Jonny Cash, AS Long as the Grass Shall Grow

 "As Long As The Grass Shall Grow"  


As long as the moon shall rise as long as the rivers flow
As long as the sun will shine as long as the grass shall grow
The Senecas are an Indian tribe of the Iroquios nation
Down on the New York Pennsylvania Line you'll find their reservation
After the US revolution cornplanter was a chief
He told the tribe these men they could trust that was his true belief
He went down to Independence Hall and there was a treaty signed
That promised peace with the USA and Indian rights combined
George Washington gave his signature the Government gave its hand
They said that now and forever more that this was Indian land
As long as the moon shall rise...
On the Seneca reservation there is much sadness now
Washington's treaty has been broken and there is no hope no how
Across the Allegheny River they're throwing up a dam
It will flood the Indian country a proud day for Uncle Sam
It has broke the ancient treaty with a politician's grin
It will drown the Indians graveyards cornplanter can you swim
The earth is mother to the the Senecas they're trampling sacred ground
Change the mint green earth to black mud flats as honor hobbles down
As long as the moon shall rise...
The Iroquios Indians used to rule from Canada way south
But no one fears the Indians now and smiles the liar's mouth
The Senecas hired an expert to figure another site
But the great good army engineers said that he had no right
Although he showed them another plan and showed them another way
They laughed in his face and said no deal Kinuza dam is here to stay
Congress turned the Indians down brushed off the Indians plea
So the Senecas have renamed the dam they call it Lake Perfidy
As long as the moon shall rise...
Washington Adams and Kennedy now hear their pledges ring
The treaties are safe we'll keep our word but what is that gurgling
It's the back water from Perfidy Lake it's rising all the time
Over the homes and over the fields and over the promises fine
No boats will sail on Lake Perfidy in winter it will fill
In summer it will be a swamp and all the fish will kill
But the Government of the USA has corrected George's vow
The father of our country must be wrong what's an Indian anyhow
As long as the moon shall rise (look up) as long as the rivers flow (are you thirsty)
As long as the sun will shine (my brother are you warm) as long as the grass shall grow


...............................................


 Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian is a concept album and twentieth album released by country singer Johnny Cash in 1964 on Columbia Records. It is one of several Americana records by Cash; as its title implies, the tracks on the album focus exclusively on the history of and problems facing Native Americans in the United States. Cash had been convinced that his ancestry included members of the Cherokee tribe, and this partly served as inspiration for recording Bitter Tears, but later on as he began researching his ancestry, he actually had no Cherokee ancestry, but Scottish, English, and Scots-Irish ancestry. Throughout the album, Cash concentrates on the harsh and unfair treatment of the indigenous peoples of North America.

The songs were written in part by Cash himself and in part by Peter La Farge, with the final track credited to Cash and Johnny Horton. The first song, "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow", concerns the loss of Seneca nation land in Pennsylvania due to the construction of the Kinzua Dam in the early 1960s. Cash rerecorded it decades later and released it on Unearthed with the lyrics altered to describe his relationship with and devotion to June Carter Cash; the track itself was a duet with the latter. The one single from Bitter Tears that was released was "The Ballad of Ira Hayes", which reached No. 3 on the Country charts; the song tells the story of Ira Hayes, a young Marine of Pima descent who participated in the flag raising on Iwo Jima and became an instant celebrity, only to die drunk and in poverty on the Gila River Reservation where he was born.

[edit]

1. "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow" (Peter La Farge) – 6:10
2. "Apache Tears" (Cash) – 2:34
3. "Custer" (La Farge) – 2:20
4. "The Talking Leaves" (Cash) – 3:55
5. "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" (La Farge) – 4:07
6. "Drums" (La Farge) – 5:04
7. "White Girl" (La Farge) – 3:01
8. "The Vanishing Race" (Cash, Johnny Horton) – 4:02

Native American veterans memorial gets legislative push

By Katherine Boyle, Published: May 23 

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced legislation Thursday to reauthorize the construction of a Native American veterans memorial on the Mall. A quirk of the original legislation, passed in 1994, allowed for the construction of the memorial but did not allow the National Museum of the American Indian to raise funds — a predicament for a memorial required to be built with private funds on the museum’s property. The new legislation allows the Smithsonian Institution to engage in fundraising and removes the responsibility from the National Congress of American Indians, a nonprofit organization originally tasked with finding resources. The legislation was first proposed by the late Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

“American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians served in all of the American wars since the Revolutionary War,” Schatz said during a media call. “It is critical that we recognize their bravery and patriotism with a fitting memorial.”

