Is Christie celebrating Black History Month?

by: Rosi Efthim

Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 04:12:22 PM EST

Input search terms "Black History Month" + "State of New Jersey" and sure, stuff pops up. You get LG/Secretary of State Kim Guadagno's page for ... oh no ... wait .... no, that's from Nina Wells, Corzine's woman at State, last year. Also, this website from the Corzine years, entirely devoted to Black History Month, with a history lesson and profiles.

Add "Chris Christie" to your search terms and you get ... nothing. And zero on the Governor's official website, still reveling in his swearing-in.

But he's not so snowed under fixing our economy that he lacks time for the fun stuff. Why, just yesterday, he had a photo op right in his office where he was presented "letters of welcome" by students in each of the state's 5 dioceses - part of Catholic Schools' Week, overlapping 6 days of Black History Month. He's got some time.

Well, he's already missed Morris County Prosecutor's Office event last Monday (featuring Paula Dow), practically in his back yard. And this talk at Newark Library on how "our story" is written. But he can still get to:

Pandora's Box - The Backlash

by: carolh

Tue Aug 11, 2009 at 06:28:25 PM EDT

Members of these two tribes have been denied not only their very history, (by the report approved by the Secretary of State and the Governor) and the very artifacts made by their own family members, they have even been denied VETERAN'S  benefits by the Newark VA and have had their Federal VA benefits, disability benefits, and even the funding for the Indian museum in Paterson recently cut.  (The museum funding was cut immediately after I blogged about it as a place for the public to go and learn about the NJ Sand Hill Band of Lenape & Cherokee Indians tribe and see pictures of their Indian crafts store from decades ago.)  

There are known attempts to actually discredit these folks at colleges around the state.  I have found slanderous letters written about the NJ Sand Hill Band of Lenape & Cherokee Indians to history professors in NJ, and know of ham-fisted attempts to silence bloggers who are sympathetic to their plight.  Someone has seen to it that even the Wikipedia entry about Native Americans in NJ wipes them off the map while mentioning three OTHER tribes claiming recognition, two of which are not indigenous to NJ.  In fact, New Jersey does not have any recognized tribes, according to the Governor, who goes so far as to say that there is no criteria for recognition.  Nevertheless, the Governor?s predecessors HAVE celebrated the Sand Hill Band of Lenape and Cherokee as the oldest indigenous tribe in NJ.

It appears our own government (just who in the government is still a mystery) wants to silence these folks by actually denying them military and state benefits and any semblance of a mention even on the internet, which is why my blog diaries incur so much wrath.   (Or perhaps  Creed is simply short for Screed).

Chairman Holloway, a former marine and police officer, has had his home broken into, has been accosted on the street, and is constantly under surveillance.  I worry every day about his safety. Before this lawsuit, Chairman Yonaguska had been scheduled to speak at an event in Weehawken about the 400th Anniversary of Hudson meeting the Lenape.  Suddenly, his invitation was revoked.  By whose orders?

Chairman Holloway's cousin is the closest living relative to the 1500 year old Lenape remains found in Paterson and repatriated to his family, and the man who helped the Ramapough re-organize themselves, and the former Chief of the oldest indigenous tribe which was the ONLY recognized Tribe by the Smithsonian in 1948.  He is also very well known at the UN for his work with indigenous peoples around the world, but he too was denied his Veteran's benefits for what appears to be his role of speaking out on behalf of the NJ Sand Hill Band of Lenape & Cherokee Indians.

Another Native American from the Ani~Tsalagi Onaselagi NE Band tribe - one of the oldest Cherokee tribes in NJ, is waiting on a response from Veterans disability TDIU, in Newark.  He has been fighting these folks since 1983. They have been ordered by the Secretary of thel VA under Bush to address this, and the new Secretary of the VA has also concluded that he is entitled under the law to RECEIVE these benefits.  Despite two different Secretaries of the VA intervening, Newark has actually increased its "run around" since the NJ Sand Hill Band of Lenape & Cherokee Indians Band of Lenape & Cherokee Indians have filed their lawsuit and the Ani~Tsalagi Onaselagi NE Band Onaselagi became publicly known as allies.

