MAIC's RESPONSE TO THIS WEBSITE

The following can be found linked on the front page of MAIC's website, entitled "READ ABOUT THE ATTACK AGAINST MANATAKA! "   Nothing has been changed or taken out of context, including misspelled words. 

“Manataka American Indian Council”

Notice to Manataka members and interested members of the public regarding an apparent Internet "hat campaign" directed at Manataka. "Manataka Exposed"?”

It seems a hate campaign directed by an unidentifiable organization and person or persons unknown are masquerading around message boards and chat rooms spreading venom against the Place of Peace, Manataka. Calling itself the "American Indian Heritage Support Center," it cannot be found anywhere other than an Internet address.”

A physical mailing address is given on our websites.

“Who or What is the AIHSC?

AIHSC apparently has no links to any other groups or organizations. Although it claims special federal tax status as a non-profit organization, its web site lists no names of leaders or members. The page is vague about the programs and "services" of the group. Based on what is presented for public inspection, it apparently has no meetings or any other purpose but to attack Manataka.

The only point of contact is a blind email address. Not only is AIHSC anonymous as to who is a member, or members, or its officials, or who specifically is making the allegations against Manataka, but AIHSC is going to great pains to remain anonymous.”

AIHSC is a new organization, programs are in the development stage therefore not extensive in description. No where in our websites do we claim special federal tax status, only that we are organized as a non-profit organization under the State of Arkansas. We have not yet completed our IRS filing as an non-profit. The e-mail address reaches us, as does the mailing address on our sites. Nor is the e-mail address a “blind” address, but one with a respected organization - The Gathering of Nations. GON was selected as our e-mail server in order to have a more permanent e-mail address in the event we changed hosting or internet service.

Our members are widely located in a several state area, and cannot conduct continuous meetings that MAIC might like us to have. We are in daily contact with each other. Legitimate American Indian organizations we are working personally with know who we are and how to contact us personally. All of the founding members are enrolled in different federally recognized tribes.   

Names are kept from the public website to prevent harassing and threatening phone calls at home. Some members have been threatened in the past when they questioned or exposed fraudulent “Indians”. Some members are single parents who wish to protect their children from the same abuse.

The reason is fully understandable when members of organizations like Rick “Blackwolf” Smith of Manataka have been reported to have made threatening statements such as “You by God better give me some respect or I will pound it out of you.”   Ex-Manataka members who have contacted us through this website have also related threats and abuse by MAIC leadership.

The federal government and Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) regulations require all Internet domain holders to submit WHOIS information that is then collected and displayed in a public WHOIS database. AIHSC is using a front host domain service, webpagebuilders.com of Indianapolis, Ind., that advertises that it will "take your public information and make it private."

This is a perfect example of either MAIC's deliberate disinformation or sloppy research.  Our hosting service is in St. Louis Missouri, and we are listed in WHOIS. We have never heard of “webpagebuilders” nor have we done business of any type with any entity in Indiana. If it is not intentional, then this is a perfect example how MAIC poorly researches it‘s own claims. If you require exact guidance on how to find us in WHOIS, we will be happy to oblige. The information that MAIC is telling you is for another organization - Appraisal Institute, Hoosier State Chapter (AIHSC) - located in Indiana. This shows the danger in accepting anything that MAIC puts out as fact.

Certainly, the legality of this web site raises questions, which might appropriately be investigated by the Arkansas Secretary of State to determine if standards for nonprofit status are being met and/or if its charter should be revoked.

It is our belief that a responsible or ethical person or organization would not behave in such a manner. A person or group who will not publicly stand behind his/her/its statements is without honor and unworthy of serious consideration.

We would invite such an investigation, along with one of MAIC. We would add that this should include an IRS investigation. Unlike MAIC, we have no charges for membership, do not sell items or take a percentage of profits, or have any other source of income. All of our expenses are paid out of the pockets of our members, which none of us can really afford. All non-profit organizations soliciting for donations in Arkansas must be registered with the State Attorney General’s Office.  MAIC’s registration lapsed in 2001, and yet they continued to solicit. The AG's office recently contacted MAIC to have them renew their registration after inquiries other than ours were made.  However, we consider this an internal matter within MAIC in which we have no interest.

So Why Do We Care If Someone Has An Ax to Grind?
In order to maintain our integrity as an organization, it should behoove us to assert our rights and correct any misstatements or errors of fact regarding the organization and not let others who, for whatever reason, have an ax to grind or hidden agenda to malign us and our mission.

