North Carolina hello from your neighbor South Carolina. You got a lot of snow this year. We didn't get any here in the north east of the upstate. Just that major ice storm, I think ya'll joined us in that didn't you?? Barb SC

Bettye: I believe nature here in South Carolina kept hitting the snooze button. Hot, cold, Hot, cold, Finally, She decided to get up a little later than Texas. Glad you got some rain. 5 inches in 40 hours ouch! I've seen days here in the summer we get 5 inches in a couple mins. My prayers this year is better for Tarrant Co. TX. How close is Hendeson county to you?? Barb SC

The Sun also feels good here today in North Carolina, but haven't seen too many flowers, but I will await until Spring is here to hollow! its the best time of the year for me, because after being stuck in the house for 3 months its time to let out a hollow; thats the way I bring in Spring! I hope you have a good day, and blessings to you and yours! ----- Original Message ----- From: Bettye Woodhull To: CHEROKEE-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2006 11:15 AM Subject: Re: [Cherokee Circle] Spring Barb, the sun may rise in "your east", but my buttercups/daffodils have been on my breakfast table for a little over a week! here in Tarrant Co. TX. The wonderful thing about that beautiful sun this morning is that it was shining so brightly as I checked this 40 hour slow falling rain - that gauge held a miracle 5 inches. With our drought, friends across this land, that is a wonderful gift. Bettye ----- Original Message ----- From: <EVERETTLATTIMORE@aol.com> To: <CHEROKEE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2006 7:36 AM Subject: [Cherokee Circle] Spring > Ohhhh joy; > This morning I saw the first of my little yellow flowers is > open. I watch for these every year. A new year is beginning......... The > earth is waking up. > > Shadow Bear Lets go fishingggg > > > Regards > Barb SC > > > ==== CHEROKEE Mailing List ==== > <<>OPEN forum to all Cherokee topics - except Genealogy<>> > <>Culture-History-Language-Folk lore and Truths<> > Good Manners & Language is required to be on the list > ALL the links you will need to sub and unsub or contact listowner below > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Ethnic-Native/CHEROKEE.html > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx > ==== CHEROKEE Mailing List ==== <<>OPEN forum to all Cherokee topics - except Genealogy<>> <>Culture-History-Language-Folk lore and Truths<> Good Manners & Language is required to be on the list ALL the links you will need to sub and unsub or contact listowner below http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Ethnic-Native/CHEROKEE.html ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx

Hi Barb: Tarrant County's courthouse is in Fort Worth. Interstate 35W leads south out of Oklahoma City (Interstate 35E split just south of Denton, TX takes you south thru Dallas and they rejoin just a few miles north of Hillsboro, Hill County and will lead you south thru Waco, Austin, San Antonio to the border at Laredo). Interstate 20 passes thru Ft. Worth and Dallas on an east/west direction- from El Paso in the west to & Shreveport, LA to the east. Henderson County is to the southeast of Dallas, also south of Canton (Interstate 20) (they have been known for First Monday trade day - a huge flea market. I have heard (I've never been to First Mon., but have received some "wild gifts as a joke from there!" If you are driving to Athens, county seat of Henderson Co., you would take hwy 19 south out of Canton and arrive in Athens. Tyler, TX (rose capitol and the rose festival) is east of Henderson Co. and about 100 miles west of the LA/TX state line. If you are familiar with any of these towns/cities I have mentioned, you could get to Henderson County with your eyes closed! Barb, we have also experienced some of those 5 inches per hour rains, but in "these parts" those rains are called FLOODS! Believe me, in our yard, we saw leaves floating across the dead grass tips when one of the hard down pours hit, then luckily those only lasted a few minutes and all that water soaked in, then it was just a steady drizzle between. We are under the most severe drought since the early to mid 1950's. While discussing our beautiful rain, I must tell you a real funny - we bought a two month old MIN PIN on Nov. 8th, and she hadn't known rain/wet outdoors. She was hilarious the first time we let her out the door in the rain. She acted like she had been put in the shower! Bettye ----- Original Message ----- From: <EVERETTLATTIMORE@aol.com> To: <CHEROKEE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2006 12:41 PM Subject: Re: [Cherokee Circle] Spring > Bettye: > I believe nature here in South Carolina kept hitting the snooze > button. > Hot, cold, Hot, cold, Finally, She decided to get up a little later than > Texas. Glad you got some rain. 5 inches in 40 hours ouch! I've seen days > here in > the summer we get 5 inches in a couple mins. My prayers this year is > better > for Tarrant Co. TX. > > How close is Hendeson county to you?? > > > Barb SC > > > ==== CHEROKEE Mailing List ==== > <<>OPEN forum to all Cherokee topics - except Genealogy<>> > <>Culture-History-Language-Folk lore and Truths<> > Good Manners & Language is required to be on the list > ALL the links you will need to sub and unsub or contact listowner below > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Ethnic-Native/CHEROKEE.html > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx > >

Barb, the sun may rise in "your east", but my buttercups/daffodils have been on my breakfast table for a little over a week! here in Tarrant Co. TX. The wonderful thing about that beautiful sun this morning is that it was shining so brightly as I checked this 40 hour slow falling rain - that gauge held a miracle 5 inches. With our drought, friends across this land, that is a wonderful gift. Bettye ----- Original Message ----- From: <EVERETTLATTIMORE@aol.com> To: <CHEROKEE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2006 7:36 AM Subject: [Cherokee Circle] Spring > Ohhhh joy; > This morning I saw the first of my little yellow flowers is > open. I watch for these every year. A new year is beginning......... The > earth is waking up. > > Shadow Bear Lets go fishingggg > > > Regards > Barb SC > > > ==== CHEROKEE Mailing List ==== > <<>OPEN forum to all Cherokee topics - except Genealogy<>> > <>Culture-History-Language-Folk lore and Truths<> > Good Manners & Language is required to be on the list > ALL the links you will need to sub and unsub or contact listowner below > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Ethnic-Native/CHEROKEE.html > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx >

Girl Who Married Rattlesnake - Pomo At a place called Cobowin there was a large rock with a hole in it, and many rattlesnakes lived inside this hole. Nearby at Kalesima there was a village with four large houses, and in the one with a center pole lived a girl. In the spring when clover was just right to eat, this girl went out to gather some. While she was working, she was watched by a rattlesnake. The snake followed her back to the village, and close to her house he transformed himself into a handsome young man with a net on his head and fine beads around his neck. Then he climbed up onto the top of the house and came down the center pole. The family was surprised to see him, but he told the girl that he wanted to marry her. He remained with the family overnight and the following morning went home again. He arrived and left like this for four days; then on the fifth evening he came back, but this time he did not change his form. He simply slithered into the house and began conversing just as before. The girl's mother, waiting for her daughter's suitor, said she heard someone talking in the house. She took a light and looked in the place where she heard the sound, and there was Rattlesnake. He shook his snake's head, and she dropped the light and ran in terror. On the following morning Rattlesnake took the girl home with him, and there she remained. In time she bore him four boys. Whenever these children saw any people from the village, they would coil to strike, but heir mother would say, No, you mustn't bite your relatives." And the children would obey her. As the four rattlesnake boys grew older, they also grew more curious, and one day they came in from playing and asked their mother, "Why don't you talk the way we do? Why are you different?" "I'm not a rattlesnake, like you and your father," she replied. "I'm a human being." "Aren't you afraid of our father?" asked the boys, and she shook her head. Then the oldest said that he had heard the other rattlesnakes discussing her differences and deciding to crawl over her body to find out what kind of creature she was. While this might have alarmed another human, the rattlesnake's wife was not at all afraid. When the other rattlesnakes came, she calmly let them crawl over her. Then she said to her oldest boy, "It's impossible for you to become a human being, and though I'm not really human any longer, I must go back to my parents and tell them what has happened." Ad so she returned to the house with the center pole and said to her parents, This is the last time that I will be able to talk to you and the last time that you will be able to talk to me." Her father and mother were sad, but they said nothing until their daughter started to leave. Then her mother ran and caught her by the door, brought her back into he house, and wept over her because she was so changed. But the girl shook her body, and suddenly she was gone. No one ever knew how or where she went, but they think she returned to Rattlesnake's house and has lived there ever since. Based on a legend recorded by Samuel Barrett in 1933). (California) Reposted with Permission from Glenn Welker From Blue Panther Keeper of Stories.

Ohhhh joy; This morning I saw the first of my little yellow flowers is open. I watch for these every year. A new year is beginning......... The earth is waking up. Shadow Bear Lets go fishingggg Regards Barb SC

Almost sounds fun! Everyone helping each other out like that. So rare nowadays. What do you do for a living that you get recruited so often? ----Original Message Follows---- From: shadowbear270@webtv.net (shadowbear270) Reply-To: CHEROKEE-L@rootsweb.com To: CHEROKEE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [Cherokee Circle] Fishing Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2006 12:45:55 -0600 List ==while in Spokane we were asked if we would help on the flood in Oregon==Cherry falls==of course we all went==we got in that mud along with the tribe and filled sandbags till the earth tilted so many piled in the one place==I think we maybe helped==no one sued us SHADOW BEAR ==== CHEROKEE Mailing List ==== <<>OPEN forum to all Cherokee topics - except Genealogy<>> <>Culture-History-Language-Folk lore and Truths<> Good Manners & Language is required to be on the list ALL the links you will need to sub and unsub or contact listowner below http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Ethnic-Native/CHEROKEE.html ============================== New! Family Tree Maker 2005. Build your tree and search for your ancestors at the same time. Share your tree with family and friends. Learn more: http://landing.ancestry.com/familytreemaker/2005/tour.aspx?sourceid=14599&targetid=5429

That was a great thing for you guys to do.....too bad you could have dropped down when you hit Idaho to say hi :0) Its always a good sign when you don't get sued for being helpful ;) Its a beautiful day today its 2:22 pm & 52 degrees out......a little chilly with the breeze, but this is the warmest we've been since last summer. YEAH!!! Unfortunately everything is too muddy to do anything in the garden still & I have to replace my racks & shovels before I can do any cleaning up outside. :) Alli > List ==while in Spokane we were asked if we would help on the flood in > Oregon==Cherry falls==of course we all went==we got in that mud along > with the tribe and filled sandbags till the earth tilted so many piled > in the one place==I think we maybe helped==no one sued us > > SHADOW BEAR > > > ==== CHEROKEE Mailing List ==== > <<>OPEN forum to all Cherokee topics - except Genealogy<>> > <>Culture-History-Language-Folk lore and Truths<> > Good Manners & Language is required to be on the list > ALL the links you will need to sub and unsub or contact listowner below > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Ethnic-Native/CHEROKEE.html > > ============================== > New! Family Tree Maker 2005. Build your tree and search for your ancestors > at the same time. Share your tree with family and friends. Learn more: > http://landing.ancestry.com/familytreemaker/2005/tour.aspx?sourceid=14599&targetid=5429 >

Shadow, old buddy (I am just a very few moons younger than you), I hope you take this as the compliment that I intend it, not just from the sender, but for all of us of many mixed bloods. I don't smoke so I can't join you with the peace pipe. It surely sounds like you have been a friend to many men; been fortunate to travel all over this land where some trips likely were not easy and caused you to be frowned upon by those who carry their nose a little high in the air. But it sounds to me like you found the "bestest" place in the USA to call home where the fishing is good. I feel blessed to know you. Bettye Woodhull of Texas where we've had almost 24 hours of slow good rains at last. ----- Original Message ----- From: "shadowbear270" <shadowbear270@webtv.net> To: <CHEROKEE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2006 1:14 PM Subject: [Cherokee Circle] Fire > That was when I was much younger and I worked for the forest service > ==the contract was for two years==I only last those two years==The > Rockys just not my cup of tea > > SHADOW BEAR > > > ==== CHEROKEE Mailing List ==== > <<>OPEN forum to all Cherokee topics - except Genealogy<>> > <>Culture-History-Language-Folk lore and Truths<> > Good Manners & Language is required to be on the list > ALL the links you will need to sub and unsub or contact listowner below > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Ethnic-Native/CHEROKEE.html > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx > >

