Spirit of Enterprise: Yurok Woman and Husband Run the Historic Requa Inn in Redwood National Park

 

 Lynn Armitage: November 28, 2012
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 Jan and Marty Wortman are a Native American couple that are currently running a bed-and-breakfast in California. It is a rather large 10,000-square-foot house on the banks of the Klamath River. The business appears to be doing extremely well and the owner are loving the individuals that come to visit.

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"What Jan likes most about running the Requa Inn is sharing her tribal heritage and stories with guests, and seeing how happy they are to be there. “Every day you see that excitement in their eyes because it’s so beautiful here. You can’t help but always be in a state of gratitude and abundance,” she said."

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 I think that they are doing is a wonderful thing. They have made in the economy and are still promoting their values as Native people. This is actually a great achievement and idea in order to pass on the ideas that Native people have. They are making money and are able to support themselves, while helping others learn about their Native culture in a positive light. They are considered to be entrepreneurs with all the success that they have been having. I am interested in what they are doing with the money. It is all good and well to be living good and well, but I wonder if they give back to their local Native community? They currently have 10 Native employees, which counts...I believe? I understand that financial success comes to each individual as their own, but I think that wealth should be spread around a tiny bit. I see no reason as to why not set up charities when or if an individual is wealthy enough. But I guess that is why wealthy people are wealthy...they don't tend to give their money away. Jan and Marty have received their fortune by hard work and dedication. I'm glad that they received the reward of it.

Tribes Reach $9 Million Goal and Purchase Sacred Site of Pe' Sla

 

Vincent Schilling: November 30, 2012

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“The historic requisition of Pe’ Sla started today in Rapid City, South Dakota. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe, the Crow Creek Tribe, and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Tribe community gathered in a historic assembly of the United Tribes.

Pe’ Sla is sacred because it is related to the Lakota creation and it is the site for annual ceremonies. It has historically hosted many village gatherings. Black Elk, the Lakota visionary sought his visions at Pe’ Sla. It is the high mountain on a prairie in the heart of the Black Hills.

The land of Pe’ Sla was once protected by the 1868 and 1851 Sioux nation treaties. The United States violated those treaties and took the Black Hills in violation of the fifth amendment of the Constitution. Today the requisition is a historic event for the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota people. The tribes will work together to form the Oceti Sakowin Sacred Land Protection Commission to protect Pe’ Sla. We will preserve the sacred site for traditional and cultural ceremonies and keep it in a pristine state for our future generations.

We are grateful to stand together before the creator and to help our people in reclaiming one of our most sacred sites. We are not waiting for the United States to deal with this justly on the Black Hills rights and we ask that now that we are exercising our inherent sovereign authority to protect this most sacred site. We must perpetuate our way of life for future generations.

We thank the members of the public who donated to this cause to create justice for all people and now we are more determined than ever that the United States must provide justice for our people. We thank the Reynolds family for working with us in our requisition of Pe’ Sla as a sacred site for Lakota, Nakota and Dakota people.”

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 Finally! There has been a break through for Native people. It was unfair that they had to raise the money to buy back the land that they already donated, but still this is a massive achievement. It has taken a few months (since I last blogged about this), but the goal of $9 million dollars has been reached and their sacred site is back for the Native people. The speech above was something I considered to be extremely moving and connection to everyone that was involved in making this effort possible for the people. I can see how this is a victory for the Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota people, but why did it take so long and why was it originally out of their power in the first place...I know it was because they donated the land for a nature reserve and then individuals came in and destroyed that idea. The struggle for power and control goes back extremely far, but I am extremely proud of the people that worked so hard in order to get back their sacred site. Activism and movements can cause a large impact on the world and change the way we live. I'm glad that this is a movement that worked out in a powerful way and gave back Native people their empowerment. They stood up to injustice and won! That is amazing. I can't get over how mind blowing that is. There deserves to be recognition for this.

Dartmouth and Indian Health Service Partner to Help Native Americans

 

ICTMN Staff: November 26, 2012

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"Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) have partnered with the Indian Health Service to promote health and develop leaders in Indian country.....“This is the next step in our commitment to Native Americans and to helping Native communities become healthier and more vibrant,” says Kalina Newmark ’11, senior presidential fellow of global health, IHS relations coordinator at the Dartmouth Center for Health Care Delivery Science, in a Dartmouth press release."

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 Finally! This article I feel is one of the first to show some type of activism that isn't completely depressing or crapping on other things that people have down to push stereotypes on Native people. There is finally going to be a change for Native people and it is for the better. It is time that everyone steps up to the plate to help take care of a problem that westerners created. There wouldn't be a need for this, if we never would have come to America, but you can't change history. One can only learn from it and grow and try and make better choices in the next few decades. That doesn't mean that it will happen, but one can hope. No one should be denied access to appropriate healthcare. That isn't a choice. It should be a human right to be healthy and cared for. But Native individuals are not the only one's who don't have healthcare, but they are a little worse off than most. I want there to be a large social movement in which people demand healthcare. I am completely about activism. I want the world to change. I want healthcare to change. I want there to be a socialist healthcare. HEALTHCARE FOR ALL! MONEY SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE!