#a tribe in northern new york right?

[shu-of-the-wind]

saw some tags on a reblog i did but yes, iroquois is a derogatory term. it's a french bastardization of (i believe) the algonquin word for "snake." the term is used to describe member tribes of the haudenosaunee (approximate pronunciation ho-di-no-SHO-ni) confederacy in the capital region of the us and up into canada, which include:

Mohawk / Kanienʼkehá꞉ka (approximate pronunciation "gah-nyen-geh-hah-ga") - “People of the Flint." Also referred to as the “Keepers of the Eastern Door” because they are the nation furthest to the east in the Confederacy. (alix note: mohawk communities are predominantly in canada but there are bands in northern new york as well.)

Oneida / Onyota’a:ká (approximate pronunciation "oh-nyo-DA-aw-GA") - “People of the Standing Stone” (there are two Oneida nations in the US, one in NY, one in Wisconsin, because of,,,y'know. displacement.)

Onondaga / Onöñda’gegá’ (approximately pronounced "ohnen-DA-geh-GA") - “People of the Hills.” Also referred to as the “Keepers of the Central Fire” because they were the center and capital of the Confederacy

Cayuga / Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' (approximately pronounced "guy-yo-KO-no") - “People of the Great Swamp”

Seneca / Onöndawá'ga (approximately pronounced "Oh-nown-da-WA-gah") - “People of the Great Hill.” Also known as the “Keepers to the Western Door” because they are the nation furthest to the west in the Confederacy

Tuscarora / Skarù:ręˀ (approximately pronounced "ska-ruh-reh") - “The Shirt Wearing People" or "the hemp gatherers" In 1722, the Tuscarora moved from North Carolina to the Haudenosaunee area to seek refuge and they were invited to join the Confederacy

all nations in the confederacy are still extant and all (to the best of my knowledge) have programs to keep their languages alive; i've linked to the govt websites for each nation.

just like...as a general rule of thumb if something sounds french (or european, tbh) and it's being applied to indigenous peoples of the americas it's safe to assume it's probably not the right word to use. (exceptions exist: the st croix band of ojibwe, etc.) rule of thumb is double check and you can do this very easily by searching "[name of nation] tribal government website" to see what names and terms are acceptable.

(i keep forgetting to put this on posts but yeah, i'm white. i grew up in haudenosaunee territory, i work in indian law [canadians don't fight me, that's the legal term in the us, i don't like it either], and this is basic 101 stuff that every settler in the us needs to fuckin know.)

eta: this should also be obvious but if a mohawk, tuscarora, seneca, cayuga, onondaga, or oneida person self-describes as iroqouis, leave them the fuck alone. same rule of thumb as a lesbian self-describing as dyke. as a lesbian, i get to reclaim that word. as a white person, i do not get to reclaim iroquois. it's that simple.

[saturnalmoss]

ARM-WRESTLER

Chapter Seven

A Heart As Cold As Ice

Master Post

York and Grendan met Granny Skully outside in the busy yard. She was checking the old-style rope and bone workout equipment. She looked over when they approached.

“Good.” She said. “A young prince should be out here every morning.”

She stood with Grendan and observed York’s form with a critical eye. She was happily yelling corrections to everything she could think of within minutes. Grendan bit his lip. It looked like York might pop.

Well, it seemed like if they fought, it would be pretty consensual on both sides. Still, he was a peaceful dwarf. “So, Granny Skully!” He said, leaning between them. “Granny, please give me a history lesson!”

“Hmm? But you aren’t actually paying!~” She cackled at Grendan’s fallen expression. “There, there. I’ll humor you. What shall I tell you about...”

“Ah, here, sit. I’ll tell you about orcish gruk shak.” York barked a laugh from the log lifting station.

“Shak’d a lot of gruk in my day.” he said proudly.

Granny kissed her tusks at him. “Your generation and it’s slang, huh! You’re misleadin’ your dear friend here. What if he picks it up!” York made a noncommittal but insulting noise back.

“Granny, Granny! What’s gruk shak? And I guess, how do you use it in a sentence?”

“You commit gruk shak.” She said promptly. “It’s a noun, dear. It means, roughly, settling an argument between two orcs.” She thought a moment. Grendan nodded. York would have settled a lot of arguments. He assumed, because it was York, that “settling” had a violent connotation.

“The folk here thought it was just a fight, of course.” Granny continued. “So orcish immigrants had to change some things. You can’t just commit gruk shak anywhere around here.” She pointed to the yard and the high log fence around the perimeter. “Our folks would only commit on our own property, and we would build our fences high to keep prudish noses out. We added new rules: no running to your human momma, and first one to squeal loses the argument.” She nodded to herself. “All to protect our orcish roots.” Grendan whistled, impressed. 

“Ah, Granny,” Grendan said “What about external arguments? That must have been pretty hard for early immigrants!” 

York sat heavily next to them. “I’ll tell you Grenda, it was a shock for me comin’ here and you can’t just kill a guy. And I had a human mother!” Granny Skully nodded. 

“Was worse then, little prince,” she said. “Folks didn’t truck much with orcs back then - didn’t know much ‘bout us and we didn’t know much ‘bout them. There was plenty of let’s say... misunderstandings. Lots of legal issues - but that lead to our proud tradition of orcish injury lawyers round these parts!” Grendan choked. 

He had a hard time imagining York with the patience to turn a jury. He would look very nice in a suit, though.

“Young Ardsley’s a lawyer, in fact.” Granny Skully said. “Said he was hopin’ you’d turn up our prankster soon so he could show ‘em the inside of a cell.” York huffed.

“I’ve seen lawyers on the TV,” he said. “They don’t look like much.” Granny sighed. 

“It ain’t a practice that gets much respect in the northern tribes. An’ orcs round here don’t necessarily get much respect from their fellow lawyers, it’s a shame to say. Still, a fight’s a fight.”

“A fight’s a fight.” York said. “Does he fight good, then?” Granny hummed. 

“I dunno. Better do.” 

“He doesn’t talk about it with Leon?” Grendan asked. “They’re friends, right? We were hoping to ask Mr. Orcking if he could think of any enemies Leon might have?”

“Their office seems to love ‘em.” York said. “But maybe a friend knows shit you don’t share with a weak co-worker.”

Granny stretched her arms ahead, and cracked her back slowly. She looked thoughtful. “Asking Young Ardsley’s a good idea.” she said. “They’ve know each other a very long time. Both courted my dear Tupilurin back in the day.”

“Your daughter?” Grendan asked.

“Who died?” York added. Grendan’s eyes bugged but Granny Skully just sighed.

“A damn shame for an orc to outlive her child.” She looked out over the museum’s yard. “But that’s neither here nor there.”

“I... Don’t want to press,” Grendan said. “But, just in case, you don’t think how she died would have anything to do with Leon’s attacker, right?” 

Granny tilted her head, then shook it. She paused before saying, “Nnno, not exactly. No. She blew ‘erself up, being an alchemist. It’s a bit of a risk in the field. She survived most of the times - strong girl. But not the last one.”

York looked askance at her. “But you thought a’ something else, Granny?”

“Well... it’s been so long, it’s faded from my mind. Ha! I’d be shocked to hear myself say so, a decade ago.” She sighed. “I recalled... Leon was a different elf in their youth.”

The detectives glanced at each other.

“Were they in with a bad crowd?” Grendan asked carefully.

“No, no. Nothing like that. It were more... they were just cold. Very cold.

“They loved my Tupilurin. More than anything in the world. But anything else? Everything else? It did not bear their attention.”

She shrugged. “I didn’t like them much, then. Stands to reason if I weren’t the only one.”

Grandan noted this down in his sketchpad. “That wasn’t what I expected you to say.” He said. “They were just, hard to get along with? I guess you could make enemies that way.”

“We’ve probably made enemies that way.” York said. “Granny, how long ago was this? When’d they get more personable?”

“I reckon they just got better over time. They’re lucky I needed help as much as I did with the kids or they wouldn’a lived long enough to grow!” she cackled. Then she stopped suddenly.

“I don’ think I’ve properly put in your heads what kind of an elf they were.” She said. “When my Tupilurin died, they left.” 

