KawéØkye 2015

Page 2 Skaru:ręØ Monthly, January 2015

Volume 6, Issue 1

January 2015 Haudenosaunee Grand Council

Tuscarora Council of Chiefs and

Clanmothers

HAUDENOSAUNEE ENVIRONMENTAL

TASK FORCE (HETF)

Oren Lyons, Political Co-Chair

Henry Lickers, Scientific Co-Chair

David Arquette, HETF Director

Noah Point, Assistant Director

TUSCARORA ENVIRONMENT

PROGRAM (TEP)

Neil Patterson, Jr. Director npatterson@hetf.org

Rene Rickard, Office Administrator rrickard@hetf.org

Bryan Printup, GIS/Planning bprintup@hetf.org

Following the United Nations Earth

Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the

Haudenosaunee held a Grand Council to

discuss the environmental degradation of

our communities. In accordance with the

Great Law of Peace, the Grand Council

passed and agreed, based on

Haudenosaunee protocols and cultural

beliefs, to establish the Haudenosaunee

Environmental Task Force (HETF).

The SKARU:RE MONTHLY is the

official publication of the Tuscarora

Environment Office. You can submit

articles, artwork, photographs, editorials

and letters of hate to:

SKARU:RE MONTHLY

c/o: Tuscarora Environment

5226E Walmore Road

Tuscarora Nation

Lewiston, NY 14092

Or call: #716.264.6011

www.tuscaroraenvironment.org

or our Facebook page

“Tuscarora Environment”

April 4, 2015 - Buckskin to Bikini Exhibition Opening, Iroquois Indian

Museum, Howes Cave, NY. 1pm-3pm. The Opening will include a talk

by Dr. Jessica Metcalfe, Turtle Mountain Chippewa from North Dakota,

operator of Beyond Buckskin. The Exhibition explores stereotypes and

the capacity of apparel to embody personal and/or political identity and

reflect on Native experience. FMI: www.iroquoismuseum.org, or

#518.296.8949.

April 7-9, 2015 - 6th Annual National Indian Health Board (NIHB)

Tribal Public Health Summit, Agua Caliente Casino, Resort and Spa,

Rancho Mirage, CA. This year’s summit emphasizes strengthening the

public health workforce in Indian Country, with tracks to include

behavioral health and substance use; disease prevention and health

promotion; and public health law and policy. FMI: www.nihb.org.

April 14-16, 2015 - Great Lakes Intertribal Food Summit, Radisson

Hotel & Conference Center, Oneida, WI. This summit focuses on

accessing USDA programs, tribal farming operations, hands-on

workshops about farmers markets, food production and value-added

products. FMI: www.iacgreatlakes.com

April 14-18, 2015 - 43rd Annual Symposium on the American Indian,

Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, OK. This year’s theme

“Children: The Seed of Change, The Impact of Tribal Knowledge and

Sovereign Rights on the Future of Cultural Identity.” A common thread

woven through the history and heritage of many tribes is the responsibility

of adults, with emphasis on elders, of nurturing a sense of compassion for

knowledge and skills to perpetuate the passing-on of cultural identity and

tribal knowledge. Includes a Symposium Film Series, Speakers, vendors,

and a pow-wow. FMI: www.cts.nsuok.edu.

April 16-17, 2015 - 2nd Annual Symposium on Endangered

Languages and Cultures of Native America, RIT, Rochester, NY. This

year’s theme “Tools and Techniques for Language Documentation and

Revitalization: Media and Technology.” They welcome the active

participation of indigenous communities, native language speakers, and

those interested in revitalization and preservation their heritage languages

and cultures. Keynote speaker includes Keren Rice, University of

Toronto. FMI: Wilson Silva, wdsgss@rit.edu.

January 2014. Making fish head soup.

Maintaining our indigenous foods and

cooking methods is as vital to our

culture as language, song, and

government. Last year we served a fish

head soup lunch to guests and elders.

Coming up ...

Page 3 Skaru:ręØ Monthly, January 2015

How to Apply? Beginning Monday, February 2nd, 9:00am, we will start accepting names

of students to attend the camp. You can call our office, #264-6011, or leave a FB message

after 9am only. Then we will provide a permission slip that will need to be submitted back

to us to complete your student’s participation. Space is limited, so apply early.

Learning to

use Corn

Guest

Speakers

Beadwork

Language

How to use

Black Ash

Outdoor

Activities

Movie time

And More!

Sponsored by The Tuscarora Environment Office,

ESF - Center for Native Peoples, and

the Tuscarora Nation Council of Chiefs and Clan Mothers.

Tuesday, February 17th - Friday, February 20th 9:15am - 4:00pm

*** FREE ***

At the Tuscarora Health and Community Center

Lunch will be provided daily.

Open to Grades 7-12 from Tuscarora

Page 4 Skaru:ręØ Monthly, January 2015

Correction: In the December 2014 Friends&Family article we miss-identified

the Tuscarora singers photo. The singer on the left was labeled as Woodbury but

it should have been labeled Printup.

ABOVE: (l-r): Louise and Shirley.