Ginini (HALFWIT) - Cochiti G?n?ni lived with his grandmother who was very old. She said to him, "Go for wood." "All right." "Get gray wood (i. e., seasoned). It is far away. If it gets dark, lie down wherever you are when it is too dark to travel." "All right." On the way up to the mountains he remembered what his grandmother said, to get "gray wood." He found the old bones of a dead horse and he brought back a load to his grandmother. When he was nearing the house the sun set. He was two steps up the ladder. He remembered that she had said, "When it gets dark lie down," so he lay down and slept on the second rung. Early in the morning she went to the fireplace to start the fire. She gathered up a few ashes to throw out. She climbed up to the roof and then down. She stepped on something. She turned and looked. She cried, "Goodness! What is this? My grandchild, why are you sitting here? Did you stay here all night?" "Yes; you told me wherever I was when the sun set, lie down." "Only if the sun went down when you were far away. You don't understand what I say. You are always doing things like this." "I did what you said, and I'm always doing what you tell me." Again that night the grandmother said to him, "Are you willing to go to Sia? They will have a give-away dance, at Sia." "Yes." The boy started to go to Sia. His grandmother gave him a bit of skin to carry whatever he caught (at the dance). As he was going he thought, "Where is Sia?" He went wondering. He came to an ant hill. He watched the ants working. He said to himself, "I guess this is what Grandmother meant; this is Sia Pueblo." So he spread out the skin and took what the ants brought him and put it in his skin. The ants bit him. He said, "At Sia they do nothing but bite me." Toward evening he had gathered all the presents and he took up the skin and started toward home. When he arrived he told his grandmother how he had passed the day. "At Sia they were angry at me, and bit me all over my hands." He showed her what he had brought. She began to scold him and said, "You always do foolish things. I told you to go to Sia, not to an ant hill." "I took the ant hill for Sia." Again the grandmother told the boy, "It is the season for gathering locusts. Up in the piñon trees you will find the biggest and fattest." The boy started after locusts. He came to the hills where the piñon trees grow. He thought to himself, "What is it grandmother means that I should gather?" He looked and looked. He saw somebody sitting in a tree. It was a Jemez Indian gathering pitch. G?n?ni' went and got a piece of wood and said, "You're a good locust." He struck the Indian and he fell to the ground. "My, what a meal grandmother will have!" he exclaimed. The Jemez Indian moaned, "Ai-ai-aili-i," and died. "What do you mean by, 'ai-ai-aili-i'? You are a good Indian locust." The boy was glad that he had killed a good locust and started home carrying the man on his back. When he got home he called to his grandmother, "Here come your locusts." "Yes; I hope that you have had good luck." He let the body fall into the house. Down went his locusts. She cried, "My grandchild, what have you done now!" "You told me that I would find the locusts on the piñon trees. I found him on the tree and hit him with a club and killed him." "Take the man right back!" The next day the boy took his big locust on his shoulder and went back and put him where he had found him. Again his grandmother told him, "Go to the fields. I did not finish the hoeing (i. e., 'throwing up'), I will stay home and do the grinding." "I will go finish it." The grandmother explained everything so that he wouldn't get into mischief. There was very little hoeing left to be done. "Throw up the rest," she told him. The boy went out to the field. He didn't know what to throw up. He looked and looked. "But Grandmother wants me to throw up," he thought. He found a snake. "I guess this is what Grandmother wants me to throw up," he said. He caught it and all day he threw up the snake and caught him again. In the evening the boy came home and said to his grandmother, "I did what you said. I have thrown it up." "I am happy. I will go down and see it." So the next morning his grandmother went down to her little field and found that it had not been hoed. She thought, "What was my grandson. doing all day yesterday? He must have done some mischief. He never does what I tell him." She found the snake and thought, "I guess this is what he must have been throwing." The snake was all bruised. In the field she could trace where he had been jumping and running all over it. That is the way she discovered what he had thrown up. She told him that he had done mischief again. He said, "I looked and looked to find what to throw up and I found a snake. It didn't die right away. That's why I trampled all over the field throwing it up." "It was the earth that I wanted you to throw up by hoeing." She felt pity for the snake because he had killed it. VARIANT The people were living on the mesa. Two men were together, one was blind and the other lame. The blind man carried the lame man on his back when they went hunting, and the lame man guided him. They came to a place where there were lots of birds. The blind man put the lame man down and he gave him a hair. He put one end in his mouth and made, bird calls (with the hair). The birds came and he called, "Kill them, kill them!" The lame man killed lots and took them home for dinner. He made a fire and cooked the birds. They burst with a great noise. They were frightened. They both jumped. The blind man could see and the lame man could walk. The lame man said, "Don't go near the fire again or you will be blind." And the blind man said, "Don't go near the fire or you will be lame." They were both well. The birds all flew away. Again they went to hunt locusts. They came to a place where there were lots of piñons. They looked up and saw a man in the tree. He was an Indian from Jemez. The blind man called, "See the big locust. Let's catch him to eat." They struck at him and killed him. He cried out, "Ai li li yi!" "Don't say 'ai li li yi.' We are going to eat you up, you are a locust." They took him home and ate him. That is why locusts always say "ai li li yi." The next day they were going hunting. They killed nothing. One of them said, "To-morrow there is to be a feast in Sia. I'll go and get some bread at the give away." He started out. He found an ant hill, and he saw that the ants were all carrying something. He sat and watched them, and he thought it was bread. He took it away and came home bringing the "bread." He was all bitten by the, ants. "You didn't bring anything home. You have been gone all day and have brought nothing back." In the morning the brother said, "Go to the, field and 'throw up' (hoe)." He went to the field and found a snake. He thought, "This is what my brother must have meant me to throw." He picked up the snake and threw it up in the air. The snake jumped at him and tried to bite him. He didn't hoe at all. He went home in the evening and his brother asked, "Have you finished the hoeing?" "You told me to 'throw up.' I found a snake and threw it up. Finally I had to kill him. It was too hard to throw him around all day." "You didn't do what I told you to do." The next day his brother sent him for wood. "Bring in nice white (i. e., dry) sticks. If the sun sets before you get back, stay where you are." He went out and found some old bones. He got lots and made a bundle of them and brought it in. He got to the rungs of his ladder just as the sun set, and he lay down and slept. His brother got up early. He came down the ladder and stepped on him. He was scared. He scolded him hard. "You told me to stay where I was when the sun set." He brought in the bones. His brother said, "These are not what I sent you for." "You told me to bring in nice white ones." Next day his brother told him to go to the old ruins (Washushrotra--beamed houses) to see if there was any smoke coming out. His brother said, "Hunt around there." He went. He found an old woman firing pots. He went up and killed her and brought her home. His brother scolded him. Tales of the Cochiti Indians by Ruth Benedict, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin No. 98 [1932] From Blue Panther Keeper of Stories.