“Left?” York said. “You mean...”

“Left the kids?” Grendan whispered, horrified.

“Disappeared without a word, for years. Thought they were gone for good.” She looked darkly. “Actin’ like that, someone could make a lotta enemies, don’t you think?”

“Why did you... let them come back?” Grendan asked. 

“Mmm. I was struggling. I don’ much want to admit. I needed help. They showed up at the door one day - well I don’ think you would have said so if you were there, but to me, they were... almost contrite.” She made a noise between a laugh and a growl, derisive at this old memory. “I was as angry as the old Yebo at the moon, but I hid it. They said they wanted to provide for the kids and the kids, - I, - we needed the income.”

Granny Skully sighed, old in her bones. “I never did call that elf out. I was afraid at first they would take insult, take off, and we’d lose what little money we had. 

“After that, well, my anger faded.”

She looked at them. “First I’ve talked ‘bout this in a long, long time. First I’ve thought about it.” 

“Thanks for telling us.” Grendan said softly. York huffed and looked up at the morning sky.

“If you think about it, fightin’ your own honor to protect your kin is pretty cool.” 

Granny scoffed, the crags of her old face softer than usual.

❈ ❈

At the breakfast table, the three detective gesture excitedly at each other. They had much to share, later. Leon waved to Granny, Grenda and York as they entered. “Look! Two arms!” They said happily. 

“Wanna wrestle?” York asked. Leon’s bluish face went green and their eyes went wide. They sighed.

“I can’t tell if this is how you get a sense of people or if you really do have no sense of sport.” Jyuri beside them giggled. “But I am sorry, friend!” they said cheerfully. “Doctor’s orders. I can’t do anything strenuous ‘til I get a follow up with Dr. Shipcott.” York said nothing.

Rosé chin hands. “Hope you guys had a good morning! I got to meet the arm doctor again. They just seemed like strangers though.”

“Well, acquaintances.” Leon said. “She’s been my doctor for some time, now.”

“Oh?” said Grenda. “I guess she wouldn’t know more about who attacked you, Leon?”

Leon shook their head with a smile. “I really doubt my doctor would know something like that.” Rosé smiled. The door opened. 

“I have arrived.” Ardsley Orcking walked in, still besuited.

“Ardsley! Welcome, please sit.” Leon waved his newly restored arm and Granny slapped a heavy wooden chair.

Rosé looked over at Ardsley. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Orcking. Are you a regular to visit?”

“I’m often out of town, Ms. Rosé.” he said. “But yes, when I’m here, I try to stop by. It’s good for young ladies to have a male orc to look up to, and I do rather like seeing my friend.” Ardsley looked over the top of his nose. “...Are you writing this down?” 

Grenda looked up, “Yup! No worries, it’s nothing personal.” Ardsley didn’t seem like he quite agreed and opened his mouth.

“Granny?” Leon looked confused. “You took my plate? I wasn’t finished?”

“Course!” she nodded and ate Leon’s food with a huff. Leon scooched out their seat with a confused smile and dug in the cupboards for another place setting.

“Granny, what did I do that you’re put out with me today?” They said playfully. She huffed and puffed again. 

“I was remembering what a lil shit you were in your youth.” She said shortly. Leon noticeably winced, and Ardsley coughed. 

“Well, that would do it, wouldn’t it?” They said under their breath. Granny Skully shook her head. 

“I’m only mad at an elf you’ve long since ceased to be. Pay no mind.” Leon gave her a small smile that didn’t match the unhappy look in their eyes. 

❈ ❈

The detectives threw themselves together the moment they left the table. “We have to plan our day!” Rosé said. 

“Let’s drop by the office.” York said. When the other two nodded, he held a hand up his mouth and yelled, “We’re heading out to find out more! Be back later!”

Ardsley hurried to catch them as they made to leave. “I do apologize about my behavior over a shared meal.” He said. “Of course, you are just trying to do you jobs. I overreacted.”

“Eh?” York looked surprised. “We didn’t even duke it out in the yard pit!” 

“That would have been an over reaction.” Rosé said. “We didn’t even rob you.”

“What?” Said Ardsley.

“What?” Said Rosé.

“So, hey, Mr. Ardsely! You ever have to represent Leon?” Grendan asked quickly. Ardsley glanced once more at Rosé but turned to the druid. 

“No. I am an injury lawyer, and Leon does not tend to injure others.” He said. He straightened up. “Please, ask whatever you need.”

“We will!” York said. “What’s the difference between a lawyer and a businessman?” 

“Is this a joke?” Ardsely asked after a moment. 

“I’ve never heard a joke in my life.” York said.

“Have you ever represented someone who injured Leon?” Rosé asked. 

“I have not. Leon’s particular mutilation was self-inflicted.” Grendan looked surprised.

“I thought it could have been his late wife!” Ardsley’s face flickered. 

“No. They were quite enamored with one another. She was gentle with him, like a frail glass.”

“I mean, good to know, but I meant cause like she was a alchemist and thats how she - uh.”

“Died.” Ardsely said. “Yes. That is not when he lost his arm. Anyway, I don’t think any of this will lead you to that street bandit.”

“You never know.” Grendan said.

“What ‘bout enemies?” York asked. “Even if you didn’t represent them?” Ardsley shook his head.

“I must say, I’d forgotten until Granny Skully mentioned it but... Even when Leon was a difficult young man to get along with, I wouldn’t say the attitude started fights.

“I had been wondering, by the way,” Ardsely said. “You think this was done by someone who knows Leon, don’t you?”

“Ah!” Grendan said. “We really don’t have any reason to suspect you-”

“Yet.” Said Rosé and York together. 

“No, no.” Ardsley gave a deep chuckle and held up his hands. “I mean, I noticed you’ve asked us all,” he waved a hand. “About people we may have interacted with before. As a lawyer, I do know a fight is far more likely to occur between acquaintances than strangers. I quite agree.” He frowned. “Well, I would. But I really can’t think of anyone.”

He blinked, then closed his eyes in thought.

“Actually, there’s a small possibility that a stranger may have done it.” He held up a huge finger. “I must emphasis small, as the assailant would have to be quite unreasonable.”

“Spit it out,” said York. “What’d’you think of?” 

“There is a tall tale associated with this building.” Ardsely said. “The family that built this humble estate, they were said to be great warlords! And, more importantly perhaps,” He looked conspiratorial at them. “Possessed of great spoils.” 

“Oh. My. God.” Rosé said softly. “Are you telling me that their fortune disappeared with them and they never used banks and it was never recovered and I could be standing on it right now?”

“Quite so.” Ardsely said. She let out a tiny scream. “There have been some number of break-ins as long as I’ve known of this place. None have been violent yet, but-”

“What?” Ardsley turn to the voice behind him. 

Leon stared at them with a peculiarly blank expression. “Ardsley... you aren’t saying someone attacked me because of that old folktale?” 

“I don’t want to rule it out.” Ardsley said. Leon’s eyes flicked over the three detectives, then over to Ardsley.

“Stay here.” Leon said to him.

“Stay here?” 

“Until they catch the bastard.” Leon said. Ardsley sighed. 

“I cannot. I must be off again, soon.” Leon said nothing. Their eyes flickered over the room. They seemed to be thinking. “Calm yourself, my friend. It’s only a small chance.”

“Tell me, detectives.” Leon said. “What is your success rate?”

“Hundred percent.” York said. Grendan and Rosé nodded, as encouragingly as they could. Leon turned and left, cloak flying out behind them.

Ardsley looked at them impressed. “We’ve left this in good hands, it seems. Worry not about them, they are just paranoid that the criminal could return.” York nodded firmly. 

“Hey,” Grendan said as Ardsley turned to leave for the night. He looked back. “You’re a friend of the family, right? I mean, not just Leon.” 

Ardsely nodded.”Of the good family first, in fact. It took a bit and a while to warm up to Leon. But they grow on you... for an elvish twink, with no muscle, who teaches their daughters parlor tricks.” He shook his head and muttered, “Magic, of all things.”

