Nuclear and Indigenous Items of Interest: Bay Area Native Americans Due for Unclaimed Funds

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Bay Area Native Americans Due for Unclaimed Funds

Reporting
Sue Kwon

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) ― The federal government is looking for approximately 10,000 Native Americans living in the Bay Area who have money coming to them. It turns out tribal property they left in other states is earning millions of dollars and it is sitting unclaimed.

The Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians is now launching a national campaign to find 80,000 WAUs or Native Americans with whereabouts unknown. They have $72 million dollars coming to them.

"These accounts have 10 cents to hundreds of thousands of dollars in them," said Ross Swimmer, Special Trustee for American Indians.

One of the people the Department of the Interior is looking for is Martin Waukazoo. He is a member of the Lakota tribe who migrated from South Dakota to California 30 years ago. Over the years, the government lost his contact information.

"I didn't know I was lost. Now, I'm anxiously looking forward to finding out what partial land or how much land I do have," Waukazoo.

CBS 5 ConsumerWatch went to the Department of the Interior website, typed in Martin's name and was directed to toll free number. Within a few minutes a live person, not a recording, tells Waukazoo he owns a small share of land - .0006 percent to be exact and it is making money for him.

"I have $13.11!" he said. While it's not a lot, it is acknowledgement from the Federal Government.

"It's not the money. That's not the issue. There is a completion there," Waukazoo said. He feels he is now recognized by the government which promises better outreach and communication with his community. He's not lost. And neither are his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

"The land passed down to them may be a handful of land but they belong to this Earth. They belong somewhere in this world," he said.

For Swimmer, locating WAUs is important work and so is reuniting them with money owed. His father was a member of the Cherokee tribe. "They feel that's their heritage even if it's a tiny slice," Swimmer said. "It's that piece of their Indian heritage."

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Public Statement by Corbin's Immediate Family

July 10, 2007 (TurtleIsland). Corbin Harney Spiritual Leader of the Western Shoshone Nation crossed over at 11:00 a.m. this morning in a house on a sacred mountain near Santa Rosa, CA (Turtle Island). He had dedicated his life to fighting the nuclear testing and dumping.

That battle claimed his life through cancer.

According to witnesses present, in the morning fog, the spirits of four Shoshone dog soldiers were outside on horseback before Corbin’s passing. But then one of the Shoshone present, Santiago Lozada, yelled “Tosawi Tosawi!” (White Knife). And then the fog shifted and there were thousands of spirits waiting.

Corbin passed peacefully at the end. He was only worried that he still had more to do. When he finally let go and went with the dog soldiers, Red Wolf Pope, grandson of Rolling Thunder, was present and sang him the Tosawi death song to call the dog soldiers to come take him home. Golden eagles continue to circle the house hours after his crossing.”

True to form Corbin joked around several days ago that he was going to go at 11:00, and kept his promise.

Over his lifetime, Corbin traveled around the world as a speaker, healer and spiritual leader with a profound spiritual and environmental message for all. He received numerous national and international awards and spoke before the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Corbin also authored two books: “The Way It Is: One Water, One Air, One Earth” (Blue Dolphin Publishing, 1995) and a forthcoming book, “The Nature Way”. Numerous documentaries have been made about his work and message.

In 1994, Corbin established the Shundahai Network to work with people and organizations to respond to spiritual and environmental concerns on nuclear issues. He also established Poo Ha Bah, a native healing center located in Tecopa Springs, California. He will be missed but always honored for his work and dedication to traditional ways.

Corbin Harney is descended from generations of Newe (Shoshone) traditional healers and was always grateful for the many extraordinary teachers who shared their knowledge in his lifetime.

Corbin is survived by his daughter Reynaulda Taylor; granddaughters Ann Taylor and Nada Leno; grandsons Keith, Jon and Joel Leno and William Henry Taylor; seven great-grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; and his sister Rosie Blossom’s family and many cousins and other family members as well as many, many friends around the world. Corbin was preceded in death by his mother, father, sister, grandparents, uncle, great granddaughter, cousins, and friends. A very special thanks to Patricia Davidson, Corbin’s caregiver in his final months; Dominic Daileda, Corbin’s friend and companion for his support and compassion in hard times, and the family of Dixie and Martin van der Kamp for opening up their home and their hearts to Corbin and his family and friends during his time of need.

Dates and times for services are being made with official announcement to follow. Three day services are planned at the home of Larson R. Bill, So Ho Bee – Newe Sogobe (Lee, Nevada –Western Shoshone Territory) with burial services at Battle Mountain Indian Community, Battle Mountain Nevada.