It is that time of year to help you students plan for an academic life after high school (this information is also for current college students). The Northern California Indian Development Council and the Del Norte Indian Education Center have prepared a comprehensive list of resources, scholarships and writing tips too help ease the process. Please feel free to share this with your students and families.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
AFFORDABLE IVY: Click here to download a document that tells you how to apply to Ivy League colleges and Stanford tuition free or at greatly reduced prices.
General information about financial aid and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA):
http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/financial-aid/financial-aid-for-online-colleges/
Start your scholarship search with these two sites:
FastWEB Scholarship Search
http://www.fastweb.com/
SallieMae
http://go.salliemae.com/scholarship/
1) Scholarships for Native American Students
Link: http://ncidc.org/scholarships-native-american-students-0
There is a downloadable pdf paper copy of the information here.
2) 10 Weblinks for Scholarships Databases & Search Engines (access to HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of Scholarships)
Link: http://www.ncidc.org/10weblinks
3) 53 Pages of General Scholarships
Link: https://roybal-allard.house.gov/students/
There is a downloadable pdf paper copy of this list here.
4) Weblinks for Over 75 General Scholarships
Link: http://www.ncidc.org/education-services/75-general-scholarships
Resource for High School Students: Paying for College, Native American Version
download the pdf here.
5) American Indian Education Foundation for Graduate level students
Link: http://www.nrcprograms.org/site/PageServer?pagename=aief_grad_scholarshipapplication
6) Specific scholarships for American Indian students
Link: http://www.collegescholarships.org/grants/native-american.htm
7) Large database with scholarships for Native students
Link: http://www.blackexcel.org
8) Scholarships for Graduate Students
Link: http://www.aigcs.org
9) Collection of scholarships and grants for graduate level students
Link: http://www.petersons.com/college-search/how-to-pay-for-college.aspx
1. College costs a lot more than it used to. According to a 2010 Trends in College Pricing report by College Board, since the year 2000, public four-year tuition and fees have increased more than 5 percent annually above inflation. Tuition at public two-year colleges and private four-year colleges also increased by 3 percent above inflation.
[See which public colleges offer the lowest in-state costs and the lowest out-of-state costs.]
2. The economy stinks, and your parents have no money. Well, hopefully that's not 100 percent accurate, but there's definitely some truth to that statement. While parents still very much value contributing to their children's college tuition, the amount that families can afford to contribute has declined. A study commissioned by lender Sallie Mae and conducted by Gallup found that the number of families who planned to cover few if any college costs had risen while the number of parents expecting to cover more than half of the costs had dropped. A similar survey conducted by Longmire and Company, a higher-ed consulting firm, found that 33 percent—the largest percentage of parents—said they planned on contributing less than $5,000 to their child's college tuition, barely enough to cover four years of textbooks.
[Learn more about paying for college.]
3. The cost of college living is up. Unless you plan on living at home and commuting to school—a very good option for a lot of college students—plan on paying a lot more than your older brother or sister paid for your apartment, food, books and supplies. All of these things have gotten more expensive.
4. State support for students has decreased substantially. Although it looks like America may have weathered the worst of the recession (let's hope), many states are still reeling from the economic slump and most have made large cuts in public service funding—including higher education. As a result, public colleges and universities have increased tuition, meaning you're probably going to pay more now.
5. People owe a lot of money. One quarter of the U.S. population—70 million people—owe a collective $700 billion in student loan debt. Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? It is. According to the Institute for College Access and Success, the average college graduate has acquired $24,000 in student loans by the time they graduate, and that figure is likely to increase. Experts say this may be the next financial bubble to burst.
[Read more about the higher education bubble.]
I know what you might be thinking. And the answer is a resounding yes—going to college is worth it. Your college degree will be one of the most lucrative investments you'll make. College graduates earn, on average, $20,000 more per year than someone with just a high school diploma, according to a 2007 report by College Board. The cost of attending college may seem daunting, but that's exactly why finding, applying for, and receiving scholarships are essential to ensure that you won't struggle to make huge student loan payments upon graduation. Scholarships are no longer just a bonus. They're crucial for bridging the gap between the increasing cost of tuition and what you and your family can afford to pay out of pocket. —Michelle Showalter
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Secretary Jewell Advances Discussion on Repatriation of Tribal Sacred Objects with French Authorities
PARIS, France – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell met today with French Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira to express the United States' concern about tribal sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony that are sold at French auction houses, and to seek cooperation in working to repatriate objects to Indian tribes in the United States.
In the meeting, Secretary Jewell and Minister Taubira discussed their shared commitment to helping tribes repatriate their sacred cultural objects that, under tribal customary law, are owned by the tribe as a whole and cannot be legally sold by individuals. The Secretary and Minister agreed to explore pathways that might provide greater protections for U.S. tribes seeking to repatriate their cultural property.