He looked surprised. He looked at York, his expression offering a shared camaraderie over the ignorance of non-orcs. “Well, because they weren’t mine.” He said simply.

“So, how come you didn’t help Granny Skully out with the kids?” Grendan asked. “When Leon took off? She was struggling to provide for them. What if she lost them!”

[beardedmrbean]

If you plan on flying around the country in 2025 and beyond, you might want to listen up.

You have about 365 days to make your state-issued driver’s license or identification “Real ID” compliant, per the Department of Homeland Security.  

The Real ID compliance is part of a larger act passed by Congress in 2005 to set “minimum security standards” for the distribution of identification materials, including driver’s licenses. This means that certain federal agencies, like the Transportation Security Administration or DHS, won’t be able to accept state-issued forms of identification without the Real ID seal.

It's taken a while for the compliance to stick, with DHS originally giving a 2020 deadline before pushing it back a year, then another two years and another two years after that due to “backlogged transactions” at MVD offices nationwide, according to previous USA TODAY reports.

You won’t be able to board federally regulated commercial aircraft, enter nuclear power plants, or access certain facilities if your identification documents aren’t Real ID compliant by May 7, 2025. 

Here’s what we know about Real IDs, including where to get one and why you should think about getting one.

Do I have to get a Real ID?

Not necessarily. 

If you have another form of identification that TSA accepts, there probably isn’t an immediate reason to obtain one, at least for travel purposes. But if you don’t have another form of identification and would like to travel around the country in the near future, you should try to obtain one. 

Here are all the other TSA-approved forms of identification:

◾ State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License

◾ U.S. passport

◾ U.S. passport card

◾ DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)

◾ U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents

◾ Permanent resident card

◾ Border crossing card

◾ An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized, Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe

◾ HSPD-12 PIV card

◾ Foreign government-issued passport

◾ Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card

◾ Transportation worker identification credential

◾ U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)

◾ U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential

◾ Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

However, federal agencies “may only accept” state-issued driver’s licenses or identification cards that are Real ID compliant if you are trying to gain access to a federal facility. That includes TSA security checkpoints.

Enhanced driver’s licenses, only issued by Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, and Vermont, are considered acceptable alternatives to REAL ID-compliant cards, according to DHS. 

What can I use my Real ID for?

For most people, it's all about boarding flights.

You can only use your Real ID card to obtain access to "nuclear power plants, access certain facilities, or board federally regulated commercial aircrafts," according to DHS.

The cards can't be used to travel across any border, whether that's Canada, Mexico, or any other international destination, according to DHS.

All you have to do to get a Real ID is to make time to head over to your local department of motor vehicles.

Every state is different, so the documents needed to verify your identity will vary. DHS says that at minimum, you will be asked to produce your full legal name, date of birth, social security number, two proofs of address of principal residence and lawful status.

The only difference between the state-issued forms of identification you have now and the Real ID-compliant card you hope to obtain is a unique marking stamped in the right-hand corner. The mark stamped on your Real ID compliant cards depends on the state.

[rockislandadultreads]

Disability Pride Month: Genre Fiction Recommendations

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

Anwuli Okwudili prefers to be called AO. To her, these initials have always stood for Artificial Organism. AO has never really felt...natural, and that's putting it lightly. Her parents spent most of the days before she was born praying for her peaceful passing because even in-utero she was "wrong". But she lived. Then came the car accident years later that disabled her even further. Yet instead of viewing her strange body the way the world views it, as freakish, unnatural, even the work of the devil, AO embraces all that she is: A woman with a ton of major and necessary body augmentations. And then one day she goes to her local market and everything goes wrong.

Once on the run, she meets a Fulani herdsman named DNA and the race against time across the deserts of Northern Nigeria begins. In a world where all things are streamed, everyone is watching the "reckoning of the murderess and the terrorist" and the "saga of the wicked woman and mad man" unfold. This fast-paced, relentless journey of tribe, destiny, body, and the wonderland of technology revels in the fact that the future sometimes isn't so predictable. Expect the unaccepted.

Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood

It's 1942 and Willowjean "Will" Parker is a scrappy circus runaway whose knife-throwing skills have just saved the life of New York's best, and most unorthodox, private investigator, Lillian Pentecost. When the dapper detective summons Will a few days later, she doesn't expect to be offered a life-changing proposition: Lillian's multiple sclerosis means she can't keep up with her old case load alone, so she wants to hire Will to be her right-hand woman. In return, Will is to receive a salary, room and board, and training in Lillian's very particular art of investigation.

Three years later, Will and Lillian are on the Collins case: Abigail Collins was found bludgeoned to death with a crystal ball following a big, boozy Halloween party at her home—her body slumped in the same chair where her steel magnate husband shot himself the year before. With rumors flying that Abigail was bumped off by the vengeful spirit of her husband (who else could have gotten inside the locked room?), the family has tasked the detectives with finding answers where the police have failed.

But that's easier said than done in a case that involves messages from the dead, a seductive spiritualist, and Becca Collins—the beautiful daughter of the deceased, who Will quickly starts falling for. When Will and Becca's relationship dances beyond the professional, Will finds herself in dangerous territory, and discovers she may have become the murderer's next target.

This is the first volume of the “Pentecost and Parker” series.

Borderline by Mishell Baker

A year ago, Millie lost her legs and her filmmaking career in a failed suicide attempt. Just when she’s sure the credits have rolled on her life story, she gets a second chance with the Arcadia Project: a secret organization that polices the traffic to and from a parallel reality filled with creatures straight out of myth and fairy tales.

For her first assignment, Millie is tasked with tracking down a missing movie star who also happens to be a nobleman of the Seelie Court. To find him, she’ll have to smooth-talk Hollywood power players and uncover the surreal and sometimes terrifying truth behind the glamour of Tinseltown. But stronger forces than just her inner demons are sabotaging her progress, and if she fails to unravel the conspiracy behind the noble’s disappearance, not only will she be out on the streets, but the shattering of a centuries-old peace could spark an all-out war between worlds.

No pressure.

This is the first volume of the “Arcadia Project” series.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice—with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan—from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but crave all of the other things he's making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic...

This is the first volume of the “Kiss Quotient” series.

[xtruss]

The promise of beaver pelts drew European trappers to what the Lenape people called Manhatta, the hilly island on the Hudson. History has taught centuries of Kids that today’s Super-Valuable Real Estate was Bought by the Dutch for $24 and Some Beads. Illustration By Stock Montage, Contributor, Getty Images. They have purchased the Island of Manhattes from the savages for the value of 60 Guilders. It is 11,000 Morgens in size.” A historian in 1846 calculated that 60 guilders were equivalent to $24 for that time. This $24 figure has been frozen in time and is where this part of the story originates.

The True Story of the Sale of the Island of Manhattan

Manhattan is considered the cultural, financial, entertainment, and media capital of the world. The borough hosts the United Nations Headquarters as well as Wall Street. Many multinational media conglomerates reside in Manhattan, and it’s been the setting for many books, films, and tv shows. The value of the island of Manhattan, including all of its real estate, exceeds over three trillion dollars. Median residential property sales prices in Manhattan equals to $ 1,600 per square foot in 2018. Fifth Avenue, which also resides in Manhattan, commands the highest retail rents in the world, commanding a whopping $ 3,000 per square foot.

An often-repeated story throughout History is that the Dutch bought the island of Manhattan from the Native Americans. The price paid was $24 worth of beads, trinkets, a jar of Mayonnaise, two pair of wooden clogs, a loaf of wonder bread and a carton of Quaker oats. It is considered one of the biggest business mistakes in History. Here’s the thing did it really go down the way we were taught? Let us explore, shall we?

