PROMISES, PROMISES: Indian health care's victims

PROMISES, PROMISES: Indian health care's victims

BY MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press Writer The Associated Press

Monday, June 15, 2009 8:56 AM EDT

This July 2005 photo provided by the Little Light Family shows Ta'shon Rain Little... (AP Photo/Little Light Family)

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PROMISES, PROMISES: Indian health care's victims

This should take you to the rest of the article, I hope, if not let me know

CROW AGENCY, Mont. (AP) — Ta'Shon Rain Little Light, a happy little girl who loved to dance and dress up in traditional American Indian clothes, had stopped eating and walking. She complained constantly to her mother that her stomach hurt.

When Stephanie Little Light took her daughter to the Indian Health Service clinic in this wind-swept and remote corner of Montana, they told her the 5-year-old was depressed.

Ta'Shon's pain rapidly worsened and she visited the clinic about 10 more times over several months before her lung collapsed and she was airlifted to a children's hospital in Denver. There she was diagnosed with terminal cancer, confirming the suspicions of family members.

A few weeks later, a charity sent the whole family to Disney World so Ta'Shon could see Cinderella's Castle, her biggest dream. She never got to see the castle, though. She died in her hotel bed soon after the family arrived in Florida.

"Maybe it would have been treatable," says her great-aunt, Ada White, as she stoically recounts the last few months of Ta'Shon's short life. Stephanie Little Light cries as she recalls how she once forced her daughter to walk when she was in pain because the doctors told her it was all in the little girl's head.

Ta'Shon's story is not unique in the Indian Health Service system, which serves almost 2 million American Indians in 35 states.

On some reservations, the oft-quoted refrain is "don't get sick after June," when the federal dollars run out. It's a sick joke, and a sad one, because it's sometimes true, especially on the poorest reservations where residents cannot afford health insurance. Officials say they have about half of what they need to operate, and patients know they must be dying or about to lose a limb to get serious care.

Wealthier tribes can supplement the federal health service budget with their own money. But poorer tribes, often those on the most remote reservations, far away from city hospitals, are stuck with grossly substandard care. The agency itself describes a "rationed health care system."

Video: Where have all the salmon gone?

90 percent of the Chinook salmon along the California-Oregon coast have disappeared, causing the salmon fishing season to be canceled for the second year in a row. This is causing havoc for coastal economies.

Fri, Jun 12 2009 at 12:20 PM EST

http://www.mnn.com/business/finance/stories/video-where-have-all-the-salmon-gone

General Motors new plants in China. Buffalohair: Than Shwe Panhandles

General Motors new plants in China. Buffalohair: Than Shwe Panhandles

I’m still amazed that General Motors closed shop in the US and Canada only to build new plants in China. Are they going to capitalize on the 80 million slaves in China’s secretive Gulag System? Maybe it’s just the fact China has no labor or environmental regulations. Laughable they plan to build and send cars to the US and Canadian markets. Oh well, to bad, so sad after all its all about the corporate bottom line. I would not have noticed this tidbit if it were not for Than Shwe’s pandering. Thanks Than Shwe for the focus on China.

Buffalohair: Than Shwe Panhandles

http://buffalohair.wordpress.com/

Custer Rides Again in McDonald's Happy Meal

Custer Rides Again in McDonald's Happy Meal

Say it isn't so! Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer has invaded Lakota country again, this time through the Happy Meals sold to little children at McDonald's.

Bobbie DuBray, Administrative Assistant for the Lakota Peoples Law Project was not only shocked by this apparent display of racial insensitivity, but also angered by it.

DuBray says, "I went through the drive thru at McDonalds on East North Street to get a Happy Meal for my five-year-old son. I got home and my brother opened the meal and found the Custer doll." She said he then asked her to come and look at what he found. To her shock it was Custer toy. Her son wanted the toy and she told him, "No. that's a bad toy." She said that her 10 year old daughter did not understand why the toy was bad. She and her mother, Betty Handley, then gave the girl a history lesson "My daughter was not taught about this in school. What are they teaching our children?" she asked.