In a message dated 2/25/2006 12:35:21 P.M. Central Standard Time, shadowbear270@webtv.net writes: when I worked in Oregon and Washington==went to Mt. St. Helena for fishing and camping==great place==one time there was a fire==guess what? got drafted to fight fire ==one trail in and out ==I think maybe I lasted about 1/2 hour ==went down to the ground and could not catch my breath ==give those fire fighters much credit for what they do== not easy in those hills Fires scare me so I would not make a good firefighter.

That was when I was much younger and I worked for the forest service ==the contract was for two years==I only last those two years==The Rockys just not my cup of tea SHADOW BEAR

List ==while in Spokane we were asked if we would help on the flood in Oregon==Cherry falls==of course we all went==we got in that mud along with the tribe and filled sandbags till the earth tilted so many piled in the one place==I think we maybe helped==no one sued us SHADOW BEAR

when I worked in Oregon and Washington==went to Mt. St. Helena for fishing and camping==great place==one time there was a fire==guess what? got drafted to fight fire ==one trail in and out ==I think maybe I lasted about 1/2 hour ==went down to the ground and could not catch my breath ==give those fire fighters much credit for what they do== not easy in those hills SHADOW BEAR

Where is the Bear?????????????Shadow.......at ----- Original Message ----- From: shadowbear270@webtv.net Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2006 10:38 AM To: CHEROKEE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [Cherokee Circle] Fishing when I worked in Oregon and Washington==went to Mt. St. Helena for fishing and camping==great place==one time there was a fire==guess what? got drafted to fight fire ==one trail in and out ==I think maybe I lasted about 1/2 hour ==went down to the ground and could not catch my breath ==give those fire fighters much credit for what they do== not easy in those hills SHADOW BEAR ==== CHEROKEE Mailing List ==== <<>OPEN forum to all Cherokee topics - except Genealogy<>> <>Culture-History-Language-Folk lore and Truths<> Good Manners & Language is required to be on the list ALL the links you will need to sub and unsub or contact listowner below http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Ethnic-Native/CHEROKEE.html ============================== Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashxGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com

