Lipan Apache Legal Victory for Native American Religious Freedom!

Vice-chairman Robert Soto at the 2014 City of McAllen 4th of July Parade.

This month, after eight years in court, my tribe has achieved a legal victory to defend our religious rights.

In 2006, federal officials violated a sacred powwow circle and confiscated feathers.Thanks to the tireless work of Lipan Apache Vice-chairman Robert Soto (pictured above) and lawyers Milo Colton and Marisa Salazar, the feathers will be returned and given the respect they deserve. I’d like to emphasize that this ruling does not affect the eagle population. Our feathers are recycled from birds that die a natural death. Rather, the ruling challenges the federal government’s power to arbitrarily decide which Native Americans have the right to worship. As the Lipan Apache events page explains: The law is not only a win for the Tribe and other State Recognized Tribes but also for those who fit the definition of American Indians as stated in the 1997 “Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity,” 62 FR 58782-01: “A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment” and who are within 5th Circuit Court States: Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

In other words, the government has no right to claim that a “select few American Indians” are more equal than others.

You can read the press release below.

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Introducing Rosie, Blog Mascot!

Little Badger Diary has a mascot named Rosie! Today, she climbed onto my bed and sat in my lap. Rosie is very scary when she yawns.

Comic Book Teaser: The Brothers Three

Nick Robles has created more glorious character art for Shining Ascension. Nick, you’re awesome! ❤

Maedoc the King’s Son (ax), Caratacos the Magician’s Son (spear), and Bricius the Poet’s Son (crouching) meet Bregga during her quest. Are they friends or foes? You’ll have to read the comic to find out! 😀

The half-brothers will appear in the Shining Ascension series, coming to the Internet early 2015.

Sneak Peek: Action on the Stormy Sea!

Breg defends a ship the only way she knows how: like a boss. This partial battle scene was illustrated by the exceptional Nick Robles. The rest of the action has been cut because it contains spoilers for the upcoming comic book series, Shining Ascension! As the deadline nears, I’ll be posting oodles of art and some teasers for the plot! Stay tuned ❤ Click on the pic for better resolution.

Why Did the Little Badger Cross the Road?

Today, as I was walking to work, a stranger in a white car rolled down his window, pointed at me, and shouted, “What’re you doing? Where you going?”

I wish I knew, rude stranger.

I wish I knew.

😛

True story.

 

The Colors Birds See

I found the red-winged blackbird behind a pickup truck in the apartment parking lot. One wing bent and bleeding, she crowed defiantly as I approached. Blackbird stared me down with dark, round eyes, her feathered breast heaving, her mouth cracked open. It was summer in Texas, and the air near the concrete ground shimmered. I ran inside and returned with a towel and shoebox. Five minutes later, we left the parking lot in my Monte Carlo from the nineties, heading to the wildlife rehabilitation center thirty miles away. I hoped that somebody there could rescue Blackbird or, at the very least, provide a calm death. The working veterinarian gave me papers to sign, release forms that gave the center permission to treat Blackbird, as if she became mine when I interfered with nature’s plans.