| DATE: |
11 August 2001 |
| TO: |
ALL DINE'H SUPPORTERS WORLDWIDE |
| FROM: |
SENAA International and Roberta Blackgoat |
| SUBJECT: |
Two Very Important Announcements Concerning Dine'h Support |
Recently, SENAA International has been conferring with Dine'h Elder Roberta Blackgoat about Dine'h support and plans for two events that will take place between now and Thanksgiving 2001. Today, SENAA International received a letter from Roberta Blackgoat, in which she set the dates for these events and made a request of SENAA International. This release announces the nature of these events and the dates that they will occur, as well as the nature of Roberta's request. A photo copy of Roberta Blackgoat's letter can be viewed on SENAA's web site at:
http://www.senaa.org/robertaletter.htm
All Dine'h supporters worldwide are asked to participate.
EVENT #1: A Worldwide Prayer Gathering
On 12 October 2001, also known as the "International Solidarity With Indigenous Peoples Day," SENAA and Roberta Blackgoat will host a Worldwide Prayer Gathering.
We invite ALL Dine'h supporters around the world to participate in this event. It will NOT require any travel of any great distance, it will cost no money, and it will fulfill a very important aspect of Dine'h culture that has been missing from previous support efforts.
Between now and 12 October, Roberta Blackgoat, with assistance from a SENAA representative, will meet with Dine'h elders at Black Mesa to plan a gathering of the elders and their families on the target date. The gathering of elders will be for the purpose of prayer and Ceremony to thank Creator for giving them strength to endure for so long and to ask Creator to set in motion the events necessary to bring victory to Dine'h in a way that will allow them to remain on their ancestral lands without restriction, persecution, or the threat of eviction or further livestock impoundments. The gathering at Black Mesa will be restricted to Dine'h and any traditionalist Hopi that Dine'h elders might invite. However, there will be a simultaneous meeting of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Black Mesa supporters that will take place during the Dine'h Ceremony.
During the same 24 to 48 hours that the elders will be gathered for prayer and ceremony, SENAA asks that ALL Dine'h supporters around the world join the grandmothers and grandfathers in prayer. There will be no need to travel and every person is urged to pray according to his or her own spiritual preferences. Although there will be no travel involved for supporters, this WILL be a gathering, a gathering of spirits in prayer and ceremony. We will all be united for a common cause, and our spirits will come together at a spiritual place from the four quarters of Mother Earth, joining with the spirits of Dine'h from the four corners area known by Black Mesa Dine'h as "The Altar."
For details of the "Worldwide Prayer Gathering" and why it is so important to this movement, please visit SENAA's Newsletter page at:
http://www.senaa.org/index2.html beginning Sunday, 12 August. On the Newsletter page, click on the "Worldwide Prayer Gathering" link near the top of the page.
EVENT #2:
Delivery of Roberta Blackgoat's Petition to Congress
During Roberta Blackgoat's recent visit to Sweden (see details at
SENAA
Sweden's Web site), she distributed copies of her newest petition of the U.S. government, the BIA, and Peabody and announced that, after gathering sufficient signatures, she would present them, in person, to the Congress of the United States. Roberta has now set a tentative date when she will make the presentation.
Roberta Blackgoat wishes to present the petition signatures to Congress as close to Thanksgiving Day as possible. In her letter to SENAA International, she asked SENAA to raise the money for her round trip ticket to Washington, D.C. and back to Black Mesa. SENAA will honor that request by doing fundraisers and by asking you, the Black Mesa Dine'h supporters worldwide to help by contributing whatever you are able to help with Roberta's transportation, food, and lodging required for the trip. (See Notice and mailing address at the end of this announcement for instructions and special notice concerning contributions.)
Since flying is the quickest means and the least stressful, SENAA asks that supporters keep in mind the cost of round trip air fare from Phoenix to Washington, D.C. when making contributions. The estimated cost of round trip air fare will be posted as soon as SENAA can get the details, which should be sometime within the next 24 hours.
SENAA also reminds supporters that Roberta Blackgoat is a respected Dine'h Elder who has fought long and hard for her people. Most of you will recall that, when empty promises fell through regarding Kee Shay's legal expenses for his Exclusion Hearing, Roberta loaned Kee Shay the money for his attorney fees in order to ensure that his expenses were paid, giving SENAA the time necessary to generate the funds, which we repaid to Roberta Blackgoat. Roberta Blackgoat is a woman of honor. As a woman dedicated to her people, she deserves our help. SENAA asks all Dine'h supporters who are able to please help Roberta fulfill this important undertaking.
Another consideration will be Roberta's need for a traveling companion to help her carry the reams of paper bearing the many petition signatures that supporters have gathered and sent to her since she began circulating the petition. This is a detail that Roberta has not yet informed SENAA about. Watch SENAA's web sites for updates.
Roberta's petition can be found on and printed from
SENAA Sweden's
Web site.
NOTICE:
All contributions should be mailed DIRECTLY to either Roberta Blackgoat or to SENAA International. These are the ONLY authorized recipients of funds for this project. If anyone else claims to be authorized by Roberta Blackgoat or anyone else to receive funds for her travel to Washington, D.C., their claims are false and should be reported to SENAA International at once. Mailing addresses are given at the end of this announcement.
SENAA would rather see contributions mailed directly to Roberta Blackgoat. If you send funds to Roberta directly, please include a note to let Roberta know that your contribution is to go toward transportation, food, and lodging for her trip to Washington, D.C. SENAA asks, too, that you e-mail us at
senaa@senaa.org and let us know how much you have contributed, so we will know when Roberta's needs have been met.
If you wish to receive a tax deduction for your contribution, SENAA International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To receive the deduction, your contribution will have to come through our bank account. SENAA cannot issue a receipt for Contributions going directly to Roberta Blackgoat. SENAA issues receipts by return mail for all contributions coming through our account.
MAILING ADDRESSES:
