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 If you want to learn more about Native American people, our “Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians Contest” is for you!!
National Relief Charities and Native American anthropologist and author Anton Treuer share a goal to educate the public about Indian history, the role the U.S. government plays, and the effect on Indian culture and heritage as well as social conditions.
In his new book titled Everything You Wanted To Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask, Anton makes it clear that what’s true for one Indian may not be true for others. He also answers questions like these and many others, including questions we often hear from donors:
Why can’t Indians just move on?
What is Indian religion?
What is a pow wow?
 Anton’s book will help re-educate the American public about the historical record and clear up misconceptions about the Indian people and their cultures. To help get his message out, NRC is launching the “Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians Contest.”
Participate in the book contest from now through June 15 for a chance to win an autographed copy of the book. This is a one-time giveaway by NRC.
Contestants must have a mailing address within the 48 contiguous states of North America. (This helps control our shipping costs.) For other participation requirements, please refer to our contest rules.
Contest start date: May 17, 2012
Cutoff for contest entries: Midnight on June 15, 2012
This is a reminder that National Relief Charities has a disaster relief service in place to help reservation communities during emergencies caused by fires, floods, tornadoes, or blizzards. If your reservation is in our service area, call 602-340-8040 (Southwest) or 602-399-9905 (Plains).
At the time of this writing, the Gladiator fire is burning in the Prescott National Forest in Yavapai County, AZ. The blaze has affected about 2,000 acres of forest and is reportedly only 5% under control. Firefighters are hoping the winds don’t blow the fire back toward Crown King, but most of the 350 summer occupants have already left.
We haven’t seen it mentioned in the media, but the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Reservation borders the town of Prescott along Highway 69. The tribe operates Frontier Village, one of the area’s largest shopping centers, which has an Office Max, Walmart, Home Depot, Target, Blockbuster, and restaurants. They also operate two casinos and a hotel in the vicinity. More importantly, the reservation spans about 1,400 acres in Yavapai County and is home to about 200 tribal members.
**Richard Miller is the Program Manager for NRC’s Southwest Program Office and Distribution Center. He has been with National Relief Charities for 6 years and oversees NRC program services on more than 50 Southwest reservations.
 Helen mentioned that Arizona was one of the states affected by operational budget cuts under the TEFAP emergency food program. But there is some good news for the state. A new bill was passed making it easier for farmers to donate fresh produce to AZ food banks.
A 1993 law allowed taxpayers to subtract dollars from Arizona taxable income for contributions of qualified crops to charitable organizations. Farmers who met the six requirements that qualified a crop donation could deduct 80% of the wholesale or recent sale price (whichever is greater). But this was amended under Senate Bill 1121, part of the Arizona Food Bill, to allow 100% of the wholesale or recent sales price and eases some of the six requirements.
This amendment is helpful to farmers who are in the business of harvesting produce for agricultural sale and who want to give back to their communities. The amendment is also helpful to Arizona food banks who are stretched by the increasing number of households that need help to feed their families, especially since the economic downturn in 2008.
Did you know…
- In 2008, more than 1 in 7 American households struggled to put enough food on the table, the highest rate since 1995 (when the USDA began tracking food security levels).
- In 2008, about 16.7 million children were classified as food insecure (aka suffering food shortages). This is 4.3 million more than in 2007.
- In 2010, American household hunger was up 54% compared to 2006.
 Legislation like Senate Bill 1121 has the potential to help put more healthy food on the table for families who are struggling. According to the Association of Arizona Food Banks, less than 1 percent of fresh produce grown in Arizona was donated to food banks in past years.
Projects such as the Feinstein Fight Against Hunger also work to this end and help more organizations join in. In 2012, National Relief Charities received nearly 1 million pounds of donated food for distribution on the reservations, much of which we would not have received if not for the Feinstein Challenge, and much of which will go to support food banks in our service area.
Many organizations that distribute food to the poor are troubled by recent federal budget cuts affecting “The Emergency Food Assistance Program” (TEFAP), which is operated by the USDA and linked to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). TEFAP is the program that, among other things, distributes commodity foods to tribes across the U.S., as part of the government’s treaty obligations. The amount of TEFAP funding is part of the Farm Bill and tied to the 2009 indexes for SNAP. One can only hope that adjustments were made to allow for the increasing need of families in our tough economy.
 After subtracting the cost of transporting the food, a program fee, and food dollars convertible to administrative use, the 2011 TEFAP budget spendable for emergency food was $219.4 million. Comparatively, the 2012 TEFAP budget spendable for emergency food is $230.7 million. So where is the cut? While the overall TEFAP budget increased, emergency funding was cut for some very high-need states.
