1976 Takeover

Cloud_...@yahoo.com

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Jan 25, 2006, 6:08:52 AM1/25/06

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cloud_writer at yahoo dot com

monica...@yahoo.com

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Jan 25, 2006, 11:33:54 AM1/25/06

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I could only open a couple. Is this the Cascadia takeover? Is the girl
in the first two Karen Claunch, Maiselle Bridges granddaughter?

Cloud_Writer

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Jan 25, 2006, 3:29:02 PM1/25/06

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monica...@yahoo.com wrote:
> I could only open a couple. Is this the Cascadia takeover? Is the girl
> in the first two Karen Claunch, Maiselle Bridges granddaughter?

Yes. It's the Cascadia takeover.

All the links work for me. I am sorry you are having trouble. After I
posted the pictures here, I kept looking until finally I found a good
place to send them as well, and did: Puyallup Tribal News, the History
Page - http://www.puyalluptribalnews.com/History.htm

Do you have dial up or cable? If you have dial up, could they be
taking a little time to load? If the problem is on my end, I want to
fix it. I would guess that the Puyallup Tribal News will probably
upload them to their own server and post them with their other Cascadia
pictures, but if they don't, I would be more than happy to send the
pictures directly to anyone who wants them - OR, maybe better, I could
post them to a page on the internet and then put a link here. Let's
see what Tribal News does first.

I also have more newspaper cut outs that are aging. By next week I
will be able to scan those too. These that I posted are cleaned up,
the brown aged paper made lighter and cleaner looking, but the
originals are pretty brown now. (I have good software for making old
things new.)

About who the pictures are of, I don't know. I stumbled into the
takeover. I only remember Ramona Bennett, a man named Chi (sounds
like shy) and a man that went by or named Geronimo (big guy). I am
African American and I was about 18 years old when I was home and saw
on the noon news that the government had given the Puyallup Tribe a 4
o'clock DEADline to turn the property back over to them. The news said
that the national guard would take it by force then - or that's what
was strongly implied. They showed men from the Tribe outside of
Cascadia patroling.

I couldn't wait until the 5 o'clock news to passively view if the
national guard had opened fire on the Tribe with all their weaonry. It
didn't take much brains - no matter what ethnicity anyone is - to
sense what was up with the 4 o'clock deadline that day. I knew
HISTORICALLY what was very likely about to happen.

I thought they will have to kill me too.

I grabbed my keys and left a note for my roommate, who is Hispanic,
that I was going to Cascadia, and that I would be
there,
the morgue,
or in jail.

I drove up to Cascadia's gate, my car was surrounded as I explained my
heart - and I guess I passed the heart test. I was let through. Oh
that makes me teary eyed now. Back then I just knew I had to be there.
But now, so many years later, I realize what an HONOR it was to be
trusted on sight - with just a short exchange of words. I wonder what
I said, or if it was even words that opened the gate to me that day.

People across the road were writing down license plate numbers of those
who entered.

When my roommate got off work she joined me and stayed the full time as
well... going AWOL from the Army to be there.
I was young, not from Tacoma, and had no idea about the history of the
Puyallup Tribe or it's struggle to go through all the steps year after
year to right this particular wrong. As a kid I went to a
predominantly native school in Minneapolis though - where we had pow
wows instead of bake sales, fried bread instead of dougnuts (I'm
smiling) - and where I was invited into the beading circles where my
white friends were not allowed. It wasn't a Native shool like the
magnificent Chief Leschi school - it was Native as a result of poverty
all pressed into one area. It didn't teach truth. That was back in
the day. You know the story.

What I saw once inside the compounds of Cascadia then was new to me.
Political strength. The tribes coming in from other states and the OLD
DIVISIONS completely set aside was so beautiful. The numbers were
frightening to the government I'm sure. The numbers, the pouring in of
people probably had a lot to do with the government's pause.

All night though we anticipated anything, including mass death. But
the PEACE in everyone's eyes. I have never felt I could convey to
anyone how peaceful the eyes are of people who are willing to die for
what they believe. I never once sensed ANY FEAR, just certainty. Is
there anything higher?

Whoops... don't get me started.

Next thing you know Washington DC folks are flying in
and State folks arriving -
coming on the grounds for negotiations -
timidly trying to scoot around the CROWD of singers
surrounding a drum
that is vibrating the ground
with it's message -
a crowd of voices raising a song
that blocks straight entrance
to the door.

