From: gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us (Gary S. Trujillo)
Newsgroups: alt.native
Subject: Re: NativeNet Chat's Direction
Date: 28 Sep 92 21:28:11 GMT

In <1308200069@igc.apc.org> Alan McGowen <alanm@igc.apc.org> writes:

> Peshe writes:

>>I too would like a forum where these things can be posted and also discussed.
>> ...
>>I know American Indian people are hungry for a forum dedicated to their own
>>interests, as expressed above by Andrew.

> Then you must have one. And it must be one which *you* control
> absolutely. There is no reason why this cannot happen...

I'd like to offer some comments on this subject, and to refer to what I
have written recently in another forum, in hopes of presenting what I
feel may be some realistic alternatives to institute the kind of channel
for exchanging information by and about Native North American people which
can be accomplished without a great deal of difficulty and unnecessary
expense.

First, let me offer a brief introduction of myself.  I am the facilitator /
moderator of a set of mailing lists which are collectively a part of a
project known as "NativeNet."  In fact, I recently set up a link between
one of these mailing lists, known as NATCHAT (at Texas A&M University site
"TAMVM1").  That list is moderated by Mary K. Kuhner and Jon A. Yamato in
Seattle, Washington.  I have been working for the past three years to make
it possible for the issues of the indigenous peoples of the world known as
widely as possible by means of electronic networking.  (Anyone interested
in knowing more about NativeNet, or wanting to subscribe to any of the
mailing lists can contact me for details).

First, let me attempt to address some of Alan's points:

> ...Either a UseNet group dedicated
> to the political empowerment of American Indians should be
> formed, or possibly some group in the APC networks could be
> formed: that is the private network system which includes EcoNet,
> PeaceNet, and other networks, and which was used by the United
> Nations as its electronic forum for the UNCED conference in Rio.

An attempt was made some time ago to accomplish this goal, and I did
what I could to help make it a reality, principally by broadcasting
via the NativeNet mailing lists encouragements for our members to vote
in favor of the measure, which a number did.  The vote failed to carry
by a very narrow margin.  I am still interested in assisting such a
goal, but I hope it can be accomplished in such a way that the links
between issues faced by the natives of North America are understood
in the context of global patterns of exploitation and abuse.  I would
be willing to work with anyone who wants to resurrect this idea.  I am
also hoping to establish a mainstream channel for NATIVE-L material, as
mentioned in a series of articles which I recently posted to alt.native.

>> NativeNet is great for the more general worldwide picture as
>> envisioned by its moderators. But
>> since our interests are necessarily of a lesser role within that mandate,
>> (as was recently explained), it's probably not possible to serve North
>> American Indian interests completely with the current nn lists.

It's not so much a matter of the issues faced by Native North American
Indians being of any lesser importance than those of people elsewhere in
the world as it is a question of how to understand the relationships
between what those people face compared with what indigenous peoples in
other parts of the world are subject to, and to try to build the kinds
of bonds of solidarity that were initiated during the conference I
attended in western Massachusetts in the fall of 1989 ("From the Arctic
to Amazonia: Industrial Nations' Exploitation of Tribal Resources").

It is increasingly apparent that another kind of dialogue is wanted -
one which involves more domestic concerns.  I have never been opposed
to such a dialogue taking place, and would like to do what I can to help
it get underway.  My own seeming reluctance to approach such an under-
taking has been mostly a function of realizing the enormity of the task,
and wanting to focus on building bridges of international understanding,
rather than providing resources primarily for one group of people.

However, I have actually thought and written about the domestic U.S.
scene, and have co-authored some articles on the subject, one of which
was recently published in the newsletter of the Computer Professionals
for Social Responsibility (CPSR).  I will attach a copy of that article
below, to give some sense of how we have been conceiving a very pragmatic
project which we feel could be of great benefit to American Indians.  I
would invite anyone who is interested in helping with such a project to
get in touch with me.

> ...the idea of a network *of*
> Native Americans, controlled *by* Native Americans, exclusively
> *for* Native Americans, makes the heart leap. And it is *not*
> impossible. Try UseNet, try the APC nets for starters. Use
> Natchat to organize...