Another tribal member, a Cherokee grandmother, retired as a senior truant officer in a NJ city and was denied her full disability and insurance with more than 27 years on the job.  She was one of the founders of the truancy task force and is the grandmother of children who are also tribal members of the Ani~Tsalagi Onaselagi Northeastern Band and have allegedly been discriminated against by their school district for being Native American.  Because of the denial of benefits after 27 years on the job, she's lost her home, her insurance, her health has deteriorated because of her medical condition and stress, and she has even been denied back pay because of convenient "filing errors".  Her ordeal has been dragging on for a year.  

Allegedly, someone wants the Lenape-Cherokee and now the Cherokee-Lenape punished. Genocide is an apt word.  Denying retired grandmothers and disabled veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and/or fought in Special Ops during Viet Nam, their benefits, is reprehensible.  If that isn't genocide, it might as well be.  

About the NJ Commission on Indian Affairs, though.  What is the Commission's alleged motivation for denying recognition of the oldest indigenous tribe in NJ?   That is where this all starts and where it must be rectified.

If the Commissioners finally recognize the NJ Sand Hill Band of Lenape & Cherokee Indians as the oldest indigenous tribe in NJ and the Ani~Tsalagi Onaselagi NE Band as one of the oldest Cherokee tribes in NJ, it may diminish their role.   After all, the Ramapough, which one of the Commissioners comes from, is technically no longer a tribe, while some are descended from Lenape, they were considered simply a group that was once called the Jackson Whites with no formal tribal structure at all, until a former Chief of the NJ Sand Hill Band of Lenape & Cherokee Indians helped them form their non-profit organization in the 1970's.  The very man the Chair of the Indian Commission disrespected when he appeared in front of the NJ Indian Commission in September.   His factual accounts of the formation of the Ramapough, as well as how the other two tribes in NJ came to exist, may be uncomfortable for the Commissioners to admit, but the truth is the truth.  

Members of the NJ Sand Hill Band of Lenape & Cherokee Indians and the Ani~Tsalagi Onaselagi, have been treated terribly by the Federal Government and the State of NJ and the VA of Newark, while the Indian Commissioners prance around the state claiming to care about Native Americans.   Perhaps you can sense the anger in my writing. I am sorry, but this cannot be allowed to continue.  I demand the Governor investigate the mistreatment and the stonewalling, and the denial of benefits simply because someone in Trenton or Newark - perhaps on the Indian Commission, but perhaps not, wants these individuals to disappear, or literally die from lack of benefits.

We should demand the IMMEDIATE restoration of earned military or government benefits for ANY members of the NJ Sand Hill Band of Lenape & Cherokee Indians Band of Lenape-Cherokee or the Ani~Tsalagi Onaselagi NE Band Onaselagi Northeastern Band who have been retaliated against.

What is truly frightening and infuriating is that the VA of Newark can so flagrantly disregard orders from the Secretary of the VA so they can continue to discriminate against indigenous veterans for speaking up.  Whose orders are they following?  

Pandora's Box Opened - NJ Sand Hill Band of Indians files Lawsuit in Newark

by: carolh

Tue Feb 17, 2009 at 04:53:46 PM EST

Chief Ron Yonaguska Holloway answered questions for NBC news, NJN news, and the Star Ledger reporters at 50 Walnut Street in Newark about how the situation resulted in a lawsuit.  Chief Yonaguska Holloway explained the treaty laws involved that had been violated and reiterated that the Governor had refused to even meet with the tribes, despite repeated requests over several years.

Also present today were Principal Chief Darius Two Bears Ross of the Ani Tsalagi Onaselagi, Principal Chief Carroll Medicine Crow Holloway of the New Jersey Sand Hill Band of Lenape and Cherokee Indians as well as several other Native Americans. This was a very serious occasion for the Chiefs to be present.

It is unfortunate that the stubborn-ness of the Governor and the Secretary of State to resolve this issue peacefully over the past 2 years has resulted in this lawsuit.  Both the Ani Tsalagi and Sand Hill Band had made repeated requests to be included in the Commission on Indian Affairs or even in the report on Native Americans that the Governor KNEW was false, since it left out mention of the Sand Hill Band and the Ani Tsalagi.  

And so we are here.  Our NJ Governor is being sued for knowingly violating the civil rights of our indegenous peoples by ignoring their rights altogether.  And it may cost us all quite a bit of money.  The amount listed in the suit, which is actually LESS than the current value of the property and water rights taken, is roughly $1 trillion.  Yes. Trillion with a T.  