(Oskar Garcia/AP) - U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz speaks at a news conference accepting an endorsement from the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers union in Honolulu on Friday, May 3, 2013. Schatz introduced legislation Thursday to reauthorize the construction of a Native American veterans memorial on the Mall.

 

Advocates noted that veterans memorials on the Mall do not recognize the contributions of Native Americans in American wars. Robert Holden, director of the National Congress of American Indians, said that while the Three Servicemen Statue at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial represents Caucasian, African American and Hispanic service members, it excludes Native Americans, and does not fully depict their contributions.

Planning for the size and scope of the memorial will begin if the legislation passes. The memorial would be on museum property, but the exact location has not been determined.

SOURCE:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/native-american-veterans-memorial-gets-legislative-push/2013/05/23/b8c545ee-c3e6-11e2-8c3b-0b5e9247e8ca_story.html

Johnny Cash...The Ballad of Ira Hayes

Iwo Jima Flag Raising

"The Ballad Of Ira Hayes"

Ira Hayes,
Ira Hayes

[CHORUS:]
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Gather round me people there's a story I would tell
About a brave young Indian you should remember well
From the land of the Pima Indian
A proud and noble band
Who farmed the Phoenix valley in Arizona land

Down the ditches for a thousand years
The water grew Ira's peoples' crops
'Till the white man stole the water rights
And the sparklin' water stopped

Now Ira's folks were hungry
And their land grew crops of weeds
When war came, Ira volunteered
And forgot the white man's greed

[CHORUS:]
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

There they battled up Iwo Jima's hill,
Two hundred and fifty men
But only twenty-seven lived to walk back down again

And when the fight was over
And when Old Glory raised
Among the men who held it high
Was the Indian, Ira Hayes

[CHORUS:]
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Ira returned a hero
Celebrated through the land
He was wined and speeched and honored; Everybody shook his hand

But he was just a Pima Indian
No water, no crops, no chance
At home nobody cared what Ira'd done
And when did the Indians dance

[CHORUS:]
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Then Ira started drinkin' hard;
Jail was often his home
They'd let him raise the flag and lower it
like you'd throw a dog a bone!

He died drunk one mornin'
Alone in the land he fought to save
Two inches of water in a lonely ditch
Was a grave for Ira Hayes

[CHORUS:]
Call him drunken Ira Hayes
He won't answer anymore
Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian
Nor the Marine that went to war

Yeah, call him drunken Ira Hayes
But his land is just as dry
And his ghost is lyin' thirsty
In the ditch where Ira died

"The Ballad of Ira Hayes" was written by folk singer Peter La Farge. It tells the story of Ira Hayes, one of the five Marines and one Navy Corpsman who became famous for having raised the flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima of World War II.

The song has been recorded many times; the most popular version is by Johnny Cash. 

Patrick Sky covered it on his self-titled 1965 debut album (and later for a 1985 album).

Pete Seeger covered the song on his 1963 Album Broadside Ballads Volume 2.

Bob Dylan followed suit by covering the song during his sessions for Self Portrait, though his version did not see release until Columbia used it as part of the Dylan album of 1973.

Townes Van Zandt covered this song during a rare television appearance, and at The Whole Coffeehouse, University of Minnesota Campus, November 9, 1973. 

Kinky Friedman did a cover of the song on his 1976 record Lasso from El Paso.

 

READ MORE:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ballad_of_Ira_Hayes

Lost (BE HERE NOW)

LOST

Stand still.
The trees ahead and the bushes beside you Are not lost.
Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you,
If you leave it you may come back again, saying Here.

No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still.
The forest knows Where you are.
You must let it find you.

An old Native American elder story rendered into modern English by David Wagoner, in The Heart Aroused - Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America by David Whyte, Currency Doubleday, New York, 1996.

Legends of the Kainai

Friday, April 19, 2013 | Categories: Episodes |  

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Legends of the Kainai: Stories from the Blackfoot People of southern Alberta

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Legends of the Kainai

Dramatizations of the old stories of the Blackfoot of southern Alberta, provide a glimpse into this ancient culture's sacred beliefs, traditions and heroes. CBC Radio's Legends Project compiles traditional oral stories, legends and histories of Canada's Inuit and First Nations, gathered in communities across the country.

To find out more, visit the Legends Project website.