You have to go around. <O> <O>

Dazzling power shift.

Just smooth. Everytime I drive by that building now, my eyes shine.
And I see that incredible casino now there too just a short walk down a
small hill - and think HOW MUCH has

changed.

The takeover was a pivotal moment.

I am trying to find my personal photos too - which I really need to
turn over to the tribe. I only saw one other person there besides
myself, inside, taking pictures. I didn't take a lot - but I have a
few.

It was awesome... powerful... peaceful strong and resolute.

If anyone knows Ramona please be sure that she finds out about these
pictures. She may have them already, I don't know... but just in
case.

Sorry for talking so much. :)

Much love and respect,
Cloud Writer

Morfydd

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Jan 25, 2006, 3:57:30 PM1/25/06

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Hi Cloud Writer,

if it helps any the links are working fine -
I managed to see all of the pics and articles and what a treat that
was!

Thank you for posting these . :-)

Cloud_Writer

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Jan 25, 2006, 4:53:42 PM1/25/06

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Morfydd wrote:
> Hi Cloud Writer,
>
> if it helps any the links are working fine -
> I managed to see all of the pics and articles and what a treat that
> was!
>
> Thank you for posting these . :-)

You are soooo welcome - and thank you for the feedback on the links -
so I'm not trying to fix what isn't broken.

These pictures are from October 25th and 26th, 1976 in the Tacoma News
Tribune. The dates and page numbers are in the url for each picture
too.

blut...@gmail.com

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Jan 25, 2006, 5:15:07 PM1/25/06

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Thank You for posting, it brings memories up from decades of the past.
Educating the next generation of Activist at the very least. Refreshes
the minds of the day's, when standing up ment something.

Cloud_Writer

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Jan 25, 2006, 8:43:03 PM1/25/06

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monica...@yahoo.com wrote:
> I could only open a couple. Is this the Cascadia takeover? Is the girl
> in the first two Karen Claunch, Maiselle Bridges granddaughter?

I'm so glad you asked. I know at least enough now about Maiselle
Bridges to not be completely stupid. :)

Some links that have pieces of her story.

2002 Enduring Spirit Award Recipients
http://www.nwnativeinfo.com/2002awardrecipients.htm

Frank: Power in truth: Hank Adams the visionary
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096412213

Tribal Triumph
http://www.turtletrack.org/Issues04/Co02212004/CO_02212004_TribalTriumph.htm

BEING INDIAN IS . . . By J.C. High Eagle
http://www.wisdomkeepers.com/letters2.html

150th Wednesday
http://news.theolympian.com/150th/96249.shtml

and the school she started:
The Wa He Lut Indian School
http://www.wahelut.bia.edu/

monica...@yahoo.com

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Jan 25, 2006, 9:27:05 PM1/25/06

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Thanks for the photos and the links.You were ten during the occupation
of Cascadia and you think you're getting older? I was a college student
and a part of the occupation. I think I'm one of the people sleeping on
the floor. Me and my cousin Bunny. I think most of the Indian students
living on campus went to the occupation. From Evergreen College I mean.

Maiselle Bridges is an amazing lady all right. She was the heart and
soul of the fishing rights. The press and the feds assumed it was the
men. Us Indians know better. The first Wa He Lut school was the store
room for the smokeshop. The cigarettes had to be moved elsewhere. The
FBI used to raid the shops. Later the ATF did. I was working in the
shop once and the FBI showed up and said this is a raid. They demanded
that I let them in. I wouldn't. Those were the days. The first students
are in their 30's now.

My computer is old and it takes a long time to load. I am so thankful
for these photos.

Monica

Cloud_Writer

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Jan 25, 2006, 11:08:55 PM1/25/06

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monica...@yahoo.com wrote:
> Thanks for the photos and the links.You were ten during the occupation
> of Cascadia and you think you're getting older? I was a college student
> and a part of the occupation. I think I'm one of the people sleeping on
> the floor. Me and my cousin Bunny. I think most of the Indian students
> living on campus went to the occupation. From Evergreen College I mean.

<snip>

I wrote that I was 18 but I just did the math and I was 20 at the time
- and I was there too. Amazing. I love the internet for it's power to
connect and communicate.

