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Munsee

At The Mission House, ‘Mohican Miles’ gives voice to Stockbridge’s first community

The Mission House exhibit shares the history and culture of the Stockbridge–Munsee Mohican Nation. Photo: Brian Cruey

STOCKBRIDGE — From the banks of the Konkapot River to the cascading waters of Umpachene Falls, the history of the Stockbridge–Munsee Mohican Nation runs deep in Berkshire County. Conversations surrounding the origins of the federally recognized Tribal Nation in Wisconsin — which began in the Hudson and Housatonic River Valleys of the Northeast — have not always been as audible as the rushing bodies of water named for the leaders of two Housatonic Mohican villages in 1734.

Today, 165 years after The Nation was forcibly relocated to what are now the towns of Red Springs and Bartelme in Shawano County, Wisconsin (a result of the Treaty of 1856), a new exhibit at The Mission House Museum gives voice not only to Mohican history and culture, but to land as a source of traditions and identity, and tackles the repercussions of an entire group being forcibly uprooted from their ancestral home.

“We are excited that we have a place to call ours to tell our history, our way. The history that Mohican Nation has in Stockbridge is significant and we are grateful to be able to tell it,” said Heather Bruegl, cultural affairs director for the Stockbridge–Munsee Community, about “Mohican Miles,” the exhibit opening July 2 at The Mission House. Created through collaboration with The Trustees of Reservations, the exhibit covers a wide range of topics, including an overview of Mohican history, the Tribe’s historic relationship with The Trustees, information about the community today, the work…

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Munsee

Xbox Elaborates On What It Means Being The ‘Official Console Of Battlefield 2042’

Xbox Elaborates On What It Means Being The 'Official Consoles Of Battlefield'

Yesterday it was revealed that Xbox is the “official console of Battlefield 2042“, but we had no idea what that meant. It seems not many other people did either, considering the game’s not an exclusive. Somebody posed the question to an Xbox exec who revealed all on social media. Unfortunately, it’s not that exciting.

Josh Munsee, the senior marketing manager at Xbox, was asked on Twitter what it means by Xbox being the official console of Battlefield 2042. Munsee elaborated, revealing that all it essentially means is “marketing, branding, gameplay capture, etc.”

When asked if this was a usual practice, Munsee added: “It was part of a bigger series of announcements they made so maybe not “usual” but in context of listing full partnership announcements, not out of place.”

Whether anything else comes out of this slogan remains to be seen, but it seems pretty tied down to being just simple marketing jargon – a theory we proposed when it came about. We’ll learn more about Battlefield 2042 in the coming weeks, especially with the EA Play Live event coming up on July 22, so maybe we’ll get further clarification there.

How do you feel about Xbox being “the official console of Battlefield 2042”? Let us know in the comments below.

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Munsee

ISDA program helps smaller meat plants

In June 2020, Bruce Kettler, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, saw a good challenge coming. He anticipated receiving roughly $4 million from the federal CARES Act passed to aid in COVID-19 relief.

“We considered ideas, and assisting meat processors in the state soon came to the top of the list of things we should do,” Kettler says. “Many smaller meat-processing operations in Indiana were adversely affected by the COVID-19 shutdown. This looked like an opportunity to help them recover, upgrade equipment, perhaps expand and, at the same time, improve conditions for worker safety.”

The money came from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, and in a few short months, the Indiana Meat Processing Expansion and Development Program through ISDA became reality. But it wasn’t an easy process.

“We had to put together a program, promote it and get the money actually spent by Dec. 30, 2020,” Kettler says. “That’s a large undertaking when you are talking about a grant program.”

Several divisions of state government played a big role, including the lieutenant governor’s office and the Office of Management and Budget, Kettler says. They also worked closely with the Indiana Meat Packers and Processors Association. Darla Dewig, whose family owns a meat processing facility in Gibson County, Ind., is the executive director.

“We were happy to come alongside and get this program going for our members,” she says. “There were real needs for more capacity, and for upgrading facilities to enhance worker safety.”

Successful rollout

It was September 2020 before all the details were worked out for the grant program. Nevertheless, ISDA received 60 applications from Indiana meat processors, requesting $6,810,732. Forty projects were approved and completed, with the state investing $3,784,293.74. Indiana in turn received the money from federal funds through the CARES Act.



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Munsee

Good intentions gone overboard

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‘Abuse, neglect, malnutrition’: Munsee-Delaware chief calls for more action amidst grave site discoveries

MUNSEE-DELAWARE FIRST NATION, ONT. — “I’ve heard some very tragic stories and I’ve seen the impacts of those experiences with these people. Abuse, neglect, malnutrition, slave labour,” says Chief Mark Peters of Munsee-Delaware First Nation.

Many First Nations communities across Canada grieve as the country continues to discover mass unmarked grave sites.

The most recent, was found near Cowessess First Nation in southern Saskatchewan where roughly 751 sites were discovered.