NativeNet is supportive of such a suggestion, but we feel it is difficult,
and possibly a mistake in judgement to attempt to apply some ethnic test
for participation in any undertaking which uses publicly-subsidized re-
sources such as the Internet.  I would be interested in hearing what others
might feel on this subject.  Most of the NativeNet mailing lists are avail-
able as electronic "conferences" on the APC networks.  I have set up soft-
ware, which has been running for three years, which automatically "gates"
all postings to the NativeNet lists to IGC/APC conferences, which I myself
facilitate on the IGC system.  The NATCHAT list is available as alt.native
at IGC, and probably at other APC nodes, even though it is not one of the
gated lists.  All postings to those conferences are automatically gated
back to the mailing lists by that same software, which runs on my own
computer.  There is a list established for American Indian concerns at
IGC, but it has not been utilized much during the past several years.

>> It's not impossible to set up a list focussed primarily on North
>> American Indian concerns (nn.amerind or a more separated list) but
>> it would be most helpful to have assistance with some of the
>> technical details from the nn list moderators...

> Not a list, damn it!, a whole Native American network! Don't set
> your sights where the existing systems allow, set them where your
> hearts point! There is plenty of capacity, existing and coming,
> to handle your needs. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.

Stirring words, Alan.  But it doesn't have to be one or the other.  The
primary reason for utilizing mailing list technology in addition to the
Usenet-style newsgroups like alt.native is that many people do not have
access to Usenet, such as the many people on Bitnet.  The alt.native /
NATCHAT example, however, proves that it is possible to have both work
smoothly with one another.  Those who can get to the conference via Use-
net do so, and others become subscribers to the parallel NATCHAT list.

> But let's not forget South American Indians, or people in
> Indonesia or Africa. They are voiceless, and have far less power
> than you do. They have no modems to interface with internet. And
> when we have tricked them into dependence on such things, their
> culture is already destroyed. Please think about that.

One lesson I have learned during the past several years and which has
been emphasized by means of numerous examples is that indigenous people
*are not* museum artifacts, and have no desire to preserve elements of
culture which are not survival-oriented in the contemporary world.
Culture is much more pliable and versatile than some of us may realize.
One of the presentations at the 1989 conference demonstrated how the
Yanomami people in Brazil have begun utilizing video-recording tech-
nology effectively in making their case to people who would otherwise
have no access to information demonstrating the problems faced by the
Yanomami - problems which threaten not only culture, but the lives of
the people themselves.  A project is now underway, initiated *by native
people* throughout Central and South America to set up an electronic
communications network.  This is not an idea imposed on them from out-
side, but something they themselves understand the need for and are
actively seeking to implement.  Let us, therefore, remember South
American Indians, and the aboriginal peoples of Indonesia and Africa
and Siberia and Australia and the Sami territories, etc., but let us
not impose our assumptions about what they want upon them.

But, back on the issue of networking resources for American Indians,
let me quote a paragraph from a bulletin sent a couple of days ago to
subscribers to the NATIVE-L mailing list operated by NativeNet:

| A related matter, about which I'd also like to get your thoughts concerning
| the  fact  that we have been dealing in all of our mailing lists (NATIVE-L,
| NATCHAT, NAT-1492, and NAT-EDU) with indigenous peoples and cultures  in  a
| *global*  context.   Some  people seem mainly interested in some particular
| group of indigenous people, especially those of North America.  There  may,
| in  fact, be many of you who *are* American Indians or aboriginal people of
| Canada or of other lands who feel that you'd like to have a means of carry-
| ing  out  discussions and exchanges of information in a more exclusive kind
| of electronic setting.  I'd also like to know if you find yourself  in  one
| of these categories, to help plan future developments.

I am hoping that responses to this call will be helpful in obtaining support
and assistance for the kind of network we're talking about here.  I would
also be interested in knowing what readers of alt.native feel.

Gary

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The following article was published in _The_CPSR_Newsletter_ of the Computer
Professionals for Social Responsibility (Volume 10, Nos. 1-2, Winter-Spring
1992).

[ by Prof. Peter d'Errico, Prof. Daniel Medina, Gabrielle Tayac,
  and Gary Trujillo with editorial assistance from Mary Kuhner and
  Jon Yamato ]

A Menominee social worker at a shelter for Native American women in
Minneapolis, an Ojibway craftsman running a cooperative in Toronto, a
Choctaw activist in Oklahoma dedicated to the release of Native American
political prisoner Leonard Peltier, and a Narraganset elder holding to his
nation's traditions in Rhode Island:  Last year these individuals met in
Washington DC to formulate a project aimed at achieving sovereignty for
their peoples.  They could not meet again for another year.  How would they
work together in the interim toward the goals they had determined?

