Resources and Reflections » Tribal Issues http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress Northern California Adventures, Events, Culture and Politics Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:54:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Condors in NorCal http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/condors-in-norcal/839/ http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/condors-in-norcal/839/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:54:58 +0000 Cyclo-monger http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/?p=839 The Yurok Tribe of northern California is currently performing research preparatory to releasing captive bred Condors into their northern California range. If successful, this would mark the first time these magnificent birds will be seen in the skies of our region in over 100 years. This effort is being made in the context of tribal efforts of “repair the world”, and undertaking that every living thing must be a part of.

For me, every turn of my bicycle wheels is a manifestation of my own personal commitment to healing the world. A small thing, to be sure, but inasmuch as the wheel is a sacred form to many peoples, and great change is the cumulative effect of many small actions, I will continue to ride, believing that my wheels are prayer wheels for the healing of the world too.

The following is quoted from the AP article;

Tribal effort to fix broken world hinges on condor

in this photo taken on Friday, Aug. 7, 2009, Yurok Tribe wildlife biotechnician AP – in this photo taken on Friday, Aug. 7, 2009, Yurok Tribe wildlife biotechnician Tiana Williams holds …

By JEFF BARNARD, Associated Press Writer Jeff Barnard, Associated Press Writer – Sun Aug 16, 1:14 am ET

ORICK, Calif. – The tribes of the lower Klamath River have since ancient times decorated themselves with condor feathers when they performed the dances designed to heal a world gone wrong.

“It can soar the highest, so we figured that was the one to get our prayers to heaven when we were asking for the world to be in balance,” said Richard Myers, a member of the Yurok Tribal Council and a leader in the revival of the tribe’s world renewal ceremonies.

Now the Yurok Tribe is using modern science in hopes of restoring condors, which have not soared above the northern coast of California since 1914.

If they establish that condors can survive here, and get federal permission to introduce birds from a captive breeding program, it would be the first restoration of condors in the northern half of its historic range, and a stepping stone to condors soaring over Oregon and Washington. Lewis and Clark collected some as they trekked down the Columbia River.

With a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the tribe is trapping turkey vultures to test for lead poisoning from eating the rotting remains of deer and elk contaminated by lead bullets, and cutting plugs of blubber from dead sea lions to measure the legacy of DDT pesticides. Those tests will help determine potential toxic threats to condors.

Researchers from Oregon State University and the Oregon Zoo are computer mapping areas throughout the Northwest where condors can nest in big trees and rocky cliffs, and soar over steep hillsides with the kind of sustained winds that draw hang gliders.

“He was like the boss of all the birds,” said the tribal council’s Myers. “At one point in time in our world we know where the beginning of the world was. We call it Kenick. The birds and animals would all speak the same language. He was the first one. He was also the first one to go extinct for whatever reasons.”

The details of why condors went extinct in the Northwest are not clear. Tribal wildlife biologist Chris West figures that a big factor was commercial whaling and sealing, which deprived the birds of a major source of food washing up on the beach. Tests of feathers indicate marine sources comprised up to half the diet of some birds.

That’s why he drove two hours South to Ferndale, then hiked nearly an hour back up the beach to find a dead sea lion reported by another biologist……………………

Given the AP’s new policies on bloggers quoting their work, I recommended that interested readers find the full text at

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090816/ap_on_re_us/us_return_of_the_condor_5

]]> http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/condors-in-norcal/839/feed/ 0 41.2870369 -124.0593491 Listing of and Links to California Tribes http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/listing-of-and-links-to-california-tribes/390/ http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/listing-of-and-links-to-california-tribes/390/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 08:37:36 +0000 Cyclo-monger http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/?p=390

California Tribes 

]]> http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/listing-of-and-links-to-california-tribes/390/feed/ 3 Building and Buying Green in Indian Country http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/building-and-buying-green-in-indian-country/387/ http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/building-and-buying-green-in-indian-country/387/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 08:29:58 +0000 Cyclo-monger http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/?p=387 Building and Buying Green in Indian Country: A Practical Guide for California Tribes  is a guide that provides tribal project decision makers and planners with an overview of “green” building practices to help them evaluate and choose sustainable options as they develop projects with architects, contractors, suppliers, or other building professionals.

Published on Tribal Court ClaeringhouseTribal Institute Logo

]]> http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/building-and-buying-green-in-indian-country/387/feed/ 0 34.0910454 -118.3686600 Early California Laws and Policies related to California Indians http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/early-california-laws-and-policies-related-to-california-indians/381/ http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/early-california-laws-and-policies-related-to-california-indians/381/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 08:04:59 +0000 Cyclo-monger http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/?p=381 Early California Laws and Policies related to California Indians, By Kimberly Johnston-Dodds (CRB-02-014 , September 2002) Did the State of California enact laws that prohibited California Indians from practicing their religion, speaking their languages or practicing traditional ceremonies and customs? This report contains information obtained from public records related to four examples of early State of California laws and policies that significantly impacted the California Indians’ way of life. These early examples include: the 1850 Act for the Government and Protection of Indians; State of California militia laws and policies related to “Expeditions against the Indians” during 1851 to 1859; the California Legislature’s involvement in influencing the U.S. Senate’s ratification process of the 18 treaties negotiated with California Indians during 1851 to 1852; and laws enacted during the first fifteen years of statehood that accommodated Indian tribes’ traditional fishing practices. California laws exist today that continue to protect fish and exempt California Indians from related prohibitions.

Published on Tribal Court ClaeringhouseTribal Institute Logo

California State Capitol, Sacramento, CA

]]> http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/early-california-laws-and-policies-related-to-california-indians/381/feed/ 0 38.5767212 -121.4938736 First Nations Forum http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/first-nations-forum/19/ http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/first-nations-forum/19/#comments Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:15:28 +0000 Cyclo-monger http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/wordpress/?p=19 Emerald Empire Adventures is committed to developing an active and constructive relationship with local First Nations people and institutions. We undertake this for both ethical and financial reasons.

This forum is a key element in realizing our commitment to building a sustainable culture based tourism business model. Here we hope to open a dialogue with anyone and everyone with an interest in Native American rights, culture, and economies in general and in particular as these relate to culture based tourism.

In the coming weeks we will be contacting each of the Tribal Councils we’ve so far got posted on our site to open dialogue there and will also be putting up links to other blogs discussing related topics.

YaTaHey

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