Does AIHSC have an axe to grind? Definitely. We have an axe to grind with organizations that exploit and misappropriate American Indian cultures and traditions. We have an axe to grind with organizations that mislead people who are wanting to connect to an American Indian ancestry and learn about their ways. We have an axe to grind with false plastic medicine people and false spiritual leaders. We have an axe to grind with organizations that bastardize the history of the American Indian to suit their own needs. It would be far better that none of these had to be a concern and energy could be put into other areas.

Nothing was taken out of context. Whole paragraphs were presented exactly as Manataka presented them. Just as is done in this segment of our website. The opportunity for rebuttal is there, either by e-mail or regular mail.

It should be noted that whoever is behind the web site could be at considerable legal risk, as even on the Internet, the law for publishing a libel, and penalties for copyright infringement, are quite strict and severe.

Compare this to MAIC’s massive taking of articles for their website under the pretext of the “Fair Use Doctrine“. We will address this further on in this section.  

Although we are not lawyers, it’s quite possible that even if the web site were to be pulled now, a court may deem each day that it has been in operation for awarding of damages, including possible punitive awards, legal fees and court costs. It should also be noted that whoever is publishing a libel is personally vulnerable to such legal risk, even if it were done under cover of a legal corporation.

Truth is not libelous. If MAIC chooses to take this route, then they had best be able to show that each and every claim they made on their website and that we addressed is absolutely correct and can be supported by experts in the various fields, for the burden will be upon them to show where we were wrong. Anyone has the opportunity to challenge our review or submit comments. If we find that a statement we made cannot be verified as accurate by valid and accurate third party sources, and we are in error, then it will be removed.  Ex-MAIC members have related to us their own personal horror stories and threats from MAIC officials of lawsuits, which appears to be a common MAIC tactic in attempt to silence them. 

Pattern of Discrimination
It’s noteworthy also that a large portion of the allegations have been made previously by officials from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, specifically, Jose Fernandez, superintendent of Hot Springs National Park, and Ranger Mark Blaeuer, who are currently involved in dispute with Manataka regarding MAIC’s legal right to meet for religious purposes at Hot Springs National Park.

It was AIHIC that contacted NPS at Hot Springs for the history of the area, park, and Indian activity after MAIC came to our attention. Most of the park history is contained in public documents and published literature, such as Dee Brown’s book. The majority of information on the history of Indian activity in the Hot Springs area and the rest of Arkansas is also found in published literature. That any conclusions NPS or AHIC might have arrived at and are similar in nature are matters of coincidence based on similar evidence before us and not collusion. Neither NPS or AIHSC has power, or invested interest, over or in the activities of the other.

The Park Service has disputed MAIC’s First Amendment right to assemble for religious and spiritual purposes at this sacred site, claiming that the Native American ceremonies MAIC performs are "pagan" and "un-Christian."

To prevent or deter MAIC access, park personnel have cited trumped up charges, bogus allegations of misconduct and sought to discredit the organization, while also vigorously disputing any Native American connection to the site to the extent even of removing Native American references to the site in park literature.

NPS actions and AIHSC have no connection. Neo-Pagan and other non-Christian groups certainly have the right to use parks just as much as any other group. For NPS to deny MAIC the use of the park must be for reasons deeper than MAIC presents. However, we are not privy to these.  We do know that the Hot Springs NPS is working with legitimate American Indian tribes having a historical presence in the area.  This alone shows that MAIC's charges against them about discrimination are without foundation.  Keep this fact in mind as you continue to read MAIC's continued claims about how Hot Springs NPS discriminates against the American Indian.  This is a false charge that is in keeping with MAIC's character. 

It is MAIC’s position that Native American groups, individuals and tribes should not be denied access to this sacred site and MAIC is committed to ensuring that this sacred site is preserved, protected and remembered as a Native American sacred site, and not as simply a tourist attraction without spiritual significance.

It is AHIC’s position that Hot Springs is not a historically sacred "Place of Peace" site as claimed by MAIC.  Nothing outside of MAIC’s claims indicate that it is.  If any tribes have claim to access to the Hot Springs area for religious or other purposes it would be the Quapaw and Caddo, not MAIC and their ethnically mixed group of mixed beliefs.  There is one hot spring in the area that has a special meaning for the Quapaw.  Neither MAIC or any other organization outside of the Quapaw have any rights to interfere in in the Quapaw tribal business concerning this spring.  

While the AIHSC web site says it is not acting on behalf of the government, most of its material and viewpoints expressed repeat publicly stated and written material by Fernandez and Blaeuer.

See our response several paragraphs above. 

If AIHSC is not an agent of the government, formally advancing its legal position and agenda, it certainly is operating against the rights and interests of Native Americans seeking access to and legal protection for an indigenous sacred site.

If the area was truly a sacred site, then we would support MAIC’s actions. It is not, nor do we believe that it has never been a sacred site outside of MAIC‘s outlandish claims.