Veteran's Day Paradeby Alizay Chavez '21
Monday in October, but in 1975 President Gerald Ford changed it back to November 11th. In Europe, Great Britain, and the Commonwealth countries there is 2 minutes of silence at 11 AM on November 11th (History.com Staff, 2009). On November 11, 1921 the first Unknown Soldier was buried in the Arlington National Cemetery. On May 30, 1958 two Unknown soldiers were buried next to the unknown soldier from World War I. On May 28, 1984 an unknown soldier from the Vietnam War was buried in Arlington National Cemetery and was identified by DNA. His name was Michael Blassie, a 28-year- old pilot shot and killed on the border of Cambodia in 1972 (CNN Library, 2017). Veterans Day is an important holiday for many. On Saturday November 11, 2017 Gallup High School JROTC Bengal Battalion participated in the Veterans day parade. They had a color guard made up of 4 cadets. Two had rifles and the other two were carrying the colors (flags). The rest of the cadets that showed up were marching. Some of our staff members showed up. Cadets who are on staff are juniors and seniors. These cadets run the battalion. Color guard was in front of the whole battalion as the presented the flags to the people who showed up to watch the parade. The staff members that showed up was behind the color guard. The executive officer (xo) Annalise Nez was commanding the color guard and the staff members. The rest of the battalion was behind staff. Dylan Silversmith our S-1 was commanding the rest of the battalion. Our executive officer is the second in charge when the battalion commander is not around. This weekend she was in charge of commanding the battalion, as well as, telling the battalion what they need to do to succeed. She assigned Silversmith to command the battalion. Bengal battalion marched with other groups as well. Some of these groups were both of the high school bands. There were a few other military type groups along with the battalion. One of these groups were J.P.S.A. "J.P.S.A" stands for Junior Public Safety Academy. There were many veterans that participated in the parade as well. There was another color guard made up of all veterans. There were also many veterans in the crowd. All in all, the Veterans Day parade went well. by Kurstan Benally (Cadet) The Fight About Grand Canyon Miningby Meche Williams '19 Arizona officials (such as the Forest Service) proposed lifting the 20 year ban on uranium mining at the Grand Canyon that was established in 2012 during the Obama-era. Arizona officials, as well as Utah officials, say that the ban is unlawful and has economic opportunities for the mining industry, and are urging the Trump administration to roll back the ban. Many of the supporters of the uranium mining ban believe that if they do allow new mining in the area, it will increase the risk of uranium-contaminated water flowing into the canyon. Based on the past experiences, they know about mining the region leading to polluted sites among the Arizona Navajo population causing serious health problems, such as kidney failure and cancer. One of the supporters that is trying to fight back the Arizona officials to keep the Grand Canyon from new mining projects in the Grand Canyon Trust. The Grand Canyon Trust is trying to work together with other conservation groups and is suing the U.S Forest Service on decision of allowing new ming without the tribal consultation. Allison Melton, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity was appalled by the Forest Service recommendation to lift the ban. She believes it threatens to destroy one of the world’s most breathtaking, beautiful views and just give it as a free hand out to the mining industry. Ms. Melton said, “The Trump Administration’s willingness to sacrifice our natural treasures to polluters knows no bounds. But this reckless, shortsighted proposal won't be allowed to stand”. The Havasupai Tribe, “Havaasu Baaja” or “People of the Blue Green Water” are a federally recognized Indian tribe, their homeland is mainly comprised of the Grand Canyon as well as the plateau lands south and east of it. The Havasupai Tribal Chairman, Don E. Watahomigie said the uranium industry is motivated by greed and profit, “they are now seeking new mines when this industry has yet to clean up the hundreds of existing mines all over the landscape that continue to damage our home. We should learn from the past, not ignore it.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/05/public-lands-uranium-mining-arizona-grand-canyon https://www.grandcanyontrust.org/uranium https://sierraclub.org/arizona/blog/2017/11/trump-administration-targets-uranium-mining-ban-near-grand-canyon Independent Newspaper published Monday, November 6, 2017 Martin Heinrich Pushes Legislation to Sagfeguard Native American ItemsThe following is a letter sent from Senator Martin Heinrich Dear Friend,I hope you can take a moment to read and share the article below from the Gallup Independent on my legislation to safeguard sacred Native American items. The Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act received a key hearing in the Senate Indian Affairs Committee last week. I am proud to welcome growing bipartisan support for the STOP Act, and I am hopeful that we can pass this important bill into law. I will continue working with tribes in New Mexico and across Indian Country as we build on this momentum so we can repatriate stolen culturally significant items back to their rightful owners. Sincerely, MARTIN HEINRICH United States Senator The following article is from the November 14th issue of the Gallup Independent Federal bill aims to protect tribal objects Fate of Acoma shield in diplomatic Limbo By Frances MadesonFor the Independent November 14, 2017 WASHINGTON - Pueblo of Acoma Gov. Kurt Riley appeared before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in Washington Wednesday to offer oral and written testimony in support of the enactment of the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2017. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., introduced the STOP Act to prohibit the sale in foreign markets of Native cultural items smuggled out of the United States for trafficking abroad and to strengthen certain domestic protections as well. The proposed bill is meant to reinforce and supplement the three already existing federal laws governing Native cultural objects - the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the Archeological Resources Protection Act, and the Antiquities Act - in three key ways:
"Tribes in New Mexico and across the nation have been forced to pay a ransom or had to stand by and watch the sale of their priceless religious and cultural items in international markets," he said. ‘Stop Cultural Genocide' Heinrich's involvement in this issue started with the near loss of a sacred shield - a painted leather ceremonial shield from the Pueblo of Acoma. Taken illegally from the tribe in the 1970s, after a tortuous journey of decades' duration, it arrived in Paris, France, at The Eve Auction House, where in the spring of 2015 it was put up for sale. By happenstance, the shield did not sell at auction. But despite moral appeals and legal challenges from Acoma, it was slated again for sale in 2016. Again it was not sold. Heinrich is credited with intervening, and through diplomacy, the U.S. State Department was successful in having the shield pulled from the auction. Other tribes' objects, however, could not be similarly rescued: 12 sacred Kachina masks were lost to the art market for a price of $129,000, even as Natives protested outside the auction house with signs bearing forceful messages such as: "Stop Cultural Genocide." No protection under law In the discussions with the French government, France argued that the U.S. did not have a law sufficient to ban the export of the Acoma shield, or similarly culturally significant items. Five weeks later Heinrich was ready to go with the STOP Act in order to remediate that perceived gap in U.S. law. But time ran out on the original version, and it was not voted on in the last Congress. Tribes as well as organizations representing dealers and collectors of Native artifacts were both vocal about the need to protect sacred Native objects from the Paris auctions, but differed on the details on how best to accomplish the goal. Both sides took advantage of the pause to open up the dialogue about what an optimal STOP Act could look like when reintroduced, as Heinrich had committed to do. Two separate public discussions were hosted in Santa Fe this spring by the School for Advanced Research's Indian Arts Research Center and ATADA in order to engage their constituencies, air the issues that were dividing them and seek solutions. A new and changed version of the STOP Act was introduced by Heinrich in June, which jettisoned two provisions of the original bill: a twoyear amnesty period for individuals who voluntarily return all of their illegally possessed cultural objects to the appropriate tribes, and a provision to direct the General Accounting Office to quantify the trafficking on illegal objects in a report. 10 pages of testimony Riley submitted 10 pages of testimony in support of the new version of the STOP Act. Stating that "existing laws are not enough" Riley praised the STOP Act's international focus, "... where we have been the most powerless to gain the repatriation of our cultural heritage." His testimony states that "... foreign governments, including France, have consistently told the Pueblo and federal officials that they will not facilitate the return of our tribal cultural heritage because United States law does not explicitly prohibit its exportation." Gregory A. Smith, Acoma's D.C. attorney and lobbyist concurs that this has been a sticking point. "According to (the U.S. Departments of) State, Justice and Interior, the STOP Act is essential to securing the return of items from overseas. This is based on extensive discussions they have had with the French government, which, like others, does not see a real ban in U.S. law." There is already a "smuggling law" on the books of US Customs law - 18 U.S. Code § 554 - that says: Whoever fraudulently or knowingly exports or sends from the United States, or attempts to export or send from the United States, any merchandise, article, or object contrary to any law or regulation of the United States, or receives, conceals, buys, sells, or in any manner facilitates the transportation, concealment, or sale of such merchandise, article or object, prior to exportation, knowing the same to be intended for exportation contrary to any law or regulation of the United States, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both. But because none of NAGPRA, ARPA or the Antiquities Act contain explicit export restrictions, the prevailing interpretation is that these laws cannot be used in conjunction with 18 U.S. Code § 554. New law not a panacea Nonetheless, Kate Fitz Gibbon, attorney for ATADA, does not think a new law will offer much of a panacea, writing about STOP via email that "it will do little to further the return of objects. It will have no impact on items already overseas, and is no more likely to be enforced in France than dozens of export laws from Africa, Asia and South America, which have no effect there." ATADA is also concerned about consumer confusion. Fitz Gibbon wrote: "After 140 years of trade, how is a current owner to know if an object might be claimed as sacred by a tribe or claimed as coming from federal or Indian lands by the federal government?" Riley's testimony addressed ATADA's concern, reminding the committee the protected objects are already defined in NAGPRA, ARPA and the Antiquities Act, and that as a practical matter, if anyone's confused, answers are available. "It is paramount that, if collectors or dealers are unsure if an item quali fies as protected tribal cultural heritage, that they contact the tribe for more information." Additional written testimony was entered into the hearing record from two other advocacy organizations: Global Heritage Alliance and the Committee for Cultural Policy (which Fitz Gibbon heads) that largely echoed concerns raised by ATADA. CCP offered suggestions to improve "the flawed legislation of the STOP Act" such as "legislation to moreefficiently bring objects and ancestral remains already under federal government control back to the tribes, to ensure adequate funding for National NAGPRA, to fund tribal culturaloffices," among others. Finally, the bill creates a Tribal Working Group to be comprised of representatives of Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organization to generally advise and make recommendations on related matters to the federal government, which Riley hopes "will lead to more collaboration." The bill now moves to a mark-up and vote in the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and if passed out of committee, to a full Senate vote. Sacred shield still not home Meanwhile, the sacred shield that prompted the STOP Act's creation has not yet come home to Acoma. "As recently as late September, the Department of Justice responded to further inquiries from the French government about the shield, so the matter of the status of the shield remains an active matter of discussions between the two countries," advises Acoma D.C. attorney Greg Smith. Riley has described its status as "pending." His testimony to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee included this statement: "The Pueblo asks this Committee to not think of these sacred and ceremonial objects in property rights terms, like title and ownership ... if these objects are merely treated like other pieces of property, their true significance is lost. Instead, it is important to move beyond the Western view of property rights and consider this issue as one of human and cultural rights." Last Week's Poll Results!Last week we asked Ambush! Poll takers if any of their family members are veterans: 80% of poll takers said that they did have family members that are veterans while the other 20% said that they did not.
0 Comments
Interview with Zuni High School Senior, Josh Waseta, about Sha'lakoby Meche Williams '19 and Shawn McCraith '18 Veteran's Day by Mariah Tso '21
Today and the days after, we depend on our soldiers to keep our country safe. Every year we have a special day for our veterans. On November 11th we honor our brave young men and women who served our country and who risked their lives to protect our freedom. The first veterans day was originated on November 11th, 1919. The first anniversary was at the end of world war one. Veterans day became a national holiday beginning in 1938. We shouldn’t just honor our veterans on November 11th, but we should honor them every day because they fight and sacrifice their lives for us, Americans. Veterans fought for us during some of the nation’s most difficult times and in honor of them we respect them and have a national holiday for them. http://www.military.com/veterans-day/history-of-veterans-day.html Last Week's Poll Results!Last week we asked Ambush! Poll takers what they thought of the Next Gen Science Standards: 50% of poll takers said that they did not care while the other 50% said the standards were stupid and they did not understand why they were being changed.
What do the Next Gen Science Standards mean for New Mexico?by Meche Williams '19
The New Generation Science Standards is adopted by at least 20 other states and New Mexico is interested in adopting it as well, but they wanted input from community members, teachers, or anyone who was lives in New Mexico to give their opinions and concerns on the possible changes to the curriculum. David Peters, the president of NMAS wrote a letter and sent it into the Albuquerque Journal giving his support to the Next Generation Science Standards. Some are still uneasy and skeptical about the NGSS because the public has no idea what they want to put in for the standards they are disposing of. The APS Board Policy Committee also shares some the same concerns about why the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) may want to alter the NGSS, New Mexico APS feels that altering the standards before it is fully adopted is a bit drastic. It is still an ongoing issue whether the New Mexico PED will get their way and get to alter the standards or if APS blocked them and got the motion denied. https://www.nextgenscience.org/ http://www.nmas.org/next-generation-science-standards.html http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/education/new-mexico-to-adopt-next-generation-science-standards-in-full/article_dadea58f-3123-576b-94e6-b9f0d3e39afa.html New Skate Park Delayed; DIY Skate Park Beginsby Shawn McCraith '18 The plans for the Gallup skate park have been delayed and will be pushed back to the summer of 2018; even being a Tony Hawk Foundation recipient did not speed up the process of the skate park being built. The Gallup youth are avid skateboarders and are not too happy about the delay of this park because the skate park allows them to skate freely without being hassled by property owners or policemen. Gallup’s old skate park was demolished this past summer and now there is no place for this town’s skateboarders to skate and socialize with other skaters. On the north side of town some local supporters of skateboarding decided to build a D.I.Y. (Do-It-Yourself) skate park and have used their own funds to produce a box and ramps to grind or skate on. When the old skate park was being torn down the local skaters asked the demolition crew to utilize the “pyramid” which is a metal, pyramid shaped object and it can now be skated on at the D.I.Y. spot. Last Week's Poll Results!Last week we asked Ambush! Poll takers if they would be attending this year's Balloon Rally: 33.33% of poll takers said yes they would, 33.33% said they would not be attending the event, and 33.33% said they might attend the event.
|
|