Greetings and many apologies Buffalo Friends. We have had some technical challenges with our email. This week's Update was sent Thursday, as usual, and you already should have gotten it. It appears it never got out and our email administrator has asked that we resend it. We apologize for any duplicates you may receive and apologize for the delay. With the Buffalo ~ BFC Buffalo Field Campaign Update from the Field February 23, 2006 ------------------------------ View Exclusive Video Footage & Photos: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org ------------------------------ Make a Secure Online Donation to BFC: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/pcshop2/bazaar.html ------------------------------ Join BFC on the Front Lines - Volunteer! http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutus/volunteeringatcamp.html ------------------------------ Why are they killing the last wild buffalo? http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/issueinbrief.html ------------------------------ In this issue: * Update from the Field * Hold the Park Service Accountable! * Last Call for Quarantine Comments, Due Feb. 27th * BFC Supporter and Artist to Auction Award-winning Work for BFC * A BuffaLove Thank You! * Last Words ------------------------------ * Update from the Field On Friday, along Yellowstone's northern boundary in Gardiner, the National Park Service once again emptied the Stephens Creek bison trap. They sent the last 30 of 266 wild buffalo to slaughter, where they have died in horror like cattle, on cold concrete, without honor, without ceremony or respect. Yellowstone's latest kill resulted in the unnecessary slaughter of 849 wild buffalo. Management actions and hunters have killed 903 buffalo since September. And the Park Service has not only slaughtered wild buffalo, but they have handed over 86 wild calves to a government-funded quarantine experiment (see below, third section). These actions by the National Park Service are criminal. The NPS continues to ignore the public's outcry against the buffalo slaughter and when we question and challenge their actions, they only say "It's in the Plan." They dodge our questions, ignore our protest, and shirk their responsibility to protect the wild buffalo in their care. Just within the week, the NPS was invited to participate in two separate radio interviews to discuss their position. A radio station in Boulder, CO (KGNU), as well as World Talk Radio's American Indian Movement Today invited the agency to explain their involvement in Yellowstone bison slaughter. The NPS refused. They either wouldn't return numerous phone calls or simply stated that they are "tired of discussing the issue." This attitude by taxpayer-funded public servants tends to demonstrate their belief that they are above the law and accountable to none, a trait of the current Administration. But, such isn't the case. The NPS is accountable to the American people, to the citizens of of this country, and we have asked them time and again to stop killing wild buffalo and start taking proactive steps to ensure their future within and beyond Yellowstone. The NPS has chosen to become the puppet of the cattle industry. We must sharpen our voices and cut the puppet strings. We must refuse to be ignored. While the Park Service turns a cold shoulder, Mother Nature responded with an arctic blast. Throughout much of western Montana, temperatures dropped to a frigid -45. Nevertheless, while most hunkered down within heated walls to ride the cold snap out, BFC patrols faced the temperatures and stood in the field with the buffalo. Winters are harsh in Yellowstone country and food is scarce this time of year. Safeguarding energy reserves can mean the difference between life and death for many animals. Though buffalo are one of the toughest animals around, facing both blizzards and predators, they, too, can suffer the Winter's chilly grip. As if Winter weren't challenging enough, the buffalo must also suffer the current management scheme. On Saturday, here in West Yellowstone, eleven buffalo were spotted on the ice of Hebgen Lake. They stayed bedded down on the ice for quite a long time. When they rose, they stood frozen as if statues. After some hours they began to move with slow intention over the ice, trying to make their way west out of the deep snows towards the lush Madison Valley. For days we stood with this mixed group - calves, yearlings, young bulls, young females and pregnant mamas - as they were faced with the challenges of highway 287, deep snowbanks, drifts and cutting winds. Eventually they settled in an area of aspens and firs for a few short days. On Tuesday, Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), Park Service, Gallatin County Sheriff, and US Forest Service agents arrived on snowmobiles, ATVs and trucks to haze this exhausted and hungry herd over twelve miles of asphalt back to Yellowstone's boundary. Ironically, the area where the haze began is closed to snowmobiles and protected as "elk winter range." And elk, like buffalo leave Yellowstone because food is hard to find there in the winter, it is not suitable winter habitat for many wildlife species. Yet, only the buffalo are held prisoner to Yellowstone's boundaries, forced to remain within an area in which it is difficult to survive. Montana's zero-tolerance policy still manifests itself in the driving off of wild buffalo from critical winter range, while other animals are free to come and go, free to survive. With the Stephens Creek trap now empty, the Park Service says they will "only" haze for the next couple of weeks, but they are poised to capture and slaughter again. The DOL continues to plow trap sites on the Park's western boundary, themselves poised for capture and slaughter. However, hope is on the horizon. Voices are rising, outrage is swelling, more and more people are speaking out against the mal-treatment of the country's last wild buffalo. Momentum is building within Indian country, as more Native voices are rising in defense of the buffalo. All of us, together, will create the change. That change feels urgent and far away when we're faced with so much slaughter, so many buffalo being harassed and killed. But, patience is a lesson that the buffalo teach us. They are strong survivors. Like the buffalo resist being fenced in by politics, we must resist the status quo fed to us by the government and cattle industry. The "bottom line" is not theirs, we do not accept their ultimatums. The government does not have the luxury of ignoring us, of pushing their own agenda, destroying wild freedom in an effort to create a controlled, "manageable" environment to appease the economic interests of the cattle industry. Our persistence is making a positive impact. Keep the pressure on and refuse to be ignored. Please continue to contact these decision-makers: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/politicians.html Please, also, incorporate these solutions into your messages: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/solutions05.html Spread the word ~ Save the herd! Thank you for being with