I have exchanged a day of my life for it.
                          When tomorrow comes,
                       Today will be gone forever.
            I hope I will not regret the price I paid for it.

   Congratulations to the Native      Officials from HCSD and TIC will
American Reserve Force (NARF) for    meet in October to finalize the
their recent   adoption   by the    adoption. While the details remain
Tennessee Indian Commission (TIC).    hazy at this point, one thing is
   Orphaned on 2 May 1995, when    clear: NARF is the first Native
CITA officially disbanded,   TIC    American law enforcement entity in
officials voiced their interest in    history,outside tribal boundaries,
adopting NARF, but meetings with    to gain state recognition. That
NARF's legal guardians, the Hamil-    alone is reason for each and every
ton County Sheriff's Department    NARF officer to be proud.
(HCSD) were necessary before a       That this momentous development
commitment would be made.             comes only eighteen months after
   It became official in August,    NARF was officially created says
when the HCSD received official    volumes for NARF's dedication and
word from TIC spokesperson Harley    teamwork. Their lessons in these
Grant that the state recognized    regards, any organization would do
commission will officially adopt    well to learn.
NARF.                                 (Continued, p. 2)

CONGRATULATIONS, continued:
   Their accomplishments should be    Alliance, look to this outstanding
a source   of   pride   for   all    team and take note. Let us look
Native Americans.                     with pride at NARF's accomplish-
   Through the adversities that    ments and dedication to preserving
plagued CITA, when NARF's future    our heritage.
was   uncertain,    NARF   members    Let us fully and proudly support
remained focused on their purpose.    this superb organization in any
   Realizing that NARF's ideals    and every way possible ---- and
transcended any personal differ-    consider it a privilege to do so.
ences, they   refused   to allow      Congratulations, Native American
personal   politics to interfere    Reserve Force, for your tremendous
with the team's performance of its    accomplishments.   And thanks to
duties. If nothing else, it demon-    each of you for working so hard to
strates each NARF team member's    protect   our    Native   American
incredible strength of character.     heritage.
    Let us, as members of the        May the Creator bless you and
Southeastern    Native    American     keep each of you safe.
                                                *   *   *

    In early July, at Collegedale    With only 10 trained officers and
Tennessee, preparations began for    one trainee, each NARF member got
the construction of an apartment    more than his share of patrol
complex which will be known as    time.
"Winding Creek Apartments."   By    NARF officers are only required
8 July the media were notified by    to work 18 hours per month, but at
a "concerned citizen" who lived in    Collegedale some officers spent
the neighboring apartment complex    more than 171 hours of their spare
that   human   bones and   burial    time   guarding   the   endangered
objects had been unearthed.           ancestral graves.   Their only pay
   Thanks to that tip, authorities    during that time was the soft
were notified and pre-construction    drinks provided by the Hamilton
grading stopped.   Unfortunately,    County Sheriff's Department and
by the time it was halted, many    concerned individuals; occasional
graves had been   destroyed and    snack cakes   provided by McKee
looted.   By 10 July the Native    Bakery;the sandwiches they brought
American Reserve Force (NARF) was    for dinner; and the occasional
notified and arrived on the scene.    "Thank you" from Lynn Triplett and
   What was thought to be a three    Alva Crowe.
or four day watch turned into 35    NARF's official pat on the back
days. From 10 July until 13 August    came on Saturday afternoon, August
NARF officers   stood   all-night    26, at the Moccasin Bend shooting
vigils to keep out relic hunters    range, when the Hamilton County
and curiosity seekers. Property    Sheriff's Office gave a dinner for
owners were at the site in the day    NARF members and their families,
time on weekdays, but it fell on    to show appreciation for NARF's
NARF to patrol around the clock    services at the Collegedale site.
from 7pm Friday evenings until 7am       Presiding at the dinner were
Monday mornings.                      Sheriff Cupp, Lieutenant Mitchell,
   After standing 12-hour watches,    Chief Alverson,and NARF supervisor
exhausted NARF officers left their    Lynn Triplett.
watch to work their regular jobs.           (continued, p.3)