Prompted by confusion, concern, a story from Feeding South Dakota (one of our food pantry partners), and the fact that South Dakota and North Dakota are home to five of the poorest counties in America and 15 American Indian tribes, I looked up the TEFAP allocations for SD, ND, and several other states we serve.
This research clarified that the TEFAP cuts occurred in the operational funding allowed to administer TEFAP programs. Already stressed by the increasing need of families in the past two years, it is clear why food banks and humanitarian organizations in SD, as well as NE, MT, WY, and AZ, would be concerned. This is especially true for organizations providing food for families on the reservations. These locations are often known to be food deserts (meaning low income areas where the nearest grocer is over a mile away), and 1 in 4 American Indians already suffer from food insecurity (meaning resource constraints that limit the ability to buy food, concerns about running out of food, not eating so the children can eat, or experiencing persistent hunger). Anything that could jeopardize or limit the provision of food to these families is a cause for concern.
Enrolled Tribal Members: 24,426
# of People on the Reservation: 20,762
# Programs Partnering with NRC: 51
Sovereign Nation Since: 1889
Official Tribal Web Site: http://www.rosebudsiouxtribe-nsn.gov/
Photo Credits:
Beadwork Buffalo Wigwam Wind Turbine
A Bit of Culture: The Rosebud Sioux Tribe or Sicangu Oyate (meaning “Burnt Thigh” nation) is one of the Seven Original Council Fires or bands collectively known as the Sioux. The Sicangu Sioux speak the Lakota dialect (as opposed to the Nakota or Dakota dialect used by other Sioux tribes). The Sicangu Sioux are skilled in bead and quill work. Their traditional housing was a Tipi or a Wigwam, the latter a domed dwellings made of wooden poles and roofing material such as bark or grass as pictured above.
A Bit of History: The Rosebud Sioux Tribe was moved five times before becoming an established sovereign nation in 1889. This was due to various homestead acts that the federal government used to repeatedly reduce acreage promised to the Rosebud people.
 Spotted Tail (public domain photo) One notable leader of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe was Sinte Gleska, otherwise known as Spotted Tail (1823-1881).
A relative of Crazy Horse and a member of the Brulé Sioux (a French reference for the Burnt Thigh people), Spotted Tail led the Sioux people in battles against the Pawnee.
Spotted Tail later became a leader of the peace faction and a statesman for the people.
The Land: The Rosebud Sioux Reservation encompasses 922,759 acres of Plains grasslands, Ponderosa pine forest, and valleys. There are 20 established communities within the reservation borders. The tribal administration is located in one of these communities that, like the reservation, is named Rosebud. Another well populated community is Mission. The Rosebud Reservation spans the counties of Todd, Mellette, Tripp, and Lyman in South Dakota, the largest of which is Todd County. Rosebud enjoys a prairie wind that averages 14 mph; this bodes well for their interest in wind energy. In the winter, Rosebud residents may see snow drifts as high as 10 feet.
Current Economy: The main occupation on the Rosebud Reservation is cattle ranching and farming. The tribe successfully started a project to reintroduce a growing buffalo herd onto their land. In addition to providing healthy sustenance, this could one day help the Rosebud economy. Other employment sources include tribal programs such as administrative offices, the BIA, and Indian Health Services. Several K-12 schools and the Sinte Gleska University (a tribal college founded in 1973) also offer employment opportunities for Rosebud residents. The tribe proudly operates a casino that is powered almost entirely from a wind turbine energy system. Although profits are limited due to its rural location, the casino does provide an additional source of tribal jobs and economic activity within the local community.
Education & Income: Todd County ranks as the second poorest county in the U.S. The unemployment rate is over 80% due to lack of opportunity. About 76% of the employed labor force on Rosebud lives below poverty level. About 58% of people under the age of 18 in Todd County live below poverty level (on and off reservation). Regarding lodging, about 29% of the people on the Rosebud Reservation are homeless and 59% live in substandard housing. About one-third of students on the Rosebud Reservation have a high school diploma. Sadly, the Rosebud Reservation is one of two reservations with the lowest life expectancy rate. Suicide is also a prevalent risk. Over a span of 14 months (2006-07), Rosebud law enforcement responded to 6 suicides and 244 suicide attempts. The Rosebud people draw strength and hope from family, culture, and traditions, as they continue to make positive strides toward sufficient and sustainable economic solutions.
Learn More:
http://www.aktalakota.org/index.cfm?cat=1&artid=198
http://www.bia.gov/idc/groups/public/documents/text/idc-001719.pdf
http://www.sdtribalrelations.com/new/tribalstatprofiles/rststatprofile2011.pdf
April 21-25 is National Volunteer Week. The week recognizes that millions of people around the world give their time, talent and energy to help others.