Message has been deleted

Cloud_Writer

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Jan 26, 2006, 2:17:46 PM1/26/06

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Sorry - I had to delete the last one because there was a wrong date.
Now it's fixed.

Here are the five new scans and then the complete list, with the five
new scans included, listed in order by date:

October 27th, 1976 - Between Feds & State: Cascadia Dispute Juggled by
BIA - Tacoma News Tribune - Page ?
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1027_00_Cascadia-dispute-juggl.jpg

October 27th, 1976 - Gordon Lauds Cascadia Edict - Tacoma News Tribune
- Page ?
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1027_00_Gordon-lauds-Cascadia-.jpg

October 27th, 1976 - New Name For An Old Building - Tacoma News Tribune
- Page ?
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1027_00_New-name-for-an-old-bu.jpg

October 30th, 1976 - Cascadia Reports Progress on Takeover Settlement -
Tacoma News Tribune - Page A1
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1030_A1_Cascadia-repor.jpg

October 30th, 1976 - Cascadia Reports Progress, Photo: Ickes Talks to
Press - Tacoma News Tribune - Page A1
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1030_A1_Ickes-talks-to.jpg

List of scanned articles scanned so far, in order:

October 25th, 1976 - Cascadia Agreement Iffy - News Tribune - Page A1
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1025_A1_Cascadiaagreementiffy_.jpg

October 25th, 1976 - Sunday peaceful but hectic at Cascadia pt1- Tacoma
News Tribune - Page A3
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1025_A3_Sundayhectic_00.jpg

October 25th, 1976 - Sunday peaceful but hectic at Cascadia pt2 -
Tacoma News Tribune - Page A3
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1025_A3_Sundayhectic_01.jpg

October 25th, 1976 - Sunday peaceful but hectic at Cascadia pt3 -
Tacoma News Tribune - Page A3
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1025_A3_Sundayhectic_02.jpg

October 25th, 1976 - Sunday peaceful but hectic at Cascadia pt4 -
Tacoma News Tribune - Page A3
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1025_A3_Sundayhectic_03.jpg

October 26th, 1976 - Order Sought to Oust Indians pt1 - Tacoma News
Tribune - Page A1
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1026_A1_Ordersought_00.jpg

October 26th, 1976 - Order Sought to Oust Indians pt2 - Tacoma News
Tribune - Page A1
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1026_A1_Ordersought_01.jpg

October 26th, 1976 - Indians Gather To Tour - Tacoma News Tribune -
Page A4
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1026_A4_Indianstogathertotour_.jpg

October 26th, 1976 - Keys to Cascadia - Tacoma News Tribune - Page A4
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1026_A4_KeystoCascadia_00.jpg

October 26th, 1976 - Bottiger Calls For Review - Tacoma News Tribune -
Page B14
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1026_B14_Bottigercallsforrevie.jpg

October 26th, 1976 - State Could Shift Cascadia Function - Tacoma News
Tribune - Page B14
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1026_B14_Statecouldshiftfuncti.jpg

October 27th, 1976 - Puyallups Ordered Out of Cascadia - Tacoma News
Tribune - Page ?
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1027_00_Puyallupsorderedoutofc.jpg

October 27th, 1976 - Between Feds & State: Cascadia Dispute Juggled by
BIA - Tacoma News Tribune - Page ?
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1027_00_Cascadia-dispute-juggl.jpg

October 27th, 1976 - Gordon Lauds Cascadia Edict - Tacoma News Tribune
- Page ?
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1027_00_Gordon-lauds-Cascadia-.jpg

October 27th, 1976 - New Name For An Old Building - Tacoma News Tribune
- Page ?
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1027_00_New-name-for-an-old-bu.jpg

October 30th, 1976 - Cascadia Reports Progress on Takeover Settlement -
Tacoma News Tribune - Page A1
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1030_A1_Cascadia-repor.jpg

October 30th, 1976 - Cascadia Reports Progress, Photo: Ickes Talks to
Press - Tacoma News Tribune - Page A1
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1030_A1_Ickes-talks-to.jpg

October 31st, 1976 - Is it Cascadia, Cushman, or Chief Leschi? Pt1-
Tacoma News Tribune - Page B9
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a187/soulfullyyours/Leschi/1976_1031_B9_IsitCascadia_00.jpg

October 31st, 1976 - Is it Cascadia, Cushman, or Chief Leschi? Pt2-
Tacoma News Tribune - Page B9