This segment features dramatized versions of traditional Blackfoot legends recorded in March 2007, on the Blood Reserve in southwestern Alberta. These legends are only a small part of the many hours of stories told by Blackfoot elders of the Blood Tribe (Kainai), in their original language. It is the hope that these precious recordings will help preserve the endangered language of the Kainai and will showcase the traditional lifestyle, history, values and creation myths as they were shared by the Blackfoot for more than 10,000 years.

Once referred to as "Lord of the Plains" the Blackfoot Confederacy were one of the most feared and respected warrior nations. They dominated the plains from the Rockies to Saskatchewan, living nomadically in Niitoyisi (tipis) made from buffalo hides and poles. With the assistance of dogs and later horses, the Blackfoot followed the herds of buffalo, which provided them sustenance. They lived in camps made up of families and clans, adhering to a complex governing system and protocol. They shared stories, traditions and celebrations that reflected their vast knowledge of the land, sky, plants and animals. This knowledge helped them thrive for thousands of years on North America's prairies.

Compared to other First Nations the Blackfoot were colonized relatively late. Although there have been generations of assimilation through residential schools and other means, their cultural and sacred traditions, along with their language, remains intact. This continues to be threatened by dominant English media. Many traditional Blackfoot stories are still told today that explain rituals, sacred duties and ceremonies practiced since the beginning of time. Involvement in these sacred societies, such as the Horn, Dove and Crazy Dogs is often mandatory and it is these societies that have protected the cultural pride, belief system, songs, stories and Blackfoot ways of life, even though they were outlawed until recent times.

Source:  http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/episodes/2013/04/19/legends-of-the-kainai/

Invisible Indian: Federal Court grants rights to Métis, non-status Indians

 “ The growing and dying of the moon reminds us of our ignorance which comes and goes—but when the moon is full it is as if the Great Spirit were upon the whole world. ” 

—Black Elk, Oglala Sioux

Federal Court grants rights to Métis, non-status Indians

Off-reserve aboriginal people are 'Indians' and entitled to same constitutional rights

The Canadian Press

The federal government has lost the latest battle in a 13-year legal fight over its responsibilities to Métis and non-status Indians.
On Tuesday, the Federal Court ruled that 200,000 Métis and 400,000 non-status Indians in Canada are indeed "Indians" under the Constitution Act, and fall under federal jurisdiction.
The decision helps to more clearly outline Ottawa's responsibilities toward the two aboriginal groups.
"The recognition of Métis and non-status Indian as Indians under section 91(24) should accord a further level of respect and reconciliation by removing the constitutional uncertainty surrounding these groups," Federal Court Judge Michael Phelan writes.




Invisible Indian



source:
Federal Court grants rights to Métis, non-status Indians - Politics - CBC News

 http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/01/08/pol-cp-metis-indians-federal-court-challenge.html

Federal Court grants rights to Métis, non-status Indians - Politics - CBC News

The federal government has lost the latest battle in a 13-year legal fight over its responsibilities to Métis and non-status Indians.
On Tuesday, the Federal Court ruled that 200,000 Métis and 400,000 non-status Indians in Canada are indeed "Indians" under the Constitution Act, and fall under federal jurisdiction.
The decision helps to more clearly outline Ottawa's responsibilities toward the two aboriginal groups.
"The recognition of Métis and non-status Indian as Indians under section 91(24) should accord a further level of respect and reconciliation by removing the constitutional uncertainty surrounding these groups," Federal Court Judge Michael Phelan writes.

'Today's decision will mark a new relationship with the government of Canada. Let's be honest. It's not going to change it immediately. It's not going to change it tomorrow.'—Betty Ann Lavallée, Congress of Aboriginal Peoples

The decision does not go so far as to declare that the federal government has a fiduciary responsibility to the two groups, but it says such duties would flow automatically now that their standing has been clarified.
"There is no dispute that the Crown has a fiduciary relationship with aboriginal people both historically and pursuant to section 35 (of the Constitution)," Phelan writes.
However, he adds: "That duty is not an open-ended undefined obligation but must be focused on a specific interest."