 This and my visit to Hopi last week reminded me of our many volunteers, the Program Partners who live and work in the reservation communities we serve. They are employed by tribal programs such as senior programs, health programs, boys and girls clubs, schools, other nonprofits, and churches. More than 1,000 partners volunteer to work with NRC. Through our partnership, they enhance their skills, resources, and ability to better serve the participants of their programs. They ensure that our goods and services reach the people for which they are intended. They put in hundreds of hours and work tirelessly to ensure that needs in the communities are met. Without this dedicated team in the field, NRC would not be able to reach the people in remote reservation communities. Our partners make our work possible. We are only as effective as they are…
So this is just a big shout out from National Relief Charities to each and every one of our Program Partners:
We couldn’t do it without you!.
The Feinstein Foundation hosts the Annual $1 Million Giveaway to Fight Hunger campaign. Developed by Alan Shawn Feinstein, the campaign invites nonprofits that help combat hunger to join him in one of the largest matching gift campaigns in the U.S. He offers to match funds raised by participating nonprofits with an additional $1 million – and nonprofits can use this to help motivate donors. NRC has found that donors like to give when they know that their donation dollars will be matched or multiplied by another donor or organization. Feinstein takes the collective amount raised by participating nonprofits and gives each a proportional amount of the $1 million, based on what they raised. Last year, National Relief Charities was excited to receive almost $8,500 from the Feinstein Foundation and this year we are hoping for even more.
Besides participating in the matching gift offer for the last four years, NRC has used the Fight Hunger campaign to help us increase our gift-in-kind donations from existing food partners and to encourage new partners to support our mission with donated foods. The campaign runs for two months each year: March and April. This year NRC secured nearly 1 million pounds of donated food, a 50% increase over last year’s donations. In addition to helping us win campaign dollars, this aspect of participating in the Feinstein Fight Hunger campaign helps us serve additional people living on the poverty-stricken and remote Indian reservations where we work.
 We encourage all nonprofits whose services help combat hunger to learn more about the Feinstein Foundation and their Fight Hunger campaign.
 On April 10, National Relief Charities participated in the Barefoot Challenge to help raise awareness for kids without shoes. We wish to thank everyone who RSVP’d on our event page and who went One Day Without Shoes yesterday.
The day gave us a few insights. For instance, it has been good to see that, while many of the Native American youth we serve struggle to have well fitting shoes or shoes for back to school, they also care about kids without shoes in other economically-challenged communities and Third World countries. To each other, they are not “students” but just people helping each other - a long held tradition in the Native American culture.
In addition, our staff had some insights about going without shoes that we wanted to share:
Going without shoes helped me see that my feet feel better when they are clean.
I can walk farther and faster in shoes than I can than without shoes. When I tried to hurry through my errands, I stumped my toe on the way to the car and scratched my foot in the grocery store. Too many days without shoes and my feet would be one big sore.
When I put on my shoes and leave the house, I never think twice about my feet. Yesterday, I had to think about every step I took, especially outside. I didn’t want to step on a rock or get a cut on my feet and then have to live with it for another week. But this also made me think about what it would be like if I had a cut, and had no choice but to walk around on that cut barefoot. I remember thinking it would probably take longer to heal, it would get dirtier, and probably it would get infected. A simple cut could turn into a big ordeal that lasted a month or more!
I had a blister on my heel, so at first it felt good to go without shoes. Then the day wore on, and the blister got raw, because I was walking on it without protection. My feel also swelled because of the heat, which added to my discomfort. It made me think about how it would be to have a foot injury, and not be able to stay off your feet because they are your only mode of transportation like in third world countries. We take so much for granted. How many people on the earth today are just one step away from being barefoot all the time?
And my favorite:
I never realized the great Service my feet do for me on a daily basis. It made me think about people without feet, people who are not ambulatory, and yes, people with injuries and people without shoes. Bless my feet for carrying me from one sidewalk and pebble to the next. Shoes give me safety and stability and comfort so that I can walk and work and focus on helping others rather than focusing on the ground.
# of Enrolled Tribal Members: 255,543* # of People on the Reservation: 298,197*
# Programs Partnering with NRC: 427 Sovereign Nation Since: 1868
Official Tribal Web Site: http://www.navajo-nsn.gov/index.htm
A Bit of Culture: Hogans are the traditional housing of the Dineh. The Navajo people are known for their silver and turquoise jewelry, hand-woven rugs, and Navajo code talkers. Traditional foods still in use today include blue corn mush, mutton stew, and kneeldown bread baked in a corn husk (aka Navajo tamales). The ever popular “Fry Bread” is delicious but not considered a “traditional” food; rather, fry bread was borne out of receiving government commodities such as white flour and findings ways to use it.