DuBray, visibly upset by this experience, said, "I think it's insulting. It's like handing out KKK dolls in the south where there are a lot of Blacks."

Belva Morrison, Indian Child Welfare Specialist for the Lakota Law Project, said that DuBray told her about the doll incident this morning. Morrison said, "It is insensitive for local merchants to hand out these dolls where there is a large Indian population. They should have thought twice about promoting these figurines. I don't believe we're overacting. I think we are not tolerating things like this anymore. They're targeting young kids whose minds are easily impressed."

Pam Duncan, executive director for United Sioux Tribes, when asked about the Custer figurines said, "Why are they honoring Custer? I don't know how they [McDonalds] could be so insensitive. Especially the way we are experiencing racism right now. That's teaching our kids the wrong culture."

Dana Knight a mother, and a United Sioux Tribes employee said, "I don't want no Custer in my house."

Tim Swimmer who happened to be nearby offered his comment. He said, "It's like history is repeating itself." He was bothered by the apparent insensitivity shown by the McDonald's chain to a very sensitive issue in Lakota country. Custer is best known to the Lakota as an "Indian killer," and as the man who attacked an encampment of the Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho at the Little Big Horn and paid the ultimate price for this folly. He was the head of the 7th Cavalry unit that attacked a sleeping camp of Cheyenne/Arapaho on the Washita in Oklahoma ruthlessly slaughtering men, women and children.

Josh Ullmark, Restaurant Manager of the McDonald's on East North Street, the McDonald's most frequented by Native Americans, said he was aware that the Custer figurines were being distributed in the Happy Meals. When Ullmark was asked for a comment he offered an 800 number for McDonalds Midwest Regional Office in Peoria, Illinois and refused to comment.

The Happy Meal prize shows the man they labeled "General Custer" (he was a Lt. Colonel) riding a motorcycle and his figurine is accompanied by a card explaining a bit of Custer's history. "Ever hear of Custer's last stand? It was named after George Armstrong Custer who lead (their spelling) his troops into the battle at Little Big Horn," the card reads.

The question that immediately came to the mind of Jason Wolters, an Oglala Lakota, was, "I don't think the big shots at McDonald's realize what an insult this is to the Lakota people. Here was a man responsible for the death of many Lakota and a man responsible for discovering the gold that eventually led to the theft of the Sacred Black Hills of the Great Sioux Nation, and they have the audacity to hand out his likeness to children here in Rapid City, a town now fighting to prove it is not a racist community?"

Wolters compared the insult to putting a figurine of Adolph Hitler in a McDonald's Happy Meal served in Tel Aviv, Israel. "Most white people would never understand our perspective on this horrible faux paux, but to every Indian in America, the insult is obvious," he said.

He added, "Most advertising agencies are in the east and the people who put the ads and flyers together have absolutely no idea about the demographics out here in Indian country. We Lakota never see an Indian in the flyers of Kohl's, J. C. Penney's or Wal-Mart.. They never stop to consider that our Lakota children never see people like themselves in the flyers and ads they send out here and yet you can go to Chicago or San Francisco and see ads with African Americans and Asian Americans.

Yesterday several customers, white and Indian, visited different McDonald's shops in Rapid City and ordered Happy Meals. They soon discovered their packets did not contain a Custer figurine and motorcycle. They went to the counter and specifically asked for a Custer memento and were told there were none to be had. Customers buying Happy Meals without the Custer figurine were offered refunds on the meal if they so requested. It became apparent that McDonald's withdrew the offensive Custer figurines quietly and without comment.

Tim Giago is the editor of Native Sun News and this story will break in his newspaper tomorrow. He is the founder of the Native American Journalists Association and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard with the Class of 1991

Maggie

nightskies

Mother and Child

Buffalohair: Arnold Terminates California

Arnold Terminates California

Posted in America's with tags Arnold Schwarzenegger, California, Hein T. Tran, Trucking, Truckers, Environment on June 11, 2009 by buffalohair

Predictable Arnold Steroid Schwarzenegger bankrupted California while using flawed and in accurate data about the environment. Apparently he did not bother to utilize available data to verify the qualifications of his lead environmental advisor *Hien T. Tran Ph.D of UC Davis. This is not the only inept official misguiding Arnie by the way. As you well know California imposed the most ridged regulations on diesel engines and industry as a whole plunging California’s industries into a financial tailspin, all on flawed and inaccurate data. Some say this was intentional since many industries moved to China on the heels of Arnie’s bogus regulations. Guess it’s OK to lie when it comes to the environment and nasty American’s.