On May 4, 1626, Peter Minuit arrived in New Amsterdam (modern-day NYC) as the new director of the Dutch West India Company (DWIC). The Dutch West India Company was a charted company of Dutch Merchants. Its goal was to expand the Dutch trade reach globally. It dabbled in trading many goods, including participating in the Atlantic slave trade. Minuit had been sent to diversify the trade coming out of New Netherland (Modern-day New York), they traded in mostly animal pelts then. Minuit was authorized by the DWIC to settle any disputes with any local Native American tribes over trading and land rights. Soon after Minuit’s arrival, he agreed with a local tribe for the land rights to Manhattan. There is no proof of an original title deed. The only evidence we have is a DWIC internal communication from 1626. The communication states:

“Yesterday the ship the Arms of Amsterdam arrived here. It Sailed from New Netherland out of the River Mauritius on September 23. They report that our people are in good spirit and live in peace. The women also have borne some children here. They have purchased the Island of Manhattes from the savages for the value of 60 Guilders (The Basic Monetary Unit of the Netherlands 🇳🇱, Until the Introduction of the Euro, Equal to 100 cents). It is 11,000 Morgens in size.”

A historian in 1846 calculated that 60 guilders were equivalent to $24 for that time. This $24 figure has been frozen in time and is where this part of the story originates. Modern historians have calculated that 60 guilders were equivalent to $951.08 in that time frame. Now $951 is much better than $24, but it’s still too low of a price for the whole island of Manhattan.

One thing the correspondence doesn’t cover is what Native American tribe or on whose behalf was a deal with Minuit made. Historian Nathaniel Benchley found that Minuit was dealing with the Canarsees, a Lenape tribe primarily located in south Brooklyn. For those of you who are familiar with New York Geography, south Brooklyn is not Manhattan far from it actually. Benchley claims that the Weckquaesgeeks, a closely related Wappinger tribe, actually occupied most of mid and Northern Manhattan. That’s great except Minuit made a deal with the Canarsees.

That explains the low price! Manhattan was never the Canarsees to sell away. They were traveling through Manhattan and was approached with an offer they couldn’t refuse. They were happy to agree to anything the Dutch proposed hell it wasn’t their land. The Canarsees happily took the goods which were more than just trinkets and beads and went back to Brooklyn.

To further emphasize this point, there was a series of bloody battles between the Wappinger tribes and the Dutch settlers during the early 1640s. It seems someone didn’t respect the “deed” that was signed in 1626. Before these battles and the Dutch encroachment, the Wappingers lived peacefully on Manhattan.

If you were wondering how Manhattan eventually became part of the U.S. A.. The English conquered New Netherland and renamed it New York in 1664. After being regained buy the Dutch it was ceded back to England in the Westminster Treaty of 1674. The U.S.A won it from the English with the win in the revolutionary war.

Mistakes Were Made

Often throughout History, we are taught inaccurate stories. Especially when the story makes Europeans look Smarter, more intelligent, and wiser than whatever minority or “savage” culture they were dealing with. This story turns that line of thinking on its head and shows it as a false construct.

The Dutch were the ones who made a mistake in this story. They never did their research or homework on who had the right claim to Manhattan. They probably just stopped the first Native Americans they saw and proposed a deal to them. The problem was those Native Americans were the Canarsees, and they didn’t have a claim to Manhattan. Sure the Dutch paid a low monetary price, but they paid a much higher price in bloodshed with the battles they had to fight with the Wappinger tribes over the actual ownership of Manhattan.

The native Americans were not as dumb or naïve as they are portrayed, and the Europeans are not as intelligent as they are portrayed; the truth is somewhere in the middle. This tale is one of many stories from the past, that has been whitewashed, and the real story is finally coming too light.

— Posted on September 15, 2019 By Marlon Mosley, MWMBlog.Com

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 2.27 (before 1940)

380 – Edict of Thessalonica: Emperor Theodosius I and his co-emperors Gratian and Valentinian II declare their wish that all Roman citizens convert to Nicene Christianity. 425 – The University of Constantinople is founded by Emperor Theodosius II at the urging of his wife Aelia Eudocia. 907 – Abaoji, chieftain of the Yila tribe, is named khagan of the Khitans. 1560 – The Treaty of Berwick is signed by England and the Lords of the Congregation of Scotland, establishing the terms under which English armed forces were to be permitted in Scotland in order to expel occupying French troops. 1594 – Henry IV is crowned King of France. 1617 – Sweden and the Tsardom of Russia sign the Treaty of Stolbovo, ending the Ingrian War and shutting Russia out of the Baltic Sea. 1626 – Yuan Chonghuan is appointed Governor of Liaodong, after leading the Chinese into a great victory against the Manchurians under Nurhaci. 1776 – American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in North Carolina breaks up a Loyalist militia. 1782 – American Revolutionary War: The House of Commons of Great Britain votes against further war in America. 1801 – Pursuant to the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801, Washington, D.C. is placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. 1809 – Action of 27 February 1809: Captain Bernard Dubourdieu captures HMS Proserpine. 1812 – Argentine War of Independence: Manuel Belgrano raises the Flag of Argentina in the city of Rosario for the first time. 1812 – Poet Lord Byron gives his first address as a member of the House of Lords, in defense of Luddite violence against Industrialism in his home county of Nottinghamshire. 1844 – The Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti. 1860 – Abraham Lincoln makes a speech at Cooper Union in the city of New York that is largely responsible for his election to the Presidency. 1864 – American Civil War: The first Northern prisoners arrive at the Confederate prison at Andersonville, Georgia. 1870 – The current flag of Japan is first adopted as the national flag for Japanese merchant ships. 1881 – First Boer War: The Battle of Majuba Hill takes place. 1898 – King George I of Greece survives an assassination attempt. 1900 – Second Boer War: In South Africa, British military leaders receive an unconditional notice of surrender from Boer General Piet Cronjé at the Battle of Paardeberg. 1900 – The British Labour Party is founded. 1900 – Fußball-Club Bayern München is founded. 1902 – Second Boer War: Australian soldiers Harry "Breaker" Morant and Peter Handcock are executed in Pretoria after being convicted of war crimes. 1916 – Ocean liner SS Maloja strikes a mine near Dover and sinks with the loss of 155 lives. 1921 – The International Working Union of Socialist Parties is founded in Vienna. 1922 – A challenge to the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, allowing women the right to vote, is rebuffed by the Supreme Court of the United States in Leser v. Garnett. 1932 – The Mäntsälä rebellion begins when members of the far-right Lapua Movement start shooting at the social democrats' event in Mäntsälä, Finland. 1933 – Reichstag fire: Germany's parliament building in Berlin, the Reichstag, is set on fire; Marinus van der Lubbe, a young Dutch Communist claims responsibility. 1939 – United States labor law: The U.S. Supreme Court rules in NLRB v. Fansteel Metallurgical Corp. that the National Labor Relations Board has no authority to force an employer to rehire workers who engage in sit-down strikes.

[bluesgator]

CRY OF THE MOHAWK WARRIOR © 2023 (HBP)

Audio portion - Produced and engineered by Réjean de Grand Maison at The Big House

Composers - A. Tomasso, M. Matulis. 

Consultants - Nick Fulleringer and Roger Dawson.

Without being too specific, for obvious reasons, I wrote the lyrics to speak of the "Mohawk Warrior" (The Mohawks were the most easterly of the Iroquois Nation's tribes) historically as well as of the present day (Kahnawake Warrior Society) en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohawk_Warrior_Society . In the song you find yourself in the middle of any one of many battles occurring between 1609 and 1777 in what is now the northern New York and southern Québec area. "The Mohawk Indians who were left in the Mohawk River Valley of upper New York state, were friends with and sided with the English during the French and Indian war. However, the Mohawk Indians who had been taken into Canada, sided with the French. This had the effect of pitting Mohawk brother against Mohawk brother, something the chiefs feared more than any enemy. Then came the Revolutionary War. Most of the Iroquois tribes sided with their allies, the English. But because the Colonies were fighting for Freedom, and because the Mohawk treasured freedom, many of the Mohawks sided with the Colonists. Again, Mohawk Brother was pitted against Mohawk Brother. This, coming so close on the tail-end of the French and Indian War effectively destroyed the unity of the Mohawks, who for so long had guarded the Iroquois against invasion in the East. Added onto this, the results of the Revolutionary War forced all of the Iroquois/Mohawk allies, as well as the enemies of the Colonists to cede their lands to the Americans. Interestingly, it was a corporation that took possession of the lands of the Mohawk and Iroquois — the corporation was headed by a man who was related to the President's wife at the time of the undertaking." www.aaanativearts.com/battle-of-lake-george It is complicated but the Mohawk Warriors are a proactive group and have taken on the responsibility of standing at the forefront of the conflict that exists between the First Nations and the various governmental and corporate entities across Canada and the U.S.. The exploitation, deception and injustices of the past that were inflicted upon our indigenous people have at best been compounded and persist through the year 2020 AD. Things must change and the Mohawk Warrior, among many others, is there to make sure that they do. We, the members of BLUES GATOR support the First Nations and we pay homage to the brave Mohawk Warrior. The "Warrior Sun/Son" referred to in this song, as in ( "... rage of the warrior son... " ) is a double entendre meant to sensitize the listener to the historically documented fact that over the centuries, many generations of noble Mohawk warrior sons have fought and died, come and gone and also to the Mohawk Warrior flag that uses a very striking image of the sun behind the Warrior profile to visually represent the rage and outrage that is felt by these people. lyrics CRY OF THE WARRIOR © 2023 (HBP) Cool waters run Pounding of the gun Death is in the air Blood infecting sun Long story's told Short story's cold People of the Bear Dying everywhere You hear the cry of The Warrior The rage of The Warrior Sun Big rivers rise Drowning out their lies Red Coats retreat Accepting their defeat You hear the cry of The Warrior The rage of The Warrior Sun Cry of The Warrior The rage of The Warrior Sun We are here to stay Winds of time will change We will find a way We will fight today Take them on the run Take them 'till they're done Nations unite Brother, sister join the fight You hear the cry of The Warrior The rage of The Warrior Sun Cry of The Warrior The rage of The Warrior Cry of The Warrior The rage of The Warrior Sun ~End~ Ajo Tomasso Mike Matulis credits released October 24, 2023 Ajo Tomasso and Mike Matulis of the band BLUES GATOR license all rights reserved

[brookston]

Holidays 3.24

Holidays

Abracadabra Day

Billboard Pop Album Chart Day

Commonwealth Covenant Day (Northern Mariana Islands)

Exxon Valdez Remembrance Day

Feast of the Trickster of Liberty

Flatmate’s Day (UK)

Great American Takeout Day

Heroes’ Day (Congo DRC)

Houdini Day

International Day for Achievers

International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims (UN)

International Houdini Day

International Love Your Cat Day

Kazimiras Diena (Return of the Larks; Ancient Latvia)

Lipoprotein(a) Awareness Day

National Adverse Drug Event Awareness Day

National Each Person is a Person of Worth Day

National Orange Day (New York)

National Remembrance Day of Poles Saving Jews under German Occupation (Poland)

National Revolution Day (Kyrgyzstan)

National Side Boob Appreciation Day

National Stephanie Day

National Tree Planting Day (Uganda)

Nowruz (New Year) [Day 5, Around Spring Equinox] (a.k.a. ... 

Navruz (Tajikistan)

Nooroz (Iran)

Novruz (Azerbaijan)

The Office Day

OSX Day

See if you Can Remember How to Play Parcheesi Day

Student Day (Scientology)

Truth and Justice Day (Argentina)

World Freedom of Thought Day

World Tuberculosis Day (UN)

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Sauerkraut Day

National Cake Pops Day

National Cheesesteak Day

National Chocolate Covered Raisins Day

National Cocktail Day

4th Friday in March

Pliny the Younger Day (Normally 1st Friday in February but postponed in 2023)

Wear a Hat Day (Ireland) [4th Friday]

Independence Days

Commonwealth Covenant Day (Northern Marianas Islands)

Feast Days

Baghwan Shree Rajneesh Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Catherine of Vadstena (a.k.a. Catherine of Sweden; Christian; Saint)

Dies Sanguines (Day of Blood, a.k.a. Bellona’s Day; Sacrifices to War Goddess Bellona; Ancient Rome)

Festival of Cybele (Fasting & Mourning Attis’ Death; Ancient Rome)

Gabriel the Archangel (Christian; Saint)

Hildelith of Barking (Christian; Saint)

Irenssus, Bishop of Sirmium (Christian; Saint)

Komoeditsi (Celebrating Meveshii Bog, Great Bear God, including sacrifice to Great God of Honey; Asatru/Slavic Pagan)

Mac Cairthinn of Clogher (Christian; Saint)

Morton the Beaver (Muppetism)

Origen (Positivist; Saint)

Óscar Romero (Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, Lutheranism)

Pandia (Festival of Zeus; Ancient Greece)

Paul Couturier (Church of England)

Red Wine Day (Pastafarian)

Simon the infant (Christian; Martyr at Trent)

Walter Hilton (Church of England; Martyr at Norwich)

William Morris (Artology; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [12 of 53]

Lucky Day (Philippines) [36 of 71]

Prime Number Day: 83 [23 of 72]

Premieres

Akhenaten, by Philip Glass (Opera; 1984)

...And Then There Were Three, by Genesis (Album; 1978)

The Brandenburg Concertos, by Johann Sebastian Bach (Six Concertos; 1721)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, by Tennessee Williams (Play; 1955)

Country Bear Jamboree (Disneyland Show; 1972)

Crazy Over Daisy (Disney Cartoon; 1950)

Dirty Work, by The Rolling Stones (Album; 1986)

Dolores Claiborne (Film; 1995)

Do The Freddie, by Freddie & the Dreamers (Song; 1965)

Funnies Little Bunnies (Disney Cartoon; 1934)

The Godfather (Film; 1972)

Hannah Montana (TV Series; 2006)

Ice Dragon: Legend of the Blue Daisies (Animated Film; 2018)

No One Is To Blame, by Howard Jones (Song; 1986)

Nuthin’ Fancy, by Lynyrd Skynyrd (Album; 1975)

The Office (US TV Series; 2005)

Rocky Horror Picture Show (Musical Play, U.S.; 1974)

Scenario, by A Tribe Called Quest (Album; 1992)

Symphony No. 7 in C Major, by Jean Sibelius (Symphonic Fantasy; 1924)

3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of…, by Arrested Development (Album; 1992)

Withering Heights (Film; 1939)

Today’s Name Days

Elias, Karin, Katharina (Austria)

Didak, Katarina, Latin (Croatia)

Gabriel (Czech Republic)

Judica, Ulrica (Denmark)

Albe, Albi, Albina (Estonia)

Gabriel, Kaapo, Kaappo, Kaapro (Finland)

Catherine, Karine (France)

Elias, Heidelinde, Karin (Germany)

Gábor, Karina (Hungary)

Attilio, Didaco, Flavio, Gabriele, Romolo, Tiberio (Italy)

Kazimirs, Spulgis (Latvia)

Daumantas, Donardas, Gabrielius, Ganvilė, Liucija (Lithuania)

Rikke, Ulrikke (Norway)

Dziersława, Dzierżysława, Gabor, Gabriel, Marek, Sewer, Sofroniusz, Szymon (Poland)

Zaharia (Romania)

Gabriel (Slovakia)

Catalina (Spain)

Gabriel, Rafael (Sweden)

Gabe, Gabriel, Gabriela, Gabriella, Gabrielle, Gigi (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 83 of 2023; 282 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 12 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 6 of 28]

Chinese: Second Month 2 (Gui-Mao), Day 3 (Xin-Si)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 2 Nisan 5783

Islamic: 2 Ramadan 1444

J Cal: 22 Ver; Oneday [22 of 30]

Julian: 11 March 2023

Moon: 12%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 27 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Origen]

Runic Half Month: Beore (Birch Tree) [Day 14 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 5 of 90)

Zodiac: Aries (Day 4 of 30)

[dirt-grub]

WOW so i just learned i might be more native than i thought

[sleepysera]

11.21.22 Headlines

WORLD NEWS

Indonesia: Strong quake topples houses in Java; 62 dead (AP)

“A strong, shallow earthquake toppled buildings and walls on Indonesia’s densely populated main island on Monday, killing at least 62 and injuring hundreds as people fled into the street, some covered in blood and debris. Officials were gathering information on the toll of those injured and killed by the quake in the remote area.”