us and for being a strong voice for the last wild buffalo. With the Buffalo, ~Stephany ------------------------------ * Hold the Park Service Accountable! On Wednesday March 1, Secretary of the Interior, Gail Norton, will be appearing before the House Interior Appropriations Committee. Secretary Norton will be answering questions about her agencies' expenditures and requests for the coming year. Issues relating to the National Park Service and particularly the buffalo slaughter in Yellowstone are sure to come up in the hearing. If one of the following Representatives is from your district, please take the time to write or call. Secretary Norton must be held accountable for the slaughter of nearly 900 wild buffalo at the hands of the National Park Service. Even if your Representative is not on the Interior Appropriations Committee, please call or write asking them to co-sponsor HR 2428, "The Yellowstone Buffalo Preservation Act", and to support future legislation to protect wild buffalo. For information on how to contact you Congressperson, visit our web site at <http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/politicians.html>http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/politicians.html under the heading "Congress." House of Representative Interior Appropriations Committee Charles H. Taylor, NC (R - Chairman) Norman D. Dicks, WA (D - Ranking Member) Zach Wamp, TN (R) James P. Moran, VA (D) John E. Peterson, PA (R) Maurice D. Hinchey, NY (D) Don Sherwood, PA (R) John W. Olver, MA (D) Ernest J. Istook, Jr., OK (R) Alan B. Mollohan, WV (D) Robert Aderholt, AL (R) John Doolittle, CA (R) Michael K. Simpson, ID (R - Vice Chair) ------------------------------ * Last Call for Quarantine Comments - Due February 27 Last Thursday in Gardiner, BFC attended a public meeting the quarantine plan. The meeting, which we requested, was hosted by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) and the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). There was a large turnout and when it came time for the public to give their comments, not a single person spoke in favor of quarantine. The current quarantine facility is just miles north of Yellowstone National Park, across the road from Church Universal & Triumphant (CUT) lands. Anyone can pull over to see the baby buffalo prison, where "science" is "helping" the buffalo, while right across the road cattle roam free. The wild buffalo calves are surrounded by two layers of tall electric fence. They are tagged like livestock. They are fed hay like cattle. They will be run through tests and handled by scientists. They will breed for these scientists to do more tests. More than half will be slaughtered. Those that "graduate" will be transplanted to unknown lands. This is the governments idea for "restoring" wild buffalo to the landscape. They want to "clean" them up, but they violate the wild buffalo. The government made statements like "training them to be wild" and "it's a lot like ranching." They want us to belive that it's this way or no way at all. They cannot see that they are essentially domesticating the buffalo, and that the people have other ideas for how buffalo might be restored. How about naturally? How about fencing in cattle, focusing efforts on cattle-based risk management, opening habitat for wild buffalo and resisting the human desire to manipulate and control? The spokesmen for the quarantine plan are proud of their goals and objectives. They truly believe that their intrusive, degrading science is the only way to "bring back" the bison. They really couldn't understand why people are so against such a "great" effort to "restore" wild buffalo! But the government doesn't get it. We certainly have fundamental and philosophical differences. Ours is to live and let live, while the government's is control and manage, dissect and experiment. The Mystery of life is lost on them, and they cannot see the forest for the trees. The buffalo don't need that kind of "help;" what they need is the respect to live their lives freely. Wild buffalo are doing for their species what science could never do. The buffalo are restoring themselves, and the government is getting in the way. Monday, February 27th is the final day for sending in your comments about the quarantine plan. Please let the government hear from you and speak strongly and from the heart. Contact information as well as the truth about quarantine can be found at: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/actionalerts.html. ------------------------------ * BFC Supporter and Artist to Auction Award-winning Work for BFC This one of a kind gourd bowl was created by me, Melanie Kelley. When I started it I fully intended to create a piece that was simply to show off my talents. It was never my intention to try to sell it. I needed a show-stopper in my booth. I needed a piece to enter into the many contests that occur in the art shows that I do. The kind of piece that folks would simply marvel at but never purchase. It did it's job very well and I won several awards with it. Now, it is time to put it to better use.... to help save our beloved Yellowstone buffalo. Auction begins March 2, 5 PM EST. To view a picture, read more about the piece, and learn how to place a bid: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/bisonmerchandise/bisonart022306.html ------------------------------ *A BuffaLove Thank You! Thanks to the generosity and beautiful hearts of BFC supporters, our Valentine's Day card fund raiser brought in over $1,100 for the defense of America's last wild and free-roaming bison herd. Watch this space for a similar opportunity to donate for Mother's Day...we'll send a card on your behalf to the special women in your life. Many heartfelt thanks to writer and artist Kathleen Stachowski, for her wild and talented heart at work for the buffalo! ------------------------------ * Last Words "We are doomed as a culture if we cannot learn to nurture our natural environment with compassion and reverence. Unnecessary persecution of wild bison is as rampant today as it was when we wiped them off the plains 125 years ago. The only thing that has changed is the excuse we make for killing them." Don Woerner, DVM ----------------------------- -- Media & Outreach Buffalo Field Campaign P.O. Box 957 West Yellowstone, MT 59758 406-646-0070 bfc-media@wildrockies.org http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org BFC is the only group working in the field every day to defend the last wild herd of buffalo in America. Stay informed! Get our weekly email Updates from the Field: Send your email address to Stop-the-Slaughter-on@vortex.wildrockies.org BOYCOTT BEEF! It's what's killing wild buffalo. Speak Out! Contact politicians and involved agencies today: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/politicians.html Write a Letter to the Editor of key newspapers: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/lte.html Help the buffalo by recycling your used cell phones & printer cartridges: It's free and easy. http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/support/recycleprint.html.