S torytelling is an important component

of the Haudenosaunee oral tradition.

Some stories are intended to teach a

lesson, and they are passed from

generation to generation to show others

how to behave, how to act, and how to

properly care for one another. Storytelling

plays a big role during these winter

months, when we are all together as a

family staying warm and preparing for the

new year approaching.

This legend we present here is just one

version that is passed from generation to

generation.

Bear thought herself a very powerful

creature and was always trying to exhibit

her strength before other animals.

One day she got into a dispute with

Chipmunk and Chipmunk asked, “Why do

you boast so much? You have no great

power.”

Bear was angry and declared that she had

such power that she could, if she wished,

prevent the sun from rising in the

morning.

Chipmunk said, “you cannot.”

“Wait and see,” replied Bear.

Chipmunk was not to be fooled. He

declared that he would wait. “We shall

have the sun at the usual time,” said he.

When the sun came up the next morning,

Chipmunk laughed and made fun of Bear

and her boasting, until Bear was so

terribly angry that she turned on

Chipmunk. He escaped, for his burrow

was close by, but even as he reached it

Bear was so nearly upon him that she

stretched out her paw to clutch him. He

slipped away and went into the hole.

The next day, Chipmunk appeared with

three marks on his back, marks of Bear’s

claw. And chipmunks carry those marks

today. * Excerpt from the Oneida Nation of

Wisconsin website.

By Bryan Printup

ABOVE: 1976, Little Feather Contestants.

LEFT: Hattie Williams.

Page 5 Skaru:ręØ Monthly, January 2015

I t is that time of year where many

residents recycling bins get

demolished due to the weather

conditions, aka the snow plow or

cold frigid temperatures. Either

way, if you are a devoted recycler

then you have to get your bin

replaced, but where to start?

Step One

If your bin has been compromised

by the snow plow or some other

snow-related reason then you need

to collect up the pieces along the

road and in your yard/driveway

Step Two

Once that is done you might

realize that you have had your

recycling bin for a long time.

Instead of searching around local

stores you can call customer

service at Modern Disposal

#800.330.7107 to request a new

recycling bin. There is a cost of

$12.50 per bin that will be billed to

your account (with Modern

Disposal.) The great part is that it

will be delivered to your house

instead of having to go pick it up! If

you have enough recycling to fill

more than one bin you’re allowed to

put out as many bins as you need to

hold all your recycling.

Step Three

Once the bin has been delivered you

can return to recycling everything

from metal cans, glass jars, plastic

bowls, cardboard and everything else

that Modern Disposal accepts.

Recently there has been some

changes to what Modern Disposal

can accept due to New York State

Regulations. Please refer to the list

of the acceptable recycling materials

that Modern will pick up at curbside

recycling that we published in

August 2014 Skaru:re Monthly. Or

you can stop by and pick up a copy

of the list at our TEP Office or

download it from the Modern

Disposal website at http://

moderncorporation.com/3.0/wp-

content/

uploads/2015_What_Can_I_Recycle.

pdf.

If you have any questions feel free to

contact either Modern Disposal or

TEP to assist you.

History Presentations

“John Lawson’s Trial” Discussion

PLACE: Tuscarora Nation House

DATE: Saturday, January 31st

TIME: 2pm

COST: FREE

The Tuscarora History group would

like to invite the community to a

presentation by Dr. Larry Tise, East

Carolina University Professor of

History. He will present the drawing

“John Lawson’s Trial” by Baron

deGraffenreid (1711) for a viewing

and discussion.

“The ‘North Carolina’ Tuscarora

Story” Presentation

PLACE: Tuscarora School Café.

DATE: Saturday, January 31st

TIME: 7pm

COST: FREE

Dr. Larry Tise will present about

North Carolina Tuscarora history

with a Q&A afterwards.

The presentations are sponsored by

the Tuscarora History Group, and Dr.

Larry Tise. For more information

contact Vince Schiffert #860.5635.

How To Replace your Recycling Bin

By Rene Rickard

Page 6 Skaru:ręØ Monthly, January 2015

EmPower New York workshops are sponsored by the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA)

and developed by Cornell Cooperative Extension & NYSERDA.

Energy Conservation Workshop With EmPower

Save Energy, Save Dollars

The best way to reduce our energy bills is to reduce the amount of

energy we use. In this workshop participants will explore many ways to

reduce their energy bills through no cost/low-cost conservation

methods.

What ideas will work for you? Find out how much you can save! Each

participant receives 3 free CFL light bulbs at the end of the class and is

eligible for a door prize.

Date & Time: TBA

Location: Tuscarora Nation House

Instructor: Bonnie Lee Benton, Cornell Cooperative Extension

Cost: FREE

. . . Coming Soon.

NYS-DEC Summer Camp Opportunity FREE 2015 Environmental Summer Camp coming soon. The HETF and the NYS Department of Environmental

Conservation (DEC) are sponsoring a limited number of students from Tuscarora to attend Camp Rushford for a one

week environmental camp.

