Newsgroups: alt.native,soc.culture.native Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!crl.dec.com!crl.dec.com!pa.dec.com!convex.csd.uwm.edu!mwilson From: mwilson@convex.csd.uwm.edu (Michael) Subject: FAQ: Soc.Culture.Native Message-ID: Date: Sun, 9 Oct 1994 11:43:25 -0500 (CDT) X-Received: by usenet.pa.dec.com; id AA02013; Sun, 9 Oct 94 09:50:55 -0700 X-Received: by pobox1.pa.dec.com; id AA07665; Sun, 9 Oct 94 09:50:53 -0700 X-Received: from convex.csd.uwm.edu by inet-gw-3.pa.dec.com (5.65/10Aug94) id AA01292; Sun, 9 Oct 94 09:47:33 -0700 X-Received: by convex.csd.uwm.edu; id AA15853; Sun, 9 Oct 94 11:46:14 -0500 X-To: Native Newsgropus , soc.culture.native.usenet@decwrl.dec.com X-Mime-Version: 1.0 X-Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Lines: 437 Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu alt.native:6744 soc.culture.native:10025 Archive-name: soc.culture.native-faq Original-author: idoy@crux2.cit.cornell.edu (M. Wilson) Comment: enhanced & edited until 9/1/1994 by M. Wilson Last-change: Sept 1, 1994 by M. Wilson As always, comments, corrections, and especially additions to the FAQ are welcome and appreciated. =========================================================== Frequently Submitted/Asked Items This document, often referred to as the FAQ (the Frequently Asked Questions file) discusses some questions and topics that occur repeatedly on soc.culture.native. Often submitted by new users of this group, these questions may involve discussions sufficiently hashed and re-hashed on soc.culture.native, questions which may then be quickly answered with reference to this document, or questions which may encroach upon certain sensitive areas. If there is a question and answer which you find questionable, please let the poster know (whose name is included with the question and answer, unless it's me). Contents ======== 1. What is the purpose of this newsgroup? 2. What is the history of this newsgroup? 3. My Indian heritage is sketchy. Can I express my opinions on this newsgroup? 4. Is this newsgroup only for North American native people? 5. If this newsgroup is for all native people, isn't there overlap between, say, African newsgroups and this newsgroup? 6. Are there Native American listservs I can subscribe to? 7. What is the relationship between the listserv NativeNet and the UseNet newsgroup soc.culture.native? 8. Are there FTP sites or Gopher holes where I can get files pertaining to Native Issues? 9. Where can I get Native American music? 10. My great-grandmother is an Indian princess. 11. Is Cher Native American? 12. Where can I get a list of all university Native American Program in the United States? 13. I want to read some Native American Literature. Which books should I read? 14. What's the deal with Forrest Carter, author of _The Education of Little Tree_? 15. Wasn't there a Native American rock band in the early seventies? 16. Is there a list of Native American Bulletin Board Systems (BBSes)? Questions and Answers ===================== 1. What is the purpose of this newsgroup? The Charter states: "Soc.culture.native is for the discussion of issues relating to native populations throughout the world. . . . This newsgroup is intended to be inclusive, not exclusive, offering an important vehicle for exchange among native peoples and between native and non-native peoples. Besides providing a forum for the discussion of such issues as sovereignty, religion, education and philosophy, this newsgroup will also carry news stories and bulletins which pertain to current events relating to indigenous peoples, and which alert readers to urgent situations which require immediate responses, such as human rights cases and imminent encroachment upon native populations." 2. What is the history of this newsgroup? Its existence did not come about easily; in fact, an attempt to create a newsgroup for Native Americans actually failed the first time around last year (1992). We studied the different histories sent to us; we got lots of help from veteran UseNetters; we made some incredibly bone-headed mistakes; and yet we somehow managed to get the job done. The tough discussions went from early December 1992 to the end of January 1993. The vote ran through February (the votes were collected and counted by Jan Isley). The group began operations of March 1, 1993. 3. My Indian heritage is sketchy. Can I still express my opinions on this newsgroup? This newsgroup was designed with the idea that it would provide a place where people -- native and non-Native -- can meet and talk about native issues. So you don't need to any native ancestry to use this newsgroup, but it doesn't hurt. 4. Is this newsgroup only for North American native people? Not at all. This newsgroup is for native people in all parts of the world -- North and South America, Malaysia, and so on. It has a greater emphasis on North American native people only because of the availability of technology. 5. If this newsgroup is for all native people, isn't there overlap between, say, African newsgroups and this newsgroup? Yes, and for this reason, we hope that people will cross- post when these issues impact areas which will be of use or interest to other native peoples. 