BURIALS, continued;
   After   dinner,   Sheriff Cupp    Alverson,   to   commemorate   the
presented NARF with a plaque and    occasion.
citation bearing the names of all       On behalf of C.A.I.R., I would
the NARF members for outstanding    like to express our gratitude to
performance and dedication at the    each member of NARF for their
Collegedale site. The plaque now    dedication to preserving and pro-
hangs on the wall of the Hamilton    tecting the graves of our ances-
County Sheriff's Department.          tors buried at the place we now
     Stuart Light-Feather Aitken    call "Collegedale;" and for their
presented Chief Alverson with a    continuing   watch over Moccasin
beautifully   crafted   ceremonial    Bend.
pipe and stand, and Lynn Triplett       Our thanks to:   Lynn Triplett;
with a beautifully adorned warrior    Pam Triplett; Stuart Aitken; Brian
feather.                              Davis; Steve Swilling; Bob Welch;
   Sheriff John Cupp put to rest a    Brian Carlisle; Ben Taylor; Paul
rumor that he wanted to disband    Thennis; and Gary Williams.
NARF by saying that NARF is the       Oh; and thanks, also, to a cer-
best and most dedicated reserve    tain "trainee,"   whose training
force he has ever seen, and that    period   has to be one of the

he is proud to know that NARF is a    longest in history for a reserve
part   of   the   Hamilton County    officer candidate;   who   faced,
Sheriff's Department.                 armed only with a bo staff and his
   The evening culminated with the    karate skills, the same potential
taking of a group photo of the    dangers that his fellow officers
NARF members with Sheriff Cupp,    faced with guns and pepper mace.
Lieutenant Mitchell, and   Chief       Move over, Billy Jack!
                                                 * * *

NEXT GENERAL MEETING: 3 October 1995; 7:00 pm. Tentatively scheduled
to be held at 3054 Woodvine Circle; Cleveland, Tennessee.

   As a regular feature of our    opportunity to learn the Tsa-La-Gi
monthly Newsletter, and in keeping    language.
with our policy of cultural edu-       We begin this series with basic
cation, "Our Native Tongue" will    greetings.
help those who have had no prior

Syllabary              Pronunciation            English
                       Tsa(Ja)-La-Gi            Cherokee
                       O-si'-yo                 Hello
                       To-hi'-tsu(ju)           How are you?
                       O-si'-gwu                I'm fine
                       Ni-na                    And you?
                       Wa-do                    Thank you
                       O-gi-na-li'--i           My Friend
                       Tso-ga-li'--i            Friends
                       U-na-li'--i        (his) Friend
                       A-s-ga-ya                Man
                       A-ge-yv(yuh)             Woman
                       Ga-du-gi                 Society

Pronunciation key: a, as in watch; e, as the ‚ in caf‚; i, as ee
in keep; o, as in boat; u, as oo in boot; v, as the u in but; tsi, as
see in seem, chee in cheek, or jee in jeep; tso, as so social, cho in
chosen, or Jo in Joke; tsa, as sah, jah or cha in Charles; tse, as sa in
sacred, cha in change, or ja in Jason; tsu, as soo in soon, ju in juice,
or choo in choose; tsv, as su in sudden, ju in judge, ch in child or chu
in chum; g, as in gun, or approaching k.

Our Sincere Thanks to Lawrence    Thanks, too, to Alva Crowe, who
Alexander for his work at College-    saw to the spiritual needs of the
dale, removing the remains and    disturbed spirits and the archeo-
artifacts from the graves.   We    logists alike, and was there from
would rather it not be done, but    start to finish.
since it was necessary, we're glad         *          *         *
it was you who did the work --
someone who treats our ancestors'    © 1995; White Eagle Publications
graves with respect.
     *        *       *