“It’s not surprising that people don’t know. To an extent, if we hadn’t experienced and known our own people’s experiences here, we wouldn’t have known either,” says Peters.

Every Child Matters
Every Child Matters shirt seen here on June 25, 2021. (Jaden Lee-Lincoln/CTV London)

Nearby, the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation is also feeling the emotional effects of recent discoveries, telling CTV News London in a statement, “Our hearts are heavy with sorrow today. More weight has been added to the collective grief felt by Indigenous people.”

Both First Nations communities are calling on the government for resources to help bring them closure.

“We demand that the Canadian government and the Catholic Church respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action 71 to 76 and to hand over all documents and records from these institutions which have been withheld from us and greatly hinder our ability to identify and repatriate the remains of our loved ones,” the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation said in a statement.

Mount Elgin Residential School
Mount Elgin Residential School in Muncey, Ont. seen here in this undated photo. (Jaden Lee-Lincoln/CTV London)

The community plans to conduct their own investigations to uncover unmarked grave sites on the grounds of the former Mount Elgin Residential School, which didn’t…

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Munsee

Editorial: Coxsackie-Athens makes the difficult call

The Coxsackie-Athens Board of Education and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community closed the book on a chapter in local history last week. With sports teams from Washington in the NFL to Cleveland in Major League Baseball and many smaller ones in between doing away with offensive images, Coxsackie-Athens voted 6-3 to retire the Indians as its mascot and logo.

The decision did not come easy. It was preceded by months of meetings, a public forum, surveys and two conversations with a representative of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, the indigenous peoples who once lived on lands where the school district is now located. The process, which sometimes took on the appearance of negotiations among school board members, the public for and against the idea and a Native American nation, drew criticism from both sides of the issue. Supporters of eliminating the mascot said it is derogatory to indigenous people; opponents claimed the mascot is a part of the district’s heritage and is intended to be perceived as a positive symbol of strength and determination.

If the school district lost a mascot, it gained something stronger — a more profound education. Coxsackie-Athens will add components to the curriculum to teach students about the history and culture of the indigenous peoples who once lived in the area.

Although the district was evenly divided on the issue, supporters of retiring the mascot stayed on point. Board of Education President Michael Donahue said the Indians mascot can be hurtful to some people even if others don’t perceive it that way.

“We need to recognize that this hurts some people,” Donahue said. “I think one of the folks that wrote in to us said, ‘Remember what we teach our kids — if it hurts, stop it.’ I believe that this hurts some people even if there are folks that don’t believe it is…

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C-A drops Indians image, nickname in 6-3 vote

COXSACKIE — The board of education voted by a 6-3 margin Thursday to retire the district’s mascot and team name, the Indians.

The decision comes after months of meetings, a public forum, surveys and two conversations with a representative of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, the indigenous peoples who once lived on lands where the school district is now located.

The process drew criticism on both sides of the issue, with supporters of eliminating the mascot saying it is derogatory to indigenous people and opponents claiming the mascot is a part of the district’s heritage and is intended to be perceived as a positive symbol of strength and determination.

Coxsackie-Athens Board of Education member David Taylor introduced a motion to retire the mascot.

“Given everything that we heard and talked about, I want to put a motion on the table to officially retire the mascot and build a community program,” Taylor said.

In addition to eliminating the mascot, the district will add components to the curriculum to teach students about the history and culture of the indigenous peoples who once lived in the area.

The motion drew debate from both sides.

“We are very divided on the mascot issue at this point. Both sides are evenly divided,” board of education member Barton Wallace said to open the discussion. “I would ask a little more patience as we go through this process. First of all, I think we need to bring both sides together on this a little more. The messaging on the mascot issue still needs to be increased and worked on to bring both sides together to find common ground.”

Wallace said he was not comfortable “dismissing” a large group of people who were opposed to retiring the mascot.

“I can certainly transition to another mascot, but I think we need more discussion and more work on bringing both sides…

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Ontario First Nations consider investigating local residential school

By McKinley Leonard-Scott

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

CHIPPEWAS/ONEIDA/MUNSEE – Following the uncovering of evidence suggesting a mass grave site at a former Kamloops residential school, local first nations communities are reacting to the discovery, mourning the 215 children who were lost and now found, and putting some thought into the further investigation of local residential school sites. It’s a process that won’t happen quickly, and will take into consideration the emotional and psychological impacts of what could be uncovered.

Chippewas of the Thames First Nation Chief Jacqueline French

“We’re in the very preliminary stages; we need to consult with our community as well as discuss with other First Nations communities, because some children from outside of Chippewas attended the school here, too,” explained Chief Jacqueline French.

Mount Elgin Residential School stood on Chippewas of the Thames First Nation and operated from 1851 until 1946, and then later as a day school after 1967. Historical records paint a grim picture of the student experience – students have spoken of poor medical treatment, malnutrition, physical abuse, and long hours of physical labour on the school’s farm. Of course, the lived experience of residential school survivors varies on an individual basis; for some still on the healing journey, dialogue about residential schools can re-ignite pain and trauma. Hence, the careful approach that the First Nation will take.

