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ONEIDA INDIAN NATION LAUNCHES “CHANGE THE MASCOT” AD CAMPAIGN AGAINST D.C.’S NFL TEAM

ONEIDA NATION HOMELANDS –On September 5th, the Oneida Indian Nation announced a new advertising campaign to urge Washington, D.C.’s professional football team to change its name. The first ads aired on sports radio in Washington, D.C. in advance of Washington’s season opening game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

As the second series of ads launched, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that league and team officials “need to be listening” to the mounting calls for change.

The commissioner’s declaration, made during an interview with D.C.’s 106.7 “The Fan,” came just days after the Oneida Indian Nation launched the first ad in its “Change the Mascot” campaign (www.changethemascot.org) The Nation recently released its next ad which aired in Wisconsin in advance of the Washington team’s game with Green Bay. Reporting on Goodell’s comments, the Associated Press noted that, “momentum for a change seems to be growing.”

Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter said, “We are encouraged to see that Mr. Goodell is joining us and so many others in calling for a serious discussion about ending the Washington team’s use of a racial slur.”

In recent months, the NFL has faced increasing pressure for it to change the Washington team’s name. “More and more Americans are speaking out and saying that it is unacceptable to use hurtful language to describe whole cultures,” Halbritter said.

THE LEONARD PELTIER INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL: US GOVERNMENT ON TRIAL

October 2 – 4, Radisson Hotel & Conference Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin

MINNEAPOLIS – A group of American Indian leaders are hosting “The Leonard Peltier International Tribunal” during the first week of October on the Oneida Nation Reservation in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The purpose of the historic, public tribunal is to digitally document first-hand witness accounts of 40 years of malfeasance in Indian country, and the continuing struggles of Indigenous Peoples.

Issues will include but are not limited to fishing rights, the sterilization of Indigenous women, extreme poverty, theft of tribes’ natural resources, environmental issues and their impact on Indian reservations, the horrific rate of suicides among Native children, and the wrongful conviction of Leonard Peltier.

Organizers of the tribunal plan to analyze and discuss events that led up to the June 26, 1975, incident at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and the effects on survivors of the 1970s.

All Indigenous Peoples are invited to attend. Tribes are encouraged to send a delegation of tribal elders to participate.

THE MEDICINE GAME PREMIERES SEPTEMBER 24 ON PUBLIC TELEVISION’S WORLD CHANNEL

Lincoln, Neb .: Tucked away in central New York State is the Onondaga Nation, a sovereign Native American community known to produce some of the top lacrosse players in the world. Yet, the fear of leaving their community, substance abuse, and poverty have kept far too many of these players from venturing off the “Rez” and into collegiate or professional ranks.

Enter the Thompson brothers--Jerome “Hiana” and Jeremy--who are driven by a single goal of beating the odds against them and playing lacrosse for national powerhouse Syracuse University. During the brothers’ freshman and junior years of high school, they led their school’s lacrosse team to state championships. Based on this success, many people, including the film’s director/producer Lukas Korver, assumed they would compete for the state championship again.

“Lacrosse is more than just a game--it’s a way of life, it’s a heritage. It’s being Iroquois. It’s being Native American. It’s a part of their culture, their religion, who they are,” Korver said.

During the playoffs of their senior year, the undeniably close brothers had a shockingly out-of-character fight in the school parking lot, leaving Hiana hospitalized and unable to play lacrosse during his recovery from a broken jaw. Without Hiana on the field in the school’s next playoff game, Jeremy’s play suffered. The team lost, ending their chances at a third state championship. It would take two years before the brothers’ relationship healed to what it had been.

Hiana and Jeremy’s father, Jerome “Ji” Thompson commented, “They started school late and they’ve come from so far behind to catch up and do as well as they’re doing now. And, just to get that degree to show everybody, because I know there are people out there that actually know them that don’t think they can do it.”

“A lot of people say that it’s bad around here. But myself, I don’t know. I think it’s just like any other child growing up anywhere else,” said Jeremy.

With their now unfulfilled dream of winning a third state championship, the brothers heavily pursued their ongoing, shared vision of playing lacrosse for Syracuse University. Athletically, the brothers were standouts, but academically, they struggled. The obstacles in their way were frequent and daunting, but their love for the game, each other, and their family’s unyielding determination, helped propel these youth against the odds.

Ji, who doesn’t want his sons to be ironworkers like himself and generations before, explained, “The greatest gift you can give your children is your time. I taught my boys to respect the game--the game of lacrosse. Respect means to play as hard as you can, you know. Go out there and give it everything you can because you’re playing for the Creator.”

“I titled the film The Medicine Game because the game has helped not only the Thompsons, but many families and communities to stay healthy both physically and mentally, to bond with one another, and to learn many powerful life lessons,” said Korver.

To watch the film’s trailer, visit http://www.visionmakermedia.org/medicine_game

 

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