Politics to the politicians

Melanie Omeniho, president of the Women of the Métis Nation, said the ruling means that "we will no longer be a part of the political football that has us being tossed back and forth between the province and the federal government."
National Chief Betty Ann Lavallée of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples speaks about the impact of a federal court decision on Métis and non-status Indians during a news conference Tuesday in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)One complaint among non-status or Métis people is that for years they have been told they were a provincial responsibility, only to have the provinces tell them they were the purview of the federal government. That had left them in a jurisdictional limbo, said Robert Janes, a Victoria lawyer who focuses on aboriginal issues but was not involved in the case.
But Sebastian Grammond, an expert historical witness in the case, told CBC News the ruling does nothing to settle the issue of how the federal government will exercise its jurisdiction.
"The judge answered a legal question but left the politics to the politicians," he said. "Differences of treatment [between status and non-status aboriginals] will have to be justified in a rational way rather than just saying, 'Oh, sorry, we don't have jurisdiction over you.'"
Betty Ann Lavallée, the National Chief for the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples — the group that represents aboriginal people living off-reserve across Canada — paid tribute to the work of the late Harry Daniels, the former leader who started the case on behalf of her organization.
"This case was all about fairness, dignity, self-worth," she said, saying that until now, non-status aboriginals were treated as "second-class citizens.
"Today's decision will mark a new relationship with the government of Canada," she said. "Let's be honest. It's not going to change it immediately. It's not going to change it tomorrow."
Lavallée said the legal fight cost her group more than $2 million and that over the past 14 years, the money that the federal government spent trying to have it thrown out could instead have gone toward "addressing some of the key issues that the court decision speaks to."

Case dates to 1999

The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples and several Métis and non-status Indians took the federal government to court in 1999 alleging discrimination because they are not considered "Indians" under a section of the Constitution Act.
They argued they are entitled to some or all of the same rights and benefits as status First Nations members, many who live on reserves.
They say that includes access to the same health, education and other benefits Ottawa gives status Indians; being able to hunt, trap, fish and gather on public land; and the ability to negotiate and enter treaties with the federal government.
The congress and the Métis and non-status Indians involved in the case alleged in court documents that they've been the victims of "deprivations and discrimination" by the federal government.

'The Métis have some wind in their sails'—Jason Madden, lawyer for the Métis National Council

Jason Madden, a lawyer representing the Métis National Council, told CBC News Network that "it's a good day for the Métis nation" and that Tuesday's ruling "removes an obstacle" in their relationship with the federal government — clarifying that in fact the federal government does have jurisdictional responsibilities to provide services to the Métis.
"We know what door to knock on," Madden said. "We have a solid court decision to start the onslaught of litigation."
Madden said the decision will allow the Métis to move forward with negotiations to determine what remedy may be required for past discrimination –— when Métis were not considered as equals with status Indians and Inuit.
"What we are hoping is … based upon negotiations that they will find a place for the Métis in how [the] Indian Affairs [department] currently operates," he said. "The Métis have some wind in their sails."
The president of the Manitoba Métis Federation said they are taking Tuesday's ruling cautiously, and wanting to make it clear that the Métis identity will not be lost.
"We have to be very cautious about the decision because being classified or bundled together as just Indians, or the title Indians, you know categorized as one group … we are our own nation," said David Chartrand, who is also vice-president of the Métis National Council of Canada.
The decision is widely expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court, and the federal government's reaction on Thursday suggested it was contemplating taking another go at it.

Government weighing decision

"We are reviewing the court's decision to determine the next steps," said Jan O'Driscoll, spokesman for Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan.
"Our government continues to work in partnership with all aboriginals across Canada to address shared priorities such as education, economic development and jobs."
He noted that the Federal Court said its decision is not about "the interpretation or application of particular rights either under the Constitution or under specific agreements, nor is it about aboriginal rights."
Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau, who is former national chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, told host Evan Solomon on CBC's Power & Politics that the court's decision and the Idle No More protest movement are part of a national discussion he sees as an opportunity.
"Whether it's appealed or not, it will be a negotiations process between non-status organizations and Métis organizations with the federal government," he said. Again, it's all part of an ongoing dialogue that's taking place."
The court did not get specific about what the federal government should actually do now that Métis and non-status Indians fall into the broader category of "Indians."
"The court is not prepared to make some general statement concerning fiduciary duty," Phelan's ruling states.
"Given the declaration of right in respect of section 91(24), one would expect that the federal government would act in accordance with whatever duty arises in respect of any specific matter touching on the nonclarified fiduciary relationship."
Phelan plowed through constitutional and aboriginal history going back to before Confederation to come to the conclusion that Métis and non-status Indians should actually be considered Indians under modern law.
The case for Canada's 400,000 non-status Indians was more clear-cut than the case for the 200,000 Métis, but on balance, historical evidence weighs in favour of the Métis too, he wrote.


Federal Court grants rights to Métis, non-status Indians - Politics - CBC News