6. Are there Native American listservs I can subscribe to? Yes, there are mailing lists to which you might have access: AISESNET, NATIVEPROFS, NATIVELIT, and NATIVENET. AISNET INFORMATION: AISESnet: Distributed by the University of Montana, Missoula, Montana; Moderator/Listowner: Borries Demeler (demeler@selway.umt.edu); List for the American Indian Science and Engineering Society Description:AISESnet is an informal distribution list providing communication between and information for AISES chapters, high school students, and members of industry. The list's topics include AISES issues, Native American issues, engineering and science issues, public opinion, position openings, AISES events, and chapter newsletters, scholarship information, conference information and discussion. AISESnet membership is open to all, including non - AISES members. There is no subscription fee. The list is divided into three sub- groups, 'general', 'discussion', and 'alcohol & drug'. To subscribe, send an informal subscription request to: aisesnet@selway.umt.eduFor more information, mail to the listowner (demeler@selway.umt.edu) NATIVEPROFS-L INFORMATION: NATIVEPROFS-L is a listserv for and about the American Indian and Alaska Native Professoriate. This listserv was created in response to a need for continual communication among native professors, expressed at the annual conference for the American Indian and Alaska Native Professoriate in 1993 (sponsored by Arizona State University). Persons using this listserv will be members of this organization or who will eventually be members of this organization. This listserv is not intended for use by the general public. If you have any questions about NATIVEPROFS-L, please contact Mike Wilson at mwilson@convex.csd.uwm.edu. NativeLit-L@Cornell.EDU Native American Literature NativeLit-L is a list for the discussion of Native American Literature. For the purposes of this list, "native" refers to autochthonous peoples of the North Americas (the US, Canada, and Mexico) and neighboring islands, including Hawaii. Discussions in this list are open to any aspect of native literature. The list welcomes book reviews, articles about poetry, fiction, and criticism; information about publications, talks, conferences; and general chit-chat about native literature. While different points of view are always welcome, flamers will be deleted from the subscription list without notice. Please bear in mind that this is an unmoderated list, and anything you post will automatically go out to all users. Also, when you change address or go on vacation, please unsubscribe to this list to avoid causing mail loops. Address questions about this list to the list owner. To subscribe to the list send e-mail to listserv@cornell.edu with the BODY of the mail containing the command: SUBSCRIBE NativeLit-L Your Full Name The list manager is NOT the (L-Soft) Revised LISTSERV so some of the commands may differ. A special thanks to the Cornell University Computing Center for their continued support of native networking. List Manager: Michael Wilson idoy@crux1.cit.cornell.edu 7. What is the relationship between the listserv NativeNet and the UseNet newsgroup soc.culture.native? A number of selected posts from the large mailing lists of NativeNet appear regularly on soc.culture.native and alt.native. However, at this time, the gateway is not two-way. If you wish to have the person who wrote the post from NativeNet see your reply, you will need to send your post to him or her through e-mail. The post from the mailing list Native-L will have this designation at the top of the post. 8. Are there FTP sites or Gopher holes where I can get files pertaining to Native Issues? FTP site for Native American Information ftp.cit.cornell.edu (pub/special/NativeProfs) For an an excellent listing of all available ftp and gopher sites, look at this ftp site owned by Art McGee ftp.netcom.com (pub/amcgee/indigenous) To access them, type THE FTP ADDRESS at login prompt, enter ftp at password prompt, enter your user address To obtain a copy of the file, type "get filename". To leave ftp, type "bye". GOPHER HOLES National Indian Policy Center (Orna Weinroth NIPC@gwuvm. gwu.edu) GWIS.CIRC.GWU.EDU Gopher menu: /Academic Departments /NIPC The National Indian Policy Center The George Washington University 2136 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Washington, DC 20052 Voice: (202) 676-4401 Fax: (202) 676-4405 NIPC@gwuvm.gwu.edu The National Indian Policy Center has been providing an information clearinghouse service on a wide range of policy issues to the 500 U.S. Native American tribes since 1990. Through its affiliation with the George Washington University computer center, the NIPC has made its research reports available on the Internet system of electronic mail and bulletin board services. In 1992, NIPC's report on the costs and benefits of tax incentives proposed by the Navajo Nation to attract private enterprise to reservations was introduced in floor debate in the U.S. Senate and reprinted in the Congressional Record. Its 1993 reports on federal impact aid to local school districts having Native American students and on the economic impact of gaming have also been in much demand. All research reports are incorporated into an annotated bibliography that is mailed at no cost to the public. An order form is attached to the bibliography, which makes it easy for individuals or organizations to request copies of specific reports either by mail, fax transmission or by sending a request to Orna@gwis.circ.gwu.edu. Upon request, these reports are then photocopied and mailed to the interested party. Effective Nov. 1, 1993, the clearinghouse service can be accessed through The George Washington University GWIS gopher on Internet. Besides direct-telephone call, the one other way to connect to GWIS is to set up an account on a local network and pay for rent of time and data storage. At present, available on-line are copies of NIPC reports, minutes of its task force meetings and 1990 general census data. Throughout 1994, NIPC will be issuing new reports and developing a database that will contain magazine and newspaper clippings of interest to Native Americans and specialized state and tribal census data. Orna Weinroth Information Specialist Orna@gwuvm.gwu.edu Intertribal Network (Ken Hunt) CSCNS.COM Gopher menu: /ITN Native American Net Server (Michael Wilson) ALPHA1.CSD.UWM.EDU Gopher menu: /UWM Information /NANS Native American