Turkey: Kurdish militants fire at Turkish border town, 3 killed (AP)

“Suspected Kurdish militants in Syria fired rockets across the border into Turkey on Monday, killing at least three people and wounding 10 others, officials said. The attack followed deadly airstrikes by Turkey on suspected militants targets in Syria and Iraq.”

Israel: PM-designate Netanyahu wins libel case against ex-PM (BBC)

“Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu has won a defamation suit against a predecessor who claimed he and his family were mentally ill. A judge ordered Ehud Olmert to pay Mr Netanyahu, his wife Sara, and their son Yair $18,000 (£15,260) in damages.”

US NEWS

Climate Crisis: Biden sending federal aid as NY digs out from huge snowstorm (AP)

“President Joe Biden is sending federal aid to western New York to help state and local authorities clean up from the massive storm that dumped as much as 6 feet (1.8 meters) of snow in western and northern New York, the White House announced Monday. The emergency declaration authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief in 11 counties hit by the the lake-effect snowstorm Friday and Saturday.”

Gun Violence: Gay club shooting suspect evaded CO’s red flag gun law (AP)

“A year and a half before he was arrested in the Colorado Springs gay nightclub shooting that left five people dead, Anderson Lee Aldrich allegedly threatened his mother with a homemade bomb, forcing neighbors in surrounding homes to evacuate while the bomb squad and crisis negotiators talked him into surrendering. Yet despite that scare, there’s no public record that prosecutors moved forward with felony kidnapping and menacing charges against Aldrich, or that police or relatives tried to trigger Colorado’s “red flag” law that would have allowed authorities to seize the weapons and ammo the man’s mother says he had with him.”

Indiginous Rights: Bison spread as Native American tribes reclaim stewardship (AP)

“Some 82 tribes across the U.S. — from New York to Alaska — now have more than 20,000 bison in 65 herds — and that’s been growing in recent years along with the desire among Native Americans to reclaim stewardship of an animal their ancestors lived alongside and depended upon for millennia.”

[the-writer-nerd-ro]

Please enjoy my stupid puns and pre-season 2 speculation.

Rent

York didn’t know what the song “Lucky” by Jason Mythraz and Colbie Killait was about but he sang it around the apartment all the time.

“I’m lucky I’m in love with my best friends,” He would croon, and Rosé and Grandma would have to smile because damn if he wasn’t right. They were all lucky to have found each other, to love each other so much, to share the same dingy apartment together.

Technically it was just Grandma who lived there. It was Grandma’s legal name on the lease. Technically Rosé only sometimes slept in a hammock slung between the kitchen and the dining room, and technically York was only sleeping on the smallish couch while he was between lodgings. But considering that they each paid their share of rent and only hid when the landlord was around, they were pretty much permanent fixtures.

Grandma didn’t mind now, though it had been a bit of an issue at first. There’d been a few arguments about Rosé about her stolen rent money (“If you steal the rent money from me I’ll still be short on rent money!”) and a couple with York about getting a job.

“I have a job, I’m a detective.”

“Yeah, I know, but we’re like, in between gigs. Don’t you think you should find something else to help pay rent until we’re back on the job?”

“Hm. I didn’t have to pay rent in the Northern Tribes.”

“Rent’s bogus,” Rosé pitched in, before heading out for another date night heist with Harper.

“Go live with your girlfriend!” Grandma called after her, but they didn’t mean it, and Rosé would be back.

“I know,” York said triumphantly, “I’ll walk dogs.”

“...I walk dogs.”

“I know, and I come with you sometimes! So we could just… Charge them extra.”

“That’s… That’s not how it works, York.”

“Should be.”

“Uh…”

“Hm. I’m gonna go talk to Jancy.” The couch he slept on groaned in defeat any time York rose from it, and the sound seemed to reverberate from the dwarf-sized apartment as York left.

“We should’ve moved to the east and started that bookshop,” Grandma said to no one in particular, before realizing they were alone and going crazy. Then they decided to go to work, soliciting dog-walking gigs.

When York returned from that particular occasion, he held a bag of something unidentifiable.

“I have good news and bad news and good news, take your pick.”

“Bad news,” Grandma said immediately, preparing for the worst.

“Jancy said there was no work for us.”

“Well, I knew that, since she didn’t call us about a case, but I guess I’m glad you checked to make sure. What’s the second good news?”

“My mom said I could move back in with her if you didn’t want to be my roommate anymore on account of me having no money.” York was smiling to hide his pain. He loved his mom and very much wanted to reconnect with her, but he liked having his own space, even if his own space was a tiny couch in a one-bedroom apartment that he shared with his two best friends.

Grandma also felt a pang of sadness. They wanted rent money, of course, but they very much didn’t want to kick York out. York was their best friend and they were lucky to have him around.

“...What was the first good news?” Surely it wasn’t more devastating than the first, surely York wasn’t going to mention moving back to the Northern tribes- or worse, to the east, where the wild rhinos were.

York triumphantly held up his bag, “I still have an excellent bone guy.”

So, from that point on, rent was paid in bones and stolen money, but the slightly skeevy arrangement worked for all three budding detectives, and they knew, if nothing else, they still had their bookshop in the east to look forward to.

[monologuerhead]

[”In 2014, Indian Country Today reported that of the United State’s 1,322 Superfund sites, 532 of them were located on Indian lands- an astoundingly disproportionate figure considering how little of the Us land base is Indian trust land. Superfund sites are designated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980. These sites are not just uranium or coal mines either. Some Superfund sites, like the General Motors and the Alcoa aluminum facilities, both in Massena, New York, adjacent to the Saint Regis Mohawk Reservation, were polluted due to manufacturing processes that leached PCBs snd other hazardous substances into local water sources and ecosystems. Of the toxic sites the Indian Country Today story listed, however, the majority were the result of extractive industries. Some were well known, like the Midnight Mine in Washington. Others less so, like Salt Chuck Mine in southeast Alaska on the traditional lands of the Organized Village of Kasaan, which Operated as a copper, palladium, gold, and silver mine from 1916 to 1941. Or the Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine, which is now the home of the Elem Band of Pomo Indians in Northern California, where mercury poisons people’s bodies and contaminated nearby Clearlake- a traditional source of fish for the tribe— making it the most mercury-polluted lake in the world Or the abandoned Rio Tinto Copper Mine site in Nevada near the lands of the Shoshone Paiute Tribes of Duck Valley, where the mine operated from 1932 to 1976 and whose mill tailings made Mill Creek uninhabitable for redband trout, an important cultural food source.

The extensive environmental devastation as described above is often referred to as “ecocide.” “Ecocide” was first named in international legal circles in the early 1970s to describe the destruction of ecosystems implicating the behavior of governments and corporations all over the world— particularly in indigenous and other marginalized communities— and has been applied in the American Indian context. A decades-long effort to include ecocide alongside the four crimes against peace of the ICC’s Rome Statute (the four being genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes of aggression) succeeded, but the revised statute limits ecocide to a crime only during wartime. Ecocide is part of the burgeoning field of “green criminology,” a branch of criminology studies that links ecosystem destruction with corporate crime and environmental justice, seeing the environment as an independent entity invested with rights. But another strand of green criminology research sheds light on the under examined connections between ecocide and genocide, recognizing the human rights implications when ecocide interferes with a culture’s ability to perpetuate itself. By understanding the nexus of ecocide and cultural genocide, these researchers aim to ultimately produce new international laws that prevent the ongoing destruction of cultures due to extreme energy development technology such as fracking o what British genocide scholar Damien Short calls “bottom of the barrel” development.”]

Dina Gilio-Whitaker, As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock, pg 68

[rjzimmerman]

Sorry, Minnesota. But my perception of you as a “nice state” full of “nice people” has taken a beating over these past several months, starting with the George Floyd murder and your state’s reaction against the resulting outrage, your stubborn approval of Enbridge Line 3 notwithstanding clear evidence that the pipeline violates Native American treaty rights, is bad for the environment and does little to benefit the people of the State of Minnesota, through this wicked assault on people, particularly Native Americans, who sincerely believe that Enbridge Line 3 is an assault on the environment and on Native American treaty rights. Additionally, a few weeks ago, cities in your state were “demoted” from the best “green city” lists, when the surveyor that compiles the list decided to add as a criterion the ratio of green space to the location of that green space relative to people of color; you failed there too. Basically, I think we’re starting to see through your book or fables and fairy tales. Sorry to my Minnesota friends, but I know my Minnesota friends agree with me and have been telling me for years I was cheering on a myth.