Now in desperation Arnie is trying to sell off California’s assets and prisons to meet the budget crisis he was responsible for causing. As he was destroying California’s infrastructure he was pandering to Mexico (NAFTA) and the new deep water port in Baja California for a source of revenue. He singlehandedly crippled the container and trucking industry in California with outrageous demands on truckers placing many out of business. Over the road drivers were forced to buy new trailers as well as new trucks in order to comply with these misbegotten regulations or face stiff fines. Cities in California got into the hate truckers axiom by imposing even more regulations and stiff penalties to garner funds for the local coffers.

Imagine being forced to stay in a truck during a blistering heat wave without being able to use the air conditioner. That is a law since trucks are not allowed under any conditions to idle in order to keep the truck habitable. California has placed American truckers on alert with outrageous fines for just about everything just to garner a cash flow. The California Highway Patrol has become Arnold’s hit men as they seek out fault and impose fines on hard working individuals. Minor infractions in other states become $1,000 jackpots for California’s coffers while pushing up the cost of freight and produce around the country.

If you did not know, California is a major producer of produce for Canada and the US. Trucks from all points in the northern hemisphere converge on this state during harvest time’s to feed the nation. Truckers have become public enemy number one in the eyes of law enforcement as they assisted Arnold in collecting fines on hapless drivers. Corruption from many agencies has plagued the trucking industry with criminals working at several ports of entry in Northern and Southern California. They falsified inspection reposts on safety issues on trucks causing drivers to shell out millions of dollars in illegal fines and bogus repairs. California has chosen to arrest drivers for minor infractions simply to garner hefty fines while destroying a persons driving career.

The heretic mentality that has evolved against truckers is absolutely shameful. Apparently California government officials don’t remember or care about all the trucks that helped build that state. Orange County was a classic example when years ago it was covered with orange fields and cottage industries. It was truckers who helped these little industries compete in the world market through LTL or “Less Than a Truckload” pick up and delivery of their goods with reasonable freight fees. Drivers would go from one customer to another making many stops to make a full load then drive cross country to deliver them in other states. This is what built the major corporations in Orange Counties today. Contrary to popular belief it was the independent truckers who helped build these industries not some railroad owned trucking firm fore they did not exist back then.

Small wonder California is faced with an economical crisis. California has cursed itself and now faces several catastrophes including a drought that will add to Arnold’s grief. By crippling industries with bogus data he has destroyed California’s infrastructure and a once booming economy. Ironically President Barack Obama is using Arnold’s false and inaccurate data to formulate his green campaign against industry and soon America will face the same plight as California. Don’t you find it kind of odd that America is crippling their own industries sending them to third world countries to pollute even more with no restrictions? Aren’t we all on the same planet anyway? China has given us the finger when it comes to the **environmental agenda and other third world nations will follow suite, there is no question.

So now we have heavy polluters moving to third world countries where there are no environmental laws what so ever. This is obviously counterproductive to say the least since these corporations will not have to abide by the laws they once did in the USA. We grow broke while making other nations rich as they pollute with no restrictions. And it was all done on bogus and inaccurate data all along. How far beyond stupid are we? It’s all about the money and profits for an absolute minority of people. This is the ugly reality as the planet goes global in the greatest scam in world history. Sure we need to be more responsible with the environment but by simply moving the industry to a nation with no laws what so ever smacks of stupid. Cheap labor with no labor laws or concerns for worker safety is a fringe benefit for international corporations who move to these third world countries. China has 80 million slaves that work in China’s gulag program, such a deal. All that will be positively affected by the mass exodus of industries from the United States and Canada will be the corporate bottom line. It’s Globalization or Corporatism at it’s best and we were asleep at the wheel.