Net Server Information Home for more or less permanent information and files, which you can read, download, or save. This bulletin board system is also available for you to post notices about upcoming events, job openings, grants &c. If you want to post anything on this gopher, please pass it along. To access the Native American Net Server, type "gopher alpha1.csd.uwm.edu," go down the menu to "UWM Information" and in that folder you will find "The Native American Net Server." If you have any questions about this gopher hole, please write to Michael Wilson, mwilson@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu. I am always looking for suggestions about how to improve this service, so all comments are welcome and appreciated. Special thanks to the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and to its computer caretaker Dave Rasmussen for their support of Native American Networking. 9. Where can I get Native American music? (Greg Jerrett, jerrett@iastate.edu) You can write to: Indian House, P.O. Box 472, Taos, NM 87571, If you write to this address and ask for a catalog (be sure to include your address!) they will send one promptly. Everything is $10 and everything is available on a cassette but no cd's. The recording are mostly live so no point in cd really. They are VERY quick. The formats are usually collections of types of music, e.g., Lakota love songs by Kevin Locke, or the Red Earth Singers Live at Bismark or Crow grass dance and owl dance songs. Usually you get 10 or more gourd songs or peyote songs, that sort of thing. 10. My great-grandmother is an Indian princess. Then you should consider the following statement by Big Vine: "It doesn't take much insight into racial attitudes to understand the real meaning of the Indian-grandmother complex that plagues certain whites. A male ancestor has too much of the aura of the savage warrior, the unknown primitive, the instinctive animal, to make him a respectable member of the family tree. But a young Indian princess? Ah, there was royalty for the taking. Somehow the white was linked with a noble house of gentility and culture if his grandmother was an Indian princess who ran away with an intrepid pioneer. And royalty has always been an unconscious but all-consuming goal of the European immigrant" (_Custer Died for Your Sins_ 3). 11. Is Cher Native American? I have no idea. 12. Where can I get a list of all university Native American Programs in the United States? I don't know, but if you ever find a list, please let me know. 13. I want to read some Native American Literature. Which books should I read? Consider the following authors: Leslie Marmon Silko, James Welch, N. Scott Momaday, Gerald Vizenor, Ray Young Bear, Luci Tapahonso, Louise Erdrich, Michael Dorris, Linda Hogan, Sherman Alexie. For starters. 14. What's the deal with Forrest Carter, author of _The Education of Little Tree_? The last I heard, a professor of history (also named Carter, I believe) argued that Forrest Carter was none other than Aisa Carter, former Klansman and speechwriter for George Wallace ("segregation forever"). The _New York Times_ showed pictures of the two, and I have to say they looked like the same guy. Tony Plate (tap@cs.toronto.edu) writes: 12 years after the death of Forrest Carter, his widow, India Carter, confirmed that he was indeed Asa Carter. This was reported in the October 25, 1991 edition of Publishers Weekly. The article quotes from a number of people connected to the issue, whose views range from the (seemingly) hostile to the understanding: "_The Education of Little Tree_" is a hoax ... the last fantasy of a man who reinvented himself again again in the 30 years that preceeded his death in 1979" (Dan T. Carter, professor of history at Emory University, a biographer of George Wallace, and author of several stories exposing Forrest Carter's past.), "If the man who wrote speeches for George Wallace could write this book there's hope for a cure for the souls of us all." (Rennard Strickland, Cherokee, Director of the center for the study of American Indian Law and Policy at the University of Oklahoma, and writer of the introduction to the UNMP edition.) According to Professor Carter, Asa Carter was one-eighth Indian and was not an orphan. Eleanor Friede, Forrest's editor, said that his grandparents were Cherokee. Forrest always denied to her that he was Asa Carter and she was shocked when told the truth by Forrest's reclusive widow. The Publishers Weekly article is the best I have found on this subject. It refers to several articles in the New York Times, one in 1976, and another in the Oct. 4'th issue (presumably 1991). There is a one or two sentence reference to the story in "The imaginary Indian : the image of the Indian in Canadian culture." (Daniel Francis. Arsenal Pulp Press, c1992.) 15. Wasn't there a Native American rock band in the early seventies? Yes, it was called Redbone. Steve Brock (sbrock@teal.csn.org) writes: Redbone's top-40 hit was called "Come and Get Your Love." 16. Is there a list of Native American BBSes? List Available: Bulletin Board Systems/Services(BBS) in North America that are either run/operated by or oriented towards indigenous peoples, including, but not limited to, Native Americans, Indigenous Canadians, Alaskan Natives and Hawaiian Natives. The absolute latest versions of all of my lists are always available via anonymous FTP from ftp.netcom.com in directory pub/amcgee. The absolute latest version of this list is also always available on the BDPA BAC BBS(1-707-552-3314) and on the Data Bits Online BBS(1-213-295-6094) in the following file: NATIVBBS.MSG = BBS List (c)1993 Arthur R. McGee & The Indigenous Peoples of North America --------------------------- Michael Wilson, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, mwilson@convex. csd.uwm; idoy@crux2.cit.cornell.edu