Excerpt from this story from the New York Times:

The protesters who gathered in the boreal forests of Northern Minnesota came from across the country — Native American tribes and their supporters, environmentalists and religious leaders — all to fight an expansion of Line 3, a $9 billion pipeline operated by the Canadian company, Enbridge, that would carry hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil through Minnesota’s delicate watersheds and tribal lands.

Some said they had come ready to risk arrest by lying down in the path of construction. Others said they were here to support tribes that have been battling oil and gas pipelines for years, including the highly contentious Dakota Access Pipeline.

Late on Monday, police began making arrests after dozens of activists used an old fishing boat, bamboo and steel cable to blockade the road to a construction site off Highway 71 north of Park Rapids. Several hundred others scaled the fence at the site and occupied it, some climbing atop diggers and transformer boxes or chaining themselves to construction equipment.

Police in riot gear “broke through the steel fences and they just began arresting everyone,” said Tara Houska, a tribal attorney and member of the Couchiching First Nation Anishinaabe along the Canadian border. “This is an act of violence on tribal land,” she said.

Police later escalated their attempts to end the protest, using what appeared to be a crowd-dispelling sonic device known as an LRAD, or Long Range Acoustic Device, on the protesters, and using bolt cutters and saws to cut people loose from the equipment they had chained themselves to.

Near midnight, representatives of the legal aid nonprofit National Lawyers Guild, who were present at the protest, said more than 100 people had been arrested. As the last of the police closed in, a core group of protesters made a stand at the boat. A lone voice shouted in the dark, “Water is life.”

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil greenlights power line through indigenous reserve in the Amazon

[Image description: Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro addresses the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2021.]

A 715-km (440-mile) power line in Brazil's Amazon region has received an environmental permit so that construction can move ahead, companies behind the project said on Wednesday, despite indigenous concerns over the damages it may cause.

Speaking at an event, right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro said that it was a big day for the state of Roraima, which the power line will link to the rest of the Brazilian electric grid. Bolsonaro said construction would take about three years.

The president has backed the construction of the line to ensure energy security for Roraima, which received power from Venezuela until political instability there cut off that arrangement and the state now relies on expensive thermoelectric power plants.

Environmental concerns had long held up the project, the rights to which were auctioned off by the government in 2011. The line will connect the northern cities of Manaus and Boa Vista, with a 120-kilometer stretch cutting across the protected Waimiri-Atroari indigenous reserve.

Federal prosecutors alleged that the project could violate indigenous rights and that the companies and government have not taken the obligation to consult the affected tribe seriously.

Continue reading.

[rumor-imbris]

Hello, Lady Connor! I want to ask out of unbearable, suffocating curiosity in my heart, even though in the previous post you already said to not mention "that certain comic". Could you please enlighten me about your view on that comic and what you despise about it? I would love to read your detailed thoughts about it even if just once. But if this is too triggering for you, I'm truly sorry for your discomfort and you don't need to answer it.

Hello, dear Anon and welcome ^-^ It's weird you naturally called me Lady Connor, as usually only my little fairy @giuliettaluce does. Well, I guess her magic put a spell on everybody here!!

If you really care to know, I'll answer, but brace yourself, it's going to be very long, almost an essay, because I can be very detailed about that comic being a failure in its every part. There's so much to say. You're right, as I mentioned before, it can trigger me, but I have attentively analized it and I know it makes not a single atom of sense. So nothing can actually bother me that much, don't worry ^_-

First of all, my general consideration of the AC Reflections comic issue #4, (yeah, that thing -.-) is that of a mere attempt to desperately make Bayek's remote vision through Senu's eyes a canon feature. It was created and published in 2017, the same year AC Origins was released and yes, they needed an excuse to make believe Connor's alleged daughter inherited a skill someone (who isn't even their direct ancestor!!) that lived 1700 years ago in ancient Egypt had! OMG, this should be funny enough, but I'll go on. Also, I think it was likely a carelessly arranged way to satisfy those AC3 fans demanding a "happy ending" for unlucky Connor (quite 5 years later, of course).

I'll better go step by step to figure out where to start from, seriously.

1) In the comic, when Otso Berg opens the file related to Connor, the scene is set in "1796: Upstate New York." Now this is chronologically and spacially incoherent and illogical. We see Connor still wears his assassin outfit in it, right? According to AC Initiates (2012) in 1804 Connor invites the Dominican assassin Eseosa at the Davenport homestead to provide him some advices and further training as he's involved in the leading of the Haitian Revolution. That's a really cool character, read about him, if you want!

So, until then Connor is still an assassin, probably the mentor (by now) of the Colonial Brotherhood. He still runs the homestead and he still commands the Aquila, I guess, he's the captain still. I calculated the distance between the homestead and the then upper NY frontier territories is approximately 260 miles (quite far nowadays with cars and planes as well). Then, why the hell should he have a family located in the forest upstate NY? It sounds very unconfortable to run back and forth to reach them and go back to take care of all the Brotherhood matters, doesn't it? Unless he knew about teleportation!!! Also, wow, he lives all alone in a nice massive villa with all the comforts of that time while his children and wife still live in a Native village constantly menaced by settlers wanting to steal their land? Beside the fact that Connor, at least in my point of view, seemed at last very familiar with european way of living by the end of the game, this leads us to the next point.

2) By the time the game and the comic are set (second half of 18th century), most of the East Coast Native tribes were facing the tragic and forced migration to western and northern territories (mostly towards Canada, protected by the British) because of all the consequences of the Revolutionary War (lost territories, failed alliances, settlers advancing and buying their lands and so on). So tells us history, unfortunately. It's a fact. And this is wisely showed to us in the AC3 main game when, after all the Kanien'kehá:ka tribes had left the territory around Connor's village (yes, even those near New York, to be clear) even Connor's own tribe at last migrates west, leaving an empty ghost village. They had remained all along to protect the secret temple, but in the end they as well were forced to leave. So, to me it's highly improbable that in upstate NY, one could still find a tribe and even if so, that Connor would let his family live there and risk their safety everyday.

3) The whole comic plot revolves around the fact that Io:nhiòte has a "special gift"... She inexplicably knows how to read the ground and find animal traces, she also can perform a perfect twisted acrobatic flip in the air and land unharmed to the ground. Do we know why? No, don't ask! xD She simply knows U.U, even if right after the next scene she slips and falls miserably down a cliff xD, but... ok!! Beside that, when Connor is far away to search for some water and is about to be attacked by a wolf hidden in the grass nearby, she sees the whole scene from the eyes of an eagle flying in the sky above her. As I said before, this reminds us of Bayek's (never clearly explained) ability to see through his eagle Senu's eyes and spot dangers and enemies. Now can you tell me why the hell this little girl has super powers and a skill Bayek had? As I said, they are not even directely related, as Bayek is not one of Desmond Miles' ancestor, we know him simply because Layla's new Animus is magical and can inexplicably read fragmented DNA from people who died a thousand years ago (it can also prepair coffee, I think!). So, where did she get that from? Magic? Mysteries of life? Convenient improbable connections for marketing's sake? We'll never know and you should simply accept that and ask no question!