“We need to be prepared for what we may face,” added French.

“I think the initial reaction would be to want to find out,” said Chief Adrian Chrisjohn of Oneida Nation. He echoed the caution expressed by Chief French, and reminded that “people need time to heal.”

“It’s disbelief, that something like that could have gone undocumented for so long. The possibility that there could be more is very concerning,” said…

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Munsee

Communities consider investigating local residential school

CHIPPEWAS/ONEIDA/MUNSEE – Following the uncovering of evidence suggesting a mass grave site at a former Kamloops residential school, local first nations communities are reacting to the discovery, mourning the 215 children who were lost and now found, and putting some thought into the further investigation of local residential school sites. It’s a process that won’t happen quickly, and will take into consideration the emotional and psychological impacts of what could be uncovered.

“We’re in the very preliminary stages; we need to consult with our community as well as discuss with other First Nations communities, because some children from outside of Chippewas attended the school here, too,” explained Chief Jacqueline French.

Mount Elgin Residential School stood on Chippewas of the Thames First Nation and operated from 1851 until 1946, and then later as a day school after 1967. Historical records paint a grim picture of the student experience – students have spoken of poor medical treatment, malnutrition, physical abuse, and long hours of physical labour on the school’s farm. Of course, the lived experience of residential school survivors varies on an individual basis; for some still on the healing journey, dialogue about residential schools can re-ignite pain and trauma. Hence, the careful approach that the First Nation will take.

“We need to be prepared for what we may face,” added French.

“I think the initial reaction would be to want to find out,” said Chief Adrian Chrisjohn of Oneida Nation. He echoed the caution expressed by Chief French, and reminded that “people need time to heal.”

“It’s disbelief, that something like that could have gone undocumented for so long. The possibility that there could be more is very concerning,” said Chief Mark Peters of Munsee-Delaware Nation when asked about the Kamloops discovery. He said he’d…

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Munsee

North Coast Journal | Humboldt County

-All Dates- Friday, June 4 Saturday, June 5 Sunday, June 6 Monday, June 7 Tuesday, June 8 Wednesday, June 9 Thursday, June 10 Friday, June 11 Saturday, June 12 Sunday, June 13 Monday, June 14 Tuesday, June 15 Wednesday, June 16 Thursday, June 17 Friday, June 18 Saturday, June 19 Sunday, June 20 Monday, June 21 Tuesday, June 22 Wednesday, June 23 Thursday, June 24 Friday, June 25 Saturday, June 26 Sunday, June 27 Monday, June 28 Tuesday, June 29 Wednesday, June 30 Thursday, July 1 Friday, July 2 Saturday, July 3 Sunday, July 4 -All Categories- ARTS & CULTURE   Art   Books   Comedy   Dance   Lecture   Movies   Music   Spoken Word   Theater LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY   Elections   Events   For Kids   Food   Garden   Holiday Events   Meetings   Outdoors   Sports   Etc SUMMER OF FUN   General & Multi Activities   Visual & Performing Arts   Nature & Science   Sports, Athletics & Adventure -All Neighborhoods- VIRTUAL WORLD   Virtual World ARCATA   Arcata   Bayside   Northtown   HSU   Arcata Plaza   Sunny Brae   Northtown EUREKA   Eureka   Freshwater   Cutten   Fields Landing   Henderson Center   King Salmon   Myrtletown   Old Town   Woodley Island   Manila   Samoa EEL RIVER REGION   Carlotta   Ferndale   Fortuna   Fernbridge   Loleta CURRY COUNTY   Gold Beach   Brookings DEL NORTE COUNTY   Crescent City   Klamath   Smith River TRINITY COUNTY   Big Flat   Happy Camp   Hayfork   Junction City   Weaverville   Salyer SISKIYOU COUNTY   Mount Shasta HUMBOLDT COUNTY   Humboldt County   Humboldt Bay   Call For Details MENDOCINO COUNTY   Covelo   Fort Bragg   Leggett   Mendocino   Navarro   Ukiah   Willits LAKE COUNTY   Lakeport SONOMA COUNTY   Jenner SHASTA COUNTY   Redding NORTHERN HUMBOLDT   Blue Lake   Fieldbrook   Kneeland   General   McKinleyville   Orick   Klamath   Trinidad   Westhaven SOUTHERN HUMBOLDT   Benbow   Fort Bragg   Garberville   Laytonville   Mattole River   Meyers Flat   Miranda   Petrolia   Phillipsville   Piercy   Redcrest   Redway   Rio Dell   Scotia   Shelter Cove   Weott   Avenue of the Giants   Whitethorn WILLOW CREEK/EAST   Bridgeville   Hawkins Bar   Hoopa   Orleans   Ruth   Willow Creek ALAMEDA COUNTY   Berkeley LASSEN COUNTY   Susanville OREGON   Oregon   Portland

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