Grassroots efforts are vital for Native communities, yet limited financial
resources and remote geographical locations make ongoing interactions
difficult. Community activists seldom have resources for conference calls or
travel to planning meetings.

A set of strategically-placed communications nodes, created from inexpensive
hardware, user-friendly software and a reliable maintenance program would
permit Native activists to share information and resources, develop and
distribute documents, plan meetings, and conduct discussions.  Such a
network could also act as a clearinghouse for information regarding funding
opportunities, employment, scholarships and internships, news of pending
legislation and agency information.  This vision of practical computer
networking for Native groups and individuals working at the grassroots level
represents one of the most exciting projects now being conceived and
developed by members of a global communication network known as NativeNet.

NativeNet focuses exclusively on American Indians and other indigenous
peoples around the world.  The network presently operates by means of
several computer-based moderated teleconferences accessed via Internet
mailing lists and by means of bulletin-board systems operated by member
organizations of the global Association for Progressive Communications.
(The U.S. affiliate of APC is the Institute for Global Communications, which
operates PeaceNet and EcoNet.)  The main NativeNet teleconference has
several hundred subscribers, Native and non-Native, who use it to answer
questions, broadcast urgent action bulletins, publish announcements of
conferences, inform one another about new books, films, and videos, and
carry on discussions on historical and contemporary subjects relating to
indigenous peoples.  During its nearly three-year history, NativeNet has
proved its value and potential for coordinating communication and
disseminating information by and about indigenous peoples of the world.

The catalyst for NativeNet was a 1989 conference, "From the Arctic to
Amazonia:  Industrial Nations' Exploitation of Indigenous Peoples' Land,"
held at Smith College (Northampton, Massachusetts), which brought together
people from every continent to discuss Native land claims and related
issues.  This conference demonstrated how much indigenous peoples of the
world have in common with one another, and require better mechanisms for
global communication.  The conference also inspired an awareness of the
potential for a system of computer communications for Native people - one
which does not impose alien values and processes, and which is designed and
implemented primarily by Native people.

NativeNet is currently undergoing crucially important changes, as we seek to
sharpen its focus and to implement a number of projects currently in
development.  One of these projects involves establishing separate channels
for internal communication among indigenous peoples' organizations.  This
project raises important matters of network security, since many issues
facing Native communities, such as land claims and hunting and fishing
rights guaranteed under treaties, involve delicate political questions.
Other projects would set up channels for community social service agencies,
Native press organizations, and teachers who are constructing curricula and
programs appropriate for use in Native schools.  A long-term goal of a
Native schools project now being conceived by means of the education channel
is to provide online courses and to link school programs with community needs.

Another potential field of action for NativeNet lies in the area of
international human rights.  For the past fifteen years, Native Americans in
the United States and Canada have been building networks of solidarity with
other indigenous people worldwide, especially at the hemispheric level, and
have brought human rights issues concerning Native peoples to light on a
global scale.  A huge body of information and legal developments have
accompanied this burgeoning international movement.  NativeNet could aid
this movement by conveying information from communities where abuses are
occurring and enable fast, reliable and inexpensive communication among
indigenous peoples around the world.

In order for NativeNet to succeed in achieving its goals, two key elements
must be developed: (1) an organization of Native computer professionals,
who, in consultation with Native community leaders, will guide the
development of Native telecommunications; and (2) a support system bringing
in people from the wider community who have technical knowledge and skills
which can advance project goals.  Needs include software procurement and
development, participation in informal feasibility studies, technical
support, and technology transfer.

For more information please contact NativeNet, c/o:

    Gary S. Trujillo
    43 Jackson Road
    Somerville, MA 02145

    617-776-0121
    nn-info@gnosys.svle.ma.us


--
    Gary S. Trujillo                            gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us
Somerville, Massachusetts              {wjh12,bu.edu,spdcc,ima,cdp}!gnosys!gst
--
    Gary S. Trujillo                            gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us
Somerville, Massachusetts              {wjh12,bu.edu,spdcc,ima,cdp}!gnosys!gst
Newsgroups: alt.native