4) From her height, way of speaking/moving/running, I assume Io:nhiòte is at least 8 years old, 8 - 9 minimum. She's the youngest of three siblings, who must be at least two years older than her and than each other (according to a human woman pregnancy timing!). If the comic events are set 12 years after the main game ending (1784, when Connor also starts to train the young ex-slave Patience Gibbs, arriving at the Davenport homestead with Aveline De Grandpré, according to AC IV Black Flag bonus mission with Aveline), so, this means that in that same year Connor must have found hastily the love of his life in a Native village (as if he was easy to open himself with other people after all he's been through), married her, impregnated her and seen her give birth to their first child, all in the same year when (let's not foget! xD) he still is the leader of the Colonial Assassin Brotherhood at the Davenport homestead training novices. Now, this may even be possible humanly speaking, (well, if you force the things a bit and hurry up!) but highly unlikely to happen!! xD

These are the main problems affecting the logic of the comic in my opinion, the points making its foundations crumble apart. Though I'm sure there are many little others to point out, such as Otso Berg "opening" Connor's files... like what? Where did those data come out from? I remember playing AC IV Black Flag and uncovering a file where Abstergo researchers themselves closed access to his memories as there was "nothing appealing to this character anymore"! So, if no more researches were conducted on him since 2013, where did Mr Berg magically or conveniently discovered such data in 2017?

Or... do we want to talk about the cover? It shows Connor in the spirit outfit from the Tyranny of King Washington DLC, which has apparently nothing to do with the comic, since it is set in his present day and he wears his assassin standard robe. Now, I think that can be either a simple marketing choice to make the comic more appealing, as... well, that cover is so cool, let's admit that, or maybe the subtle suggestion that the events told in it are just a parallel Disney-like reality and are not to be considered true at all! xD i don't know, maybe both explanations are right.

I'm sure that the deeper i dig, the more nothing rational I'll find!

If you played the old games, if you know well the franchise and its lore, the true, good, old AC lore, you definitely realize by yourself how that comic is useless and senseless.

This doesn't mean I do not wish an "happy ending" for Connor. But I'd rather accept something coherent with the main game events and AC chronology. Also, it doesn't necessarily needs to be a "happy" ending, as they conveniently created to please complaining fans. I wished for something real... coherent with his personality, acquired life-style and endless sense of duty and values.

Maybe that's what pushed me to write my FanFic novel in the first place, after all... To give him MY OWN cohesive ending, including my love, for love is always needed, I guess.

I'm so sorry if the answer took this long in time and words, but you were warned! ^w^

Though, thank you... Seriously, thank you so much for asking. You made me reflect once more about this matter.

Come visit me again, if you want. Take care

- Rumor Imbris 🦋

P.S. Oh, and if you're interested, this is my "jelousy song", for when things like this trigger my inner witch!! xD

[kemetic-dreams]

The Baka people, known in the Congo as Bayaka (Bebayaka, Bebayaga, Bibaya), are an ethnic group inhabiting the southeastern rain forests of Cameroon, northern Republic of the Congo, northern Gabon, and southwestern Central African Republic. They are sometimes called a subgroup of the Twa, but the two peoples are not closely related. Likewise, the name "Baka" is sometimes mistakenly applied to other peoples of the area who, like the Baka and Twa, have been historically called pygmies, a term that is no longer considered respectful.

Baka people are all hunter-gatherers, formerly called Pygmies, located in the Central African rain forest. Having average heights of 1.52 meters (5 feet) in average as well as a semi-nomadic lifestyles, the Baka are often discriminated against and marginalized from society.

The tropical rain forest in Gabon, Central Africa where some of the Baka reside

They reside in southeastern Cameroon, northern Gabon and in the northern part of the Republic of Congo. In Congo, the Baka people are otherwise known as the Bayaka.Some Baka are also found in southwestern Central African Republic.Although the Baka people are located throughout the Central African rain forest, they are mainly concentrated in Cameroon as the Baka community of Cameroon represents roughly 30 000 individuals.

The Baka are a semi-nomadic people, like other hunter-gatherers such as the Bagyeli and the Twa. However, they are slowly becoming a more sedentary people due to the intensive deforestation of the Central African Rainforest.[6] Pressures from their taller and more dominant neighbors, the Bantu, have also slowed the Baka people’s mobility.

The Baka have successfully maintained their language, also called Baka. Unlike their neighbors’ languages (Koozime, Bakoum and Bangandou) which have Bantu roots, Baka comes from a different language family, Ubangian.

The oldest reference to "pygmies" dates back to 2276 B.C when Pharaoh Pepi II described seeing a "dancing dwarf of the god from the land of spirits", in a letter to a slave trade expedition leader.In the Iliad, Homer described the "pygmies" as dark skinned men in warfare with cranes. They were as tall as a "pygme" which meant that they measured the length of an elbow to a knuckle, or about one and a half feet long. About three centuries later (500 B.C), the Greek Herodotus reported that an explorer had seen, while travelling along the West African Coast, "dwarfish people, who used clothing made from the palm tree".

In 1995, Joan Mark wrote The King of the World in the Land of the Pygmies, an interpretive biography of Patrick Tracy Lowell Putnam, the anthropologist who spent 25 years living among the Bambuti "pygmies" in Zaire. Mark writes that Aristotle, in 340 B.C, was the first to relate, in his Historia Animalium, the small men Homer accounted for in the Iliad, to those seen previously on the African coast. He goes on to explain that, due to the chasm that existed between Europe and Africa after the collapse of the Roman Empire, most Europeans living in the 18th century believed "pygmies" to be mythical creatures.

In 1890, the Welsh journalist Henry Stanley gave, according to anthropologist Paul Raffaele, the first modern account of the existence of "pygmies". In his book, In Darkest Africa, Stanley described meeting a "pygmy" couple. Stanley writes of them: "In him was a mimicked dignity, as of Adam; in her the womanliness of a miniature Eve".

In 1906, a Congolese "pygmy" Ota Benga, was exhibited, among apes, at the Bronx Zoo in New York City. According to The New York Times, Ota was 4 feet and 11 inches. This episode is still extremely controversial today as a The New York Times article was written about Ota more than 100 years later. According to the Times, black clergyman and superintendent of the Howard Colored Orphan Asylum in Brooklyn, Reverend James H. Gordon, deemed the exhibit to be racist and demeaning. "Our race, we think, is depressed enough, without exhibiting one of us with the apes," Mr. Gordon said. "We think we are worthy of being considered human beings, with souls.

The Baka worship the forest spirit called Jengi (also known as Djengui or Ejengi).The spirit plays the role of the mediator between the supreme being, Komba, and the Baka people.The Baka thus compare Jengi to a protecting father or guardian. They strongly believe and revere Jengi as they believe that he is the only way to Komba. The Baka people believe Jengi to be omnipresent within the forest allowing him to punish transgressors within the confines of the forest. Ultimately, the Baka worship nature as it is Komba, not Jengi, that resides in it.

After hunting successfully, the Baka worship Jengi with songs of thanksgiving and dancing in a ritual called Luma.These rituals are necessary for Jengi to appear before the Baka, as they believe that he only shows himself when harmony reigns among the villagers.Jengi also appears during the important ceremony, Jengi, where a young man goes from being a boy to a man.During these ceremonies, young Baka men volunteer to be initiated by Jengi. Once they are initiated, they have the right to live and walk freely within the sacred forest.This secret ceremony was studied by anthropologist, Mauro Campagnoli, who claims having been able to partake.Journalist Paul Raffaele describes his experience with Jengi:

"Emerging from the shadows were half a dozen Baka men accompanying a creature swathed from top to bottom in strips of russet-hued raffia. It had no features, no limbs, no face. "It's Ejengi," said Wasse, his voice trembling. At first I was sure it was a Pygmy camouflaged in foliage, but as Ejengi glided across the darkened clearing, the drums beat louder and faster, and as the Pygmies' chanting grew more frenzied, I began to doubt my own eyes."

Death is considered to be a misfortune for the Baka. They deem the death of one of their own to be a representation of spiritual discord. Each tribe, having witnessed the death of one of their own, is required to pray to Jengi and dance around the debris covered corpse for an entire night. The dance performed during the death rituals is called the Mbouamboua. After a long night of dancing, the villagers depart from where they were stationed, leaving the corpse behind, and set out to move somewhere else in order to flee the curse

Traditional Baka medicine mainly involves herbal remedies. Various plants may be brewed or mashed into a pulp to treat various illnesses or infertility. These remedies are often used on children, as the areas where they are most used have high child mortality rates. While the efficacy of these remedies has not been proven, this traditional medicine is so renowned that even non-Baka seek out their healers for treatment.

Many Baka people have had Ebola but none have been reported to have displayed any symptoms