SCAT MEMBERS ENJOY “RENEWAL OF THE FLAME”
Members of SCAT, along with a host of other community people, enjoyed the “Renewal of the Flame” that was
held on Saturday, Jan. 5. The “Renewal of the Flame” is an annual celebration of the Winter Solstice that
has been held on the first Saturday of each new year. Christian and Christine Kramer are the hosts and
organizers of the event which brings together persons from the Native community and from the Topeka area.
The event begins with the ceremonial lighting of the fire which traditionally was then used to light all the
fires in the village. It is a time of celebration that honors the beginning of a new year and the renewal of
our spirits. It is a time of gratitude for what has happened in the past and a time of hope for what lies
ahead.
Following the lighting of the fire there was a pot-luck meal with a lot of good food and fellowship around
the tables. After the meal, we had a time of drumming and singing and dancing. And then we played some
traditional Native games that everyone enjoyed.
A genuine word of appreciation goes to Christian and Christine for all of the work and effort that they put
into this celebration each year. And a big word of thanks goes to Chris Wagner for his helping us to use the
Zoo’s education building for this event. It is a gathering that is anticipated and enjoyed by all who
attend.
REGULAR SCAT MEETINGS
Shawnee County Allied Tribes meets on the second Monday evening of every month. The meetings are held at the
Highland Park United Methodist Church which is located at 29th & Michigan in the southeast section of Topeka.
Our board meets at 6:30 p.m. with our general meeting following at 7:30 p.m. We are normally finished by
around 9:00 p.m. Both the board meeting and the general meeting are open to any interested persons.
Our upcoming meetings will be February 11 and March 10.
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS
Applications are now being accepted for scholarship funds from the Jim McKinney Education Fund. The deadline
for these applications will be March 25, 2008. Application forms are available on line at
shawneecountyalliedtribes.org.
GALEN HUBBARD RETIREMENT GATHERING
A gathering to celebrate Galen Hubbard’s retirement will be held Friday, January 25, at the Horton Indian
Agency Conference Room in Horton, Kansas. It will include a carry-in pot-luck meal at 11:30 a.m. Galen and
his wife, Sue, are well-known and very much appreciated among the Native people of this area. Persons
interested in attending the gathering need to r.s.v.p. (1-785-486-2161) by January 18.
HEALTH CONCERNS
We want to extend our prayers and best wishes to the following persons who have been experiencing health
issues.
• Dewey Jessepe is at home under hospice care.
• Vernona Lewis is at home following a hospital stay.
• There are numerous persons who have been ill with colds and the flu.
With the beginning of a new year we hope for good health and strength for everyone.
STANDING BEAR MEETINGS
The Standing Bear Inter-Tribal Brotherhood meets on Wednesday evenings to drum and sing and make plans for
future events. The meetings are held at the Highland Park United Methodist Church (29th & Michigan) from
7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Interested persons are invited to attend.
AWI AKTA NEWS
The Awi Akta District of the Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory meets on the second
Sunday afternoon of each month. The meetings begin at 1:00 p.m. with a carry-in pot-luck meal followed by a
business session and a cultural presentation
The location of the meetings alternates between Holton and Topeka from month to month. On February 10th the
meeting will be in Topeka at the Crestview United Methodist Church (2245 S.W. Eveningside Drive). On March
9th the meeting will be in Holton at the First United Methodist Church (1401 W. 4th St.)
INDIAN TACO SALE IN NORTH TOPEKA
Sullivan Chapel Indian United Methodist Church will be having an Indian Taco Sale on Friday, February 1, and
Friday, March 7, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The address of the church is 1937 N.E. Madison.
WHITE BUFFALO CALF LIVING IN KANSAS
Cheyenne tribal member, Reverend Jan Swallow’s amazing surprise is the birth of a white buffalo calf.
According to Swallow, spiritual leaders from across the nation have advised him that the birth of his white
buffalo calf is a sign or renewal and hope. “By sharing this news with the tribe, I feel we are seeing the
light at the end of a dark tunnel. There needs to be a turn around, and I believe the Lord is going to allow
justice, and balance to our tribe, also allowing health to come back so we can stand and survive together,”
he said.
The 6-month-old white calf is also a female; she has grown her caps, and is learning to wallow. She and her
mother are currently living on the Duff Ranch located between Scott City and Oakly, Kan., which is about 250
miles south west of Wichita. Swallow has not named the mother or calf as of yet. He has decided to let the
Cheyenne and Arapaho people absorb the miracle birth, and then he will seek the guidance of the elders, in
what he hopes to be a naming ceremony.
(reprinted from Native American Times, Jan. 4, 2008)
HASKELL CONTINUES TO FIGHT FOR PRESERVATION OF WETLANDS
Broken treaties and the loss of land is nothing new among American Indian people; many battles to retain
these rights have become generational. At Haskell Indian Nations University, a continuing battle is being
carried on to save the Haskell wetlands from being destroyed by a four-lane bypass around the city of
Lawrence.
“It makes you wonder when enough is enough,” said Esther Geary, former dean of students at Haskell. “It has
been going on since I moved here in 1988, and the students just keep taking up where earlier students left
off in fighting to stop it. I thought it was over with when I retired a few years ago, but it seems almost
like the way they used to take our land, always changing the terms of the ‘treaty.’ As long as this is an
issue, the students will continue to learn the history of Haskell and join in the efforts to stop the bypass.
For many of them over the years, it appears that they just don’t want to see any more Indian land taken.”
The ongoing battle over the small parcel of land known as the Haskell wetlands continues, with some calling
it sacred ground because of a medicine wheel in the wetlands. Other opponents to the road are adamant that
many of the 700 early students who attended the school are buried there. Community support for the students
has grown over the years and organizations have been founded to keep the land as it is.
Despite the offers, the college students and staff have stood firm against any further building in the area
of the wetlands, holding fast against what they consider just more empty promises and more land that will be
taken from them. Haskell president, Linda Warner has stated flatly that Haskell has not changed its stance
on the proposed road. “We’re not going to stop saying what we have always said, which is no.”
(reprinted from Indian Country Today, Jan. 9, 2008)
LARGE DONATION GIVEN TO CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL
A South Dakota billionaire banker has pledged a $5 million matching grant to the Crazy Horse Memorial
Foundation, the largest ever in the mountain carving’s nearly 60 year history. T. Denny Sanford of Sioux
Falls, a longtime supporter of the project that honors American Indians, initially wanted to remain anonymous
but allowed his name to be released if it would help the fundraising effort, said Ruth Ziolkowski, president
and CEO.
Her husband, the late Korczak Ziolkowski, started the project in 1948 and she has led the project since his
death in 1982. “Last year he (Sanford) said, “I really want to see this finished as soon as possible,” she
said. “Korczak’s last words were, ‘Go slowly so you do it right.’ Well 25 years later we’ve learned a long
of things from working on the face. You still have to do it right but with the finances, we can go a little
faster and still do it right.”
The Sanford money will match other donations dollar-for-dollar. The first $1 million has been raised and
there is a deadline of Oct. 1, 2011 to raise the remaining $4 million, according to Crazy Horse officials.
(reprinted from Native American Times, January 4, 2008)
U.N. DECLARATION CONCERNING INDIGENOUS PEOPLE APPROVED
After 25 years of negotiation, the United Nations finally adopted the Declaration On The Rights of Indigenous
Peoples on Sept. 13. There were 143 votes in favor of this important document, four against it (the United
State, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) and 11 abstentions. “This day will be remembered as (a great day)
for the Indigenous peoples of the world,” said Vicki Tauli-Corpuz, the chair of the U.N.’s Permanent Forum on
Indigenous Issues.
(reprinted from Native Peoples magazine, Jan./Feb., 2008)
NEWSLETTER SUGGESTIONS
Hildred Vilander, Agnes McKinney, and Don Anderson put the SCAT newsletter together on a bi-monthly basis.
Connie Ballard then puts it on the web-site for people to read. If you have information for stories that
could be included in the newsletter, or have suggestions about improvements, you may contact the persons
named above at our e-mail address.
YOU CAN HELP WITH THE NEWSLETTER
We would like to invite our readers to help us with the newsletter that comes out every other
month. If you happen to read or hear or learn of something that you think would be of interest to
those who receive this newsletter, please let us know by e-mail (revdona@yahoo.com) or by phone or
by regular mail. There are many things happening in this area (or beyond) that are of interest to
Indian peoples, and we would like to be able to share that information with each other. So, keep
in touch with us and we will keep providing a newsletter that people enjoy reading.
Those who are currently working on the newsletter are:
• Hildred Vilander
• Agnes McKinney
• Don Anderson
We will be glad to hear from you.
SHAWNEE COUNTY ALLIED TRIBES
P.O. Box 750284
Topeka, Kansas 66675-0284
President: Hildred Vilander
Secretary: Don Anderson
Treasurer: Mike Ballard
Editors: Hildred Vilander
Don Anderson