Yep 44 is good for me :) Its 48 degrees right now at 2:14 pm YIPPEEE :) And its SO beautiful out right now. I wish the garden wasn't so soggy wet I'd go work on it while everyone's semi sleeping (the 2 oldest boys are playing instead of sleeping :) Alli > 44 is ok. any thing above freezing and not drenched. > You can cover them with something at night. > > Dan M

--WebTV-Mail-15335-181 Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7Bit SHADOW BEAR --WebTV-Mail-15335-181 Content-Disposition: Inline Content-Type: Message/RFC822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7Bit X-WebTV-Signature: 1 ETAsAhRDyuASJ/z9Y8RuCUqTob6ZGs7eXgIUIHLuF8zRTcsl12jvFUaTyoll998= From: shadowbear270@webtv.net (shadowbear270) Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2006 20:01:41 -0600 To: CHEROKEE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Road to N.C. Message-ID: <75-43FE6905-2182@storefull-3236.bay.webtv.net> Content-Disposition: Inline Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7Bit MIME-Version: 1.0 (WebTV) That last post got away from me==we ate real good off the land ==we had alot of dried meat with us and corn we tried to stay away from towns remember indians were not welcome we got across the Ohio river ==got a train east of Memphis (I think I could not walk another step that was a long train I think it went thru most of Tenn.We sure knew how to walk ==anyway we were learning==any way we got to N.C.talking about hills ==as wore out as We were here come more hills==sure was pretty we had to get my name ona gov. list this is where my fathers family is (second part) SHADOW BEAR --WebTV-Mail-15335-181--

Gift to the Hummingbird - Mayan Tzunuum, the hummingbird, was created by the Great Spirit as a tiny, delicate bird with extraordinary flying ability. She was the only bird in the kingdom who could fly backwards and who could hover in one spot for several seconds. The hummingbird was very plain. Her feathers had no bright colors, yet she didn't mind. Tzunuum took pride in her flying skill and was happy with her life despite her looks. When it came time to be married, Tzunuum found that she had neither a wedding gown nor a necklace. She was so disappointed and sad that some of her best friends decided to create a wedding dress and jewelry as a surprise. Ya, the vermilion-crowned flycatcher wore a gay crimson ring of feathers around his throat in those days. He decided to use it as his gift. So he tucked a few red plumes in his crown and gave the rest to the hummingbird for her necklace. Uchilchil, the bluebird, generously donated several blue feathers for her gown. The vain motmot, not to be outdone, offered more turquoise blue and emerald green. The cardinal, likewise, gave some red ones. Then, Yuyum, the oriole, who was an excellent tailor as well as an engineer, sewed up all the plumage into an exquisite wedding gown for the little hummingbird. Ah-leum, the spider, crept up with a fragile web woven of shiny gossamer threads for her veil. She helped Mrs. Yuyum weave intricate designs into the dress. Canac, the honeybee, heard about the wedding and told all his friends who knew and liked the hummingbird. They brought much honey and nectar for the reception and hundreds of blossoms that were Tzunuum's favorites. Then the azar tree dropped a carpet of petals over the ground where the ceremony would take place. She offered to let Tzunuum and her groom spend their honeymoon in her branches. Pakal, the orange tree, put out sweet-smelling blossoms, as did Nicte, the plumeria vine. Haaz (the banana bush), Op the custard apple tree) and Pichi and Put (the guava and papaya bushes) made certain that their fruits were ripe so the wedding guests would find delicious refreshments. And, finally, a large band of butterflies in all colors arrived to dance and flutter gaily around the hummingbird's wedding site. When the wedding day arrived, Tzunuum was so surprised, happy and grateful that she could barely twitter her vows. The Great Spirit so admired her humble, honest soul that he sent word down with his messenger, Cozumel, the swallow, that the hummingbird could wear her wedding gown for the rest of her life. And, to this day, she has. How did the humility of one long-ago hummingbird cause its descendants to sport brilliant colors? From Blue Panther Keeper of Stories.