 Photo from Smithsonian Institute's Anthropological Archives A Bit of History: Barboncito was the most predominant figure and leader of the Navajo people. Known as the “peace chief,” Barboncito grew up near Canyon de Chelly. In 1868, twenty-nine Navajo leaders including Barboncito signed the treaty that established the Navajo as a sovereign nation. The first tribal council was established in 1921. The capitol of the Navajo Nation is Window Rock, NM.
The Land: The Navajo population is at least 10 times larger than all other tribes in the U.S., with the exception of the Choctaw and other tribes in Oklahoma. The Navajo Nation consists of 27,000 square miles in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah – the largest reserve in the U.S. Navajo tribal lands are a paradox: majestic beauty and rough terrain, a mix of arid deserts and canyons, mesas and mountains climbing 10,000 feet upward, volcanic activity, and dramatic erosion, and millions of acres of Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, Piñon pine, and Juniper. Local water sources are somewhat limited, in part due to contamination from mining.
Current Economy: “The Navajo economy is often compared to a third world country.” But progress is being made. The Navajo Nation draws income from mining, tourism, land leases, taxes (including income tax), commercial entities and shopping centers, utilities, recently developed gaming, the Navajo Times newspaper, federal/state funding, and in-kind services related to health and education. Natural resources such as coal, oil, and gas, uranium, copper, fractured sand, helium, gypsum, clay, and gravel are also mined by non-tribal entities who lease mineral rights from non-tribal governmental authorities.
Education & Income: According to the Navajo Nation’s economic development report, the average high school graduation rate is 32%. About 5% of the Navajo people have a bachelor’s degree. Per capita income is about $7,100 per year, well below the U.S. average. Unemployment averages 50%. About 60% of the people live below poverty. Many people work in agricultural, manufacturing, or railroad jobs that are off-reservation. On the reservation, there are about 425 non-Native employers and 215 Native employers, tribal jobs, state and BIA jobs, and the industries mentioned above. Many of the geographic areas on the reservation lack the infrastructure to create businesses and jobs at this time. About 20% of the homes lack utilities (electricity and running water); about half of the homes lack telephones.
Learn More:
Navajo Culture: http://www.navajobusiness.com/fastFacts/Culture.htm
Navajo Business: http://www.navajobusiness.com/pdf/CEDS/CED_NN_Final_09_10.pdf
Navajo Lands: http://www.cba.nau.edu/caied/tribepages/Navajo.asp
*Reservation and Population figures from the 2000 Census
Every day many of you help NRC make a difference for children on the reservations. Today I’d like to ask you to help other children too — children without shoes in developing countries and other impoverished areas.
National Relief Charities is taking the One Day Without Shoes Barefoot Challenge. We are hosting a virtual event and pledging to go one day without shoes on April 10th, 2012. The purpose of this event is to help spread awareness about the health risks for children who do not have shoes. But we can’t do it alone! We need your help!
Our event is called “Walk a Mile NOT in My Shoes.” Last year, more than 1,200 such events were held around the world. The organization with the most people pledging to go without shoes on April 10th will not only be impacting children in need and raising awareness, but will also win a good prize package. To win the challenge, our company must get as many people as possible to RSVP to our Walk a Mile event and one day challenge.
How you can help:
- Learn more about One Day Without Shoes at http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com/
- Go to http://bit.ly/withoutshoesforNRC as soon as you can to RSVP to our event. Each RSVP counts as one pledge, and each person can pledge only once. (You will need to create an account before you can RSVP or invite friends to RSVP. To create your account, click Login/Join at the top of our event page.)
- Spread the word to your extended friends, families, and business associates via word of mouth or use social media sharing from the event site. Ask them to RSVP on our event page, take the Barefoot Challenge, and tell others about it.
- Show your bare feet! Go without shoes on April 10th to help us spread awareness for the millions of children that are exposed to injury and disease without proper footwear.
- If you get pictures and videos that we can share on our challenge page or blog, please send them to blog@nrc1.org ASAP. (By sharing, you give NRC permission to use the photos publicly.)
On April 10th, each step we take will remind us of this important concern for children of the world. We look forward to seeing your pledge and your bare feet! And thank you for helping us spread the word!!
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A blog about Native American culture (past and present), American Indian tribes, and humanitarian concerns for the most underserved group in the United States.
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If you want to learn more about Native American people, our “Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians Contest” is for you!!