Campers solve challenges, learn environmental concepts, practice outdoor skills and spend the week immersed in nature

from Sunday through Friday. The camps offer sportsman education classes, including hunting and trapping. Two FREE

slots are available for a boy and a girl:

July 19- 24, 2015 for 14-17 year olds; OR

August 9-14 for 11-13 year olds.

Camp Rushford is part of the 4,500 acre Hanging Bog Wildlife Management Area about 2

miles southwest of Rushford Lake, in Alleghany County.

Campers must be the minimum age by December 1, 2015. To view typical camps schedule,

visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/2029.html

If your child is interested in attending the camp for FREE (thanks to the sponsorships from HETF and NYS-DEC) please

give our TEP Office a call, #264-6011, about how to apply and when the students will be selected.

Page 7 Skaru:ręØ Monthly, January 2015

T he northern long ear bat, a

longstanding resident of

Haudenosaunee territory, is in grave

danger. The bat is now being

considered an endangered species

due to a fungal invasion called ‘white

nose syndrome.’ The fungus grows

on the noses of bats and causes them

to act strangely in winter, flying in

the daytime and huddling outside in

the cold. White nose syndrome has

killed 100% of local bat populations

in some areas and is now blamed for

the estimated death of over 50

million bats in the United States. The

disease was first noticed in New

York State in 2006.

The long eared bat is a medium-sized

bat about 3” long but soars with a

wingspan of over 9 inches. They

hibernate over winter in dark dry

crevices called hibernacula. After

emerging in the spring, female long

eared bats retreat to large maternity

colonies consisting of several dozen

mothers each raising a single pup.

Their eating habits consist of

emerging at dusk to fly through the

understory of forested hillsides and

ridges feeding on moths, flies,

leafhoppers, caddisflies, and beetles,

which they catch while in flight using

echolocation. This bat also feeds by

gleaning motionless insects from

vegetation and water surfaces. They

can live to be around 20 years old.

Bats fill an important ecological role

and we can give thanks for them

fulfilling their duties. There are

cataclysmic impacts from losing an

entire species. Scientists are noticing

unanticipated changes to the Earth

where endangered species have been

restored, especially for top-level

predator restoration success such as

the wolf, who is now keeping Rocky

Mountain elk populations in check,

changing normally overgrazed

understory plant communities. There

will be changes in the land from the

loss of this bat.

This idea of losing animals within

specific ecosystems is something the

Haudenosaunee have an

understanding about. Two clan

animals have been lost from

Haudenosaunee territory (the wolf

and the eel) in the last century. The

bear and the beaver have come close

at times, and it is exciting to see their

recovery. The HETF has called for

the full restoration of the Grey Wolf

to its original territory and are

carefully watching the decision to

make the American Eel an

endangered species.

The United States Fish and Wildlife

Service (U.S. FWS) will decide by

April 2015 whether to list the long

ear bat as ‘threatened’ on the U.S.

endangered species list.

For more information: Check out

U.S. Fish and Wildlife website for

reports and factsheets about the

future of the Northern long ear bat.

Trash Pick-up Holiday Schedule

A reminder that curbside trash

pick-up for Modern Disposal

customers will have holiday pick on

these days for 2015:

Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2015

Trash will be picked up on

Tuesday, May 26th.

Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2015

Trash will be picked up on

Tuesday, September 8th.

ABOVE: The northern long ear bat or

Myotis septentrionalis or krá:kra:.

Family Plight:

The Future as an Endangered Animal By Neil Patterson Jr.

Skaru:rèØ Monthly Tuscarora Environment Office 5226E Walmore Road Tuscarora Nation Lewiston, NY 14092

Skaru:rèØ Resident

Did You Know . . .

There are 32 fully-accredited Tribal

Colleges and Universities (TCUs) in the

U.S. across 14 states. The schools

service approximately 30,000 full and

part-time students, which is about 8.7 %

of the American Indian/Alaskan Native

(AI/AN) college student population. The

College Fund reports that 86% of TCU

students complete their chosen program

of study, while fewer than 10% of AI/AN students who go directly from

reservation high schools to mainstream colleges and universities finish their

bachelor’s degree. www.ed.gov.

According to the United

Nations Environment

Programme, every year

consumers in rich

countries waste almost

as much food (222

million ton) as the entire

net food production of

sub-Saharan Africa (230

million ton). In addition,

in the U.S., 30% of all

food, worth $48.3 billion is thrown away each year. It is estimated that about

half of the water used to produce this food also goes to waste, since

agriculture is the largest human use of water. www.unep.org.

The

American Eel

(Anguilla

rostrata) lives

in fresh water

and estuaries

and only

leaves these

habitats to

enter the

Atlantic

ocean to start its spawning migration to the

Sargasso Sea. Spawning takes place far offshore

where the eggs hatch. The female can lay up to 4

million buoyant eggs a year, and dies after egg-

laying. After the eggs hatch the young eels move

toward North America where they metamorphose

into glass eels and enter freshwater systems where

they grow as yellow eels until they begin to mature.

Eels were once an abundant species in rivers, and

were an important fishery for aboriginal people. The

construction of hydroelectric dams has blocked

their migrations and locally exterminated eels in

many watersheds. www.fws.gov