Secretary Jewell also met with President Catherine Chadelat of the Conseil des Ventes Volontaires, France's auctioneering association and regulator.
Paris auction houses have recently held a series of auctions that included Native American sacred objects such as ceremonial masks. The next such sale is scheduled for December 7 and includes items of concern to several tribes. In the meeting, Jewell noted U.S. tribes’ requests for greater transparency from French auction houses about the origins of objects being sold.
At the request of tribes, the U.S. Department of the Interior has worked closely with the Department of State, including the U.S. Embassy in Paris, to engage French authorities and raise public awareness. Only certain objects are considered “not for sale” by tribes, including objects that are sacred, used for religious or healing purposes, and deeply important to tribal identity.
In the meetings, Secretary Jewell also emphasized the unique legal and political relationship between the federal government and federally recognized tribes in the United States. Federally recognized tribes have their own governments within the U.S. political system, with the power to make contracts, own property, regulate their territory, to sue and be sued in court, and to appear in proceedings of administrative bodies, the same as any other sovereign nation.
The History of The Hopi Soyaluna Ceremony
(Soyal, Soyala, Sol-ya-lang-eu)
http://www.brownielocks.com/soyaluna.html
It is a ceremony related to the sun as it relates to the winter solstice. It is one of the Hopi's most sacred ceremonies and is also called the "Prayer-Offering Ceremony" because it is a time for saying prayers for the New Year and for wishing each other prosperity and health.
The date of this observation is on December 22. It is celebrated by the Hopi Indians. Although a black Plumed Snake is the basic symbol of this ceremony. But it is not based on snake worship. (Just like their Snake Dance Ceremony isn't either.) It is a ceremony related to the sun as it relates to the winter solstice. It is one of the Hopi's most sacred ceremonies and is also called the "Prayer-Offering Ceremony" because it is a time for saying prayers for the New Year and for wishing each other prosperity and health.
Worshiping the sun is pretty common among many ancient people. In North America, the Hopi also noticed that the sun rose and set at different points on the horizon. They also noticed that the sun would reach it's most vertical position in the summer and that when the sun rose lower in the sky it meant that the weather was colder and the earth was barren.
In midsummer, the Hopi performed their Snake Dance Ceremony when they felt the sun was close to the earth. (See our page on this Sun Dance) But, basically the Sun Dance was a request for rain from the gods of the underworld. But, when the sun started to go away, the Hopi attention was now focused on the sun leaving them altogether. Yikes!
The Hopi believed that at the winter solstice that took place in December the Sun God had traveled as far from the earth as he ever did. So, in order to bring the Sun God back, this meant that it would require the most powerful humans (aka Hopi warriors) to talk the Sun God to turn around and come back to them.
Therefore, the whole purpose of the Soyaluna ceremony that the Hopi do still to this day, is to prevent the disappearance of the sun at the time of the year when the days are the shortest.
The preparations for the Soyaluna ceremony start by cutting pieces of cotton string and tying feathers and pinyon needles to the end. These are exchanged among friends and relatives during the day. Sometimes this is done by tying them in the recipient's hair.
When the person who made this feathered string gives it to someone, he says, "May all the Katchinas grant you your wishes tomorrow." The Katchinas are the spirits of the Hopi ancestors. (See our page on Niman Katchina.) Then the giver holds it vertically and moves the string back and forth horizontally. Later that night, everyone takes a willow branch and attaches all the strings that he or she has received to it. The sticks are carried to the kiva (ceremonial meeting room) and placed in the rafters making the room look like a bower of feathers and pinyon needs. (More about the Kiva is on this page.)
The main celebration will take place in the kiva wear the chief resident of the Hopi society wears a headdress decorated with images that symbolize rain clouds. He will also carry a shield that has a star, an antelope and other symbolic objects have been drawn. Someone will also carry an effigy of Palulukonuh, also called the "Plumed Snake" what is carved from the woody stalk of the agave plant.
The shield bearers enter the kiva and take turns stamping on the sipapu (a shallow hole covered by a board that symbolizes the entrance to the underworld.) Then they arrange themselves into two groups: One on the north side of the room. One on the south side of the room. They then start singing as the bearer of the sun shield rushes to one side and then the other. He is driven back by the shield bearers on both sides. The movements of the shield bearers symbolize the attack of hostile powers on the sun. It's not uncommon for one or more of the participants in this mock struggle to faint from the heat inside the kiva and exhaustion.
One the west wall of the kiva is an altar made up of a stack of corn (two or more ears have been contributed by each family in the pueblo, surrounded by husks and stalks. There's also a large gourd with an opening in it. The head of the effigy of the Plumed Snake sticks out of this gourd. In a puppet-like manner, the snakes head will rise slowly to