As an elected official I try my best to uphold the laws of NJ and stay out of lawsuits by bargaining in good faith.  By completely ignoring the rights of the two tribes in question - for whatever reason, our Governor and appointed officials in NJ on the NJ Commission on American Indian Affairs have let us down by not even bothering to address this issue till it got to this point.

The following is the exact text of the suit that was filed today.  There is a lot of legal text here, but the gist is that the Governor and Secretary of State as well as the NJ Commission on American Indian Affairs basically knowingly conspired to eliminate the existence of the oldest indigenous tribe in the state of NJ and in so doing violated nearly every treaty with the Sand Hill Band ever signed.

Pandora's Box - Update #2 - Lawsuit

by: carolh

Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 05:27:09 PM EST

I just received the following press release.  They will be filing a lawsuit.  A rather large one, from the looks of it.  The words "multi-billion dollar" sort of jump off the page.

The fact that the State of NJ recently yanked funding for the NJ Indian Office, which has gotten money since its founding by Chief Revey in the 1950's, won't make the State of NJ look very good in court....

A press conference will be held to explain the details next week.  For anyone interested in more details, please see any of my diaries on this topic.  I have links to video and background documents.

PRESS RELEASE:  

Over the past six years, with an increased effort over the last three (3) years, there has been an attempt to eradicate the existence of two Native American tribes living in New Jersey- The New Jersey Sand Hill Band of Lenape & Cherokee Indians and the Ani Tsalagi Onaselagi Northeastern Band.   All attempts to settle the issues quietly and peacefully by these two Tribes have failed due to the actions taken by the State of New Jersey and its elected and/or appointed officials.

On February 17, 2009, The Chairman of the New Jersey Sand Hill Band Of Lenape & Cherokee Indians will file a law suit. This multi billion dollar, 44 page Federal suit deals with, but is not exclusive to: The Violation of Civil Rights and discrimination by the Governor and Secretary of State of New Jersey; Collusion, Restoration of Tribal Lands, Water rights, Hunting and Fishing rights, and Remuneration from seventeen (17) Counties, Governor Jon Corzine; Secretary of State, Nina Wells; and the NJ Commission on American Indian Affairs

This Lawsuit will impact upcoming elections, have ramifications for New Jersey taxpayers and change the face of New Jersey itself.

Please go to the link provided for more information.  You will see that there are many documents and videos available for you to read and/or to listen to in order to get some background on the issues that lead to the suit.  

http://www.bluejersey.com/show...

Press Conference will be held by the New Jersey Sand Hill Band of Lenape & Cherokee Indians immediately after filing.

Date:  February 17, 2009
Time:  11:00 AM
Place:  U.S. District Court of NJ: Martin Luther King Building & U.S. Courthouse,
          50 Walnut Street, Newark, NJ

For more information: runstream@aol.com

We'll just have to sit tight till next week to find out more.  

Green Jersey

by: Jay Lassiter

Mon Sep 17, 2007 at 02:35:56 PM EDT

Farmer Johnson, click pic to enlarge the fall colors

Thanks to a just-released report from Rutgers University the economic impact is now easy to quantify.  Secretary of Agriculture Charles Kuperus came down to Johnson's Farm to announce the good news and the numbers are impressive: agritourism puts over $57m into the state's coffers annually.  And that number is growing. 

First, a baseline definition of agritourism is, according the Rutgers study, "the business of establishing farms as travel destinations for educational and recreational purposes."

And I know what you're thinking, $57.5 million bucks is a lot of hayrides.  But it's a lot more than that.  There's the ol' pick your own Jersey fresh (whatever), U-cut Christmas tree, bird watching, fishing, B-n-B's, petting zoos, wineries, tours, et al.  Oh and how could I forget the ubiquitous corn maze?

Kuperus, Wells want you to Visit a NJ farm.

As noted by the report's primary author Brian Schilling the calculus is pretty simple:  Good cliamte+good soil+dense population = agri-tourism boom.  It's already happening which is pretty cool when you think about it.

Note to readers: last week on Blue Jersey BlogTalk Radio i lamented that Jerseyfresh peaches are no longer in season. I was wrong about that.  You still have a few weeks to get your peach on.