The native tribes of California lived by hunting and gathering the abundant resources of the land. Their culture and religion place them in the role of stewards not owners of the land, preserving its abundance for the future. The hundreds of thousands of white settlers who arrived in California seeking a better future brought a different view of the land. So with her having that knowledge and carrying it on for so long, she was able to pass it on to us.
Especially as a little girl, myself, my cousin, and my brother, we would spend many, many hours with my great-grandmother, where she would tell us stories about coyotes and bears and different animals. But she also took us out and showed us all the different food sources that were available to us: the grasses, the mushrooms, the berries, what kind of seeds to gather, the right kind of acorns, and what kind of herbs were outside our living area that could be gathered for our health.
The area which my people, the Nisenan Maidu, came from Then to the north in our territory was Honey Lake. And we went eastward almost to the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. My family had resided in these geographical areas way before there were any European people, even way before the Gold Rush. It just so happens it was the area where they found the gold at Sutter's Mill along the American River.
And this gold strike brought thousands of people from every place known to man into our traditional territory. And because it was such a environmentally productive area, in the beginning they didn't have a problem with eating, but because there were so many people, they overused the area and created drought and created starvation for themselves, and along with them for the indigenous peoples.
The Nisenan Maidu just happened to be right in the middle of this whole chaotic event. And the end product was that they were almost obliterated as a group of people. Frank LaPena, professor, Native American studies When two different people look at something so fundamental as the land, what we find out is, there is a very major gap in how we look at the land.
This money has been put to good use. The tribe has a second solar project in the works and is trying to form a utility to start building solar plants that they can be a part owner of rather than simply being leaseholders. If the tribe is successful, they would be able to sell any power from future solar projects directly to the federal government, a ready made market.
Obviously, these new opportunities are momentous for a small tribe that has been struggling with unemployment and health issues. But according to Lee, what's most important is the restoration of lost pride: "A lot of people look down on Native Americans, but this adds an aura of pride to the tribe.
Right now, we are blazing the solar trail, making the break into creating renewable energy. That is good for us and for Indians across the country. Not every tribe will be able to emulate the their "solar gold rush" as several things have to fall into place, namely proximity to transmission lines and being able to find a market for the power.
Tribes can benefit from solar projects in other ways, however, by availing of government rebate programs to install solar arrays on their reservations to reduce energy costs. A non-profit organisation called Black Rock Solar has installed 11 arrays, totalling kw of power, for the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe using rebates.
The Department of Energy is currently helping several tribes to swtich to solar power to reduce their energy bills and improve their quality of life.
Perhaps more important than any economic benefit, however, embracing solar power is becoming a way for Native Americans to regain some of the ancient power they have lost. This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional.
Unlike the barren stretch of land that encompasses the reservation, the Black Hills are green, resource-rich, and thick with the smell of Ponderosa trees. In addition to gold, timber and minerals have been extracted, reaping profits for people other than the Sioux.
Fast forward to One key problem: The tribes say the payment is invalid because the land was never for sale and accepting the funds would be tantamount to a sales transaction. They wanted the Black Hills. To this day, sacred sites and religious narratives often center around the Black Hills.
Excluded from the debate are landmarks like Mount Rushmore , Ellsworth Air Force Base and privately owned or residential land. But we would like to have some type of a co-management plan for certain parts of the Black Hills. And further, if distributed on a per capita basis across nine tribes, the money would soon be gone with little permanent benefit to the recipients.
Two Bulls agreed. Leaders must continue to convince younger generations to adopt their long view. Tim Giago, who was born on Pine Ridge Reservation and has spent three decades as a journalist covering the issue, worries about that trend.
The issue has been revived in recent years by an offer by President Obama to meet with the tribes if they could come up with a unified proposal to settle the issue in Congress.
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