*http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/apr/25/lz1ed25top192452-air-board-knew/

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2008/dec/24/lz1ed24top19121-sacramento-stench/

**http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eef40346-55d4-11de-ab7e-00144feabdc0.html

Your Devil’s Advocate

Buffalohair

Buffalohair: Than Shwe Exposes Corporate Greed

Than Shwe Exposes Corporate Greed

Posted in Asia with tags Burma, Corporatism, globalization, Than Shwe on June 11, 2009 by buffalohair

With Burma’s military junta already making plans to move Daw Aung Suu Kyi to a new location to continue her house arrest it is apparent her fate is sealed. *Aung San Suu Kyi instructed her attorney to appeal to a higher court to allow two witnesses to testify when the lower court rejected them. The reality is the military junta will continue to keep Aung San Suu Kyi in irons until the sham 2010 elections is finalized and the junta won, of course. Where is the United Nations Security Council?

The only hope for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the continued concerns of the people of the world. The influence and pressure they have applied to their elected officials has forced politicians to make a stand. It should also be noted that the usually ambivalent Asian nations have come up to the plate and made a stand against the junta as well. China has been unusually quite about this affair since they have more at stake economically in their decision than ever before. Bottom line is, the crisis in Burma would devastate and negatively impact the international corporations who are investing in China at this time, including General Motors. Than Shwe has tossed a monkey wrench into the path of Corporatism better known as Globalization.

The fact the general public has gotten involved means that the general public has come to realize that they have power and influence, the all mighty dollar. Obviously this was not expected in the grand scheme of things as international corporations silently worked with tyrants around the world. Than Shwe opened a can of worms and reveled the putrid underbelly of globalization and corporate greed. Democracy and human rights sites around the world have increased viewership 100 fold and Than Shwe’s secrets have been reveled. In the process other acts of tyranny around the world are coming into focus as well and the people of the world want to know WHY.

Absolutely every move Than Shwe makes is under the scrutiny of the growing number of worldwide consumers. China has everything to loose since she is already invested in tyranny in South America as well as Africa. International corporations who line our shelves are also coming into the limelight as the realities of corporate greed come into focus. Kim Jong II also shot himself in the foot with his bogus rocket and nuclear threats while offering a distraction for his chum Than Shwe. Now the consumer world is exploring the atrocities of North Korea as China’s human rights violations take center stage. Obviously Than Shwe’s 3rd grade education is showing as he lashes out and continues to **murder and wage war on innocent people.

Divisions on all levels of government are widening as his generals begin to see the hand writing on the wall. His military is racked with desertions since many people are forced to join or face a gun barrel. Children are his easiest target and his military ranks are burgeoning with child soldiers. His plan to convert and infiltrate ethnic ceasefire groups has become a scandalously dismal failure as group after group rejects his plan to make them border guards.

Someone should drag United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon out from under the bed and tell him he does not have to be afraid anymore. Maybe he should take lessons in courage from Daw Aung Suu Kyi. Poor guy is running out of excuses as to why he can’t find a plane ticket to Burma. If he does not do something soon maybe we should go to his bosses at the World Trade Organization and as we all know, “it’s all about the money” to them. If this situation is not positively resolved soon the world will discover how deeply the WTO entrenched itself in worldwide tyranny and the wholesale murder of indigenous people, including Burma.

Than Shwe spilled the beans in more ways than he could have ever imagined. He has managed to offer focus on the once secret world of international corporate exploitation and human rights violations. With cancer spreading throughout his body he will soon be dead leaving his generals to face charges of “crimes against humanity”. The international corporations who’ve financed Than Shwe’s bloody regime will soon be held accountable for their actions in the world of public opinion. This will undoubtedly wreak havoc on the corporate bottom line. Way to go Than.

*http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/thu/jun11w8.htm

**http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=15874

Your Devil’s Advocate

Buffalohair

Video added by Ann; Drugs are given to the military/ children to control them.

Aung San Suu Kyi - Jane Birkin Music Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXdBGfUXdXk