Prison advertises for "Medicine Man"

[ska]

When I met my husband many years ago, he taught me about the attacks on his Lakota people's way of life from four directions: the church, the state, the New Age, and the Sobriety Movement.  He reminded me that state interventions with Native peoples was always about cultural genocide (what he called spiritual colonization) through education, adoption out of the Nation, relocation and criminalization.  He taught me that the prison system was spearheading the mixing and matching of Indian ways, justifying the abuse of ceremony under the guise of "spiritual freedom", and unleashing a legion of "pipe carriers" on the world who had pain, sorrow, dislocation, and wounded souls, but no language, no grounding in culture, and no understanding of how to practice humbleness and silence.  Many of these "pipe carriers" had blood on their hands.  He taught me that the "Corrections" system was central to the dissemination of homogenized, pan-Indian, Christianized models of Indian ways of life.

Here is a current ad for a "Medicine Man" posted by the Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, FPC Duluth:

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=4ae63efa9ed0702f10e22485cde970e9&tab=core&tabmode=list&print_preview=1

NATIVE AMERICAN MEDICINE MAN
Solicitation Number: RFQP04021000018
Agency: Department of Justice
Office: Bureau of Prisons
Location: FPC Duluth
Notice Type:
Presolicitation
Posted Date:
August 17, 2010
Response Date:
Sep 06, 2010 11:59 pm Eastern
Archiving Policy:
Automatic, on specified date
Archive Date:
December 10, 2010
Original Set Aside:
N/A
Set Aside:
Total Small Business
Classification Code:
G -- Social services
NAICS Code:
813 -- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations/813110 -- Religious Organizations
Solicitation Number:
RFQP04021000018
Notice Type:
Presolicitation
Synopsis:
Added: Aug 17, 2010 4:13 pm
The Federal Bureau of Prisons, FPC Duluth, Duluth, MN, intends to make a single award to a responsible entity for providing the services of Native American Medicine man to the inmate population as outlined in the statement of work. The anticipated date of the award will be approximately October 1, 2010 subjected to funds availability for the next fiscal year. The duration of the contract will be from the date of award through 09/30/2011. The contractor shall perform all services at FPC Duluth, in the Religious Services Department, located at 6902 Airport Road, Duluth MN, 55814.

The contractor will conduct Native American ceremonies and provide instruction to inmates in the Native American Faith.

General Topics for Contractors - Native American
1. Red Road
2. All My Relation
3. Medicine Wheel
4. The Sacred Pipe
5. Sweat Lodge
6. Elders
7. Circle of Life
8. Traditions/Rituals
9. Prayers
10. Ceremonies
11. Fasting
12. Smudging
13. The Drum
14. Grandfather/Grandmother
15. Dances
16. The Medicine Pouch
17. Offerings
18. Decision-making
19. Ritual Objects
20. Eagle
21. Eagle Feathers
22. Nature Lessons
23. Family Relations
24. Parenting
25. Learning
26. Healthy Relationships
27. Culture
28. Healing Traditions
29. Herbal Medicines
30. Understanding Self
31. Respect
32. Traditional Games
33. Traditional Foods
34. Seasons
35. Healing Self
36. A Grateful Heart
37. Cleansing Ceremonies
38. What is the role of faith and Community Re-entry?

The contractor will supply all of their own religious garments and books. The contractor will control, supervise, and be responsible for all government materials and equipment and will ensure that such equipment and materials are used only for legitimate program purposes.

The contractor will provide 4 sessions per year. The sessions will either be on Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Pipe ceremony) or on Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (sweat ceremony). The day and time of these services is subject to change with agreement of the religious services department and the contractor. A session will consist of 4 hours to include entry and exit.

The contractor will adhere to all regulations prescribed by FPC Duluth for the safety, custody, and conduct of inmates. All contract personnel providing services within the confines of the FPC shall have a complete investigation conducted in accordance with BOP Program Statement 3000.02, "Personnel Manual". Any contract personnel who enter the FPC on a regular basis shall be required to attend a four-hour institution orientation program prior to assuming his or her responsibilities under the contract. A "refresher" orientation must be completed annually. The CM (Contract Monitor) will be responsible for scheduling training for contract personnel.

The solicitation will be made available on or about August 20, 2010 and will be distributed solely through the General Services Administration's Federal Business Opportunities website at http://www.fedbizopps.gov/. Hard copies of the solicitation will not be available. The site provides downloading instructions. All future information regarding this acquisition, including solicitation amendments, will also be distributed solely through this site. Interested parties are responsible for monitoring this site to insure that they have the most up to date information about this acquisition. All contractors doing business with the federal government shall be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database. The website for registration is www.ccr.gov.

The anticipated date for receipt of quotes is September 06, 2010; however, this is a projected estimate and quotes should refer to page 1 of the solicitation for the actual date quotations are due. All responsible sources may submit a quote which will be considered.


Contracting Office Address:
PO Box 1400
6902 Airport Road
Duluth, Minnesota 55814
Place of Performance:
Federal Prison Camp
6902 Airport Road
Duluth, Minnesota 55814
United States
Primary Point of Contact.:
David Grezak,
Contract Specialist
dgrezak@bop.gov
Phone: 2182497322
Fax: 2187334703

[Scott Brainard]

FPC Duluth is a prison camp, a "Club Fed", on the grounds of the DLH Air Reserves airbase.  I've seen them driving around on the hunt for walk-aways a number of times.

I find it pretty depressing when folks in my state are ignorant of ndn issues, especially around where I'm from.  There's an Ojibwe rez about 20 miles from Duluth and lots of ndn people living in/around Duluth. 

But, this is the gov't speaking.  I'll let folks know about it.

[apukjij]

http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/another-job-lost-medicine-man-101477649.html

Another job lost: Medicine man
By: Barbara Hollingsworth
Local Opinion Editor
08/25/10 9:05 AM PDT
t took just two days for the Duluth, Minn. Office of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to cancel its August 17 solicitation for bids "from a responsible entity" for a "Native American Medicine Man"to conduct "sacred pipe," "sweat lodge" and "smudging" ceremonies for federal inmates. Taxpayers would, of course, foot the bill for the spiritual guide.
The abrupt cancellation was perhaps due to a link on the Drudge Report. But sensitive prison officials might also have been stung by criticism that the job description was too generic, and that its blatant stereotyping would offend Minnesota's Chippewa, Ojibwe and Sioux communities.
"What if a Navajo, Haida, Penobscot, or Miccosukee medicine man applies? (Assuming all these tribes have medicine men.)," one blogger asked. "What will the prison say? 'Yes, you'll do, because all Native religions are the same'? Or 'No, sorry, our ad was misleading and we'll understand if you sue us'?"
Whatever the reason for FBP's abrupt cancellation of the medicine man position, two things are clear: True, it's one less job created by the Obama administration, but at least this time taxpayers won't have to break a sweat.


Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/another-job-lost-medicine-man-101477649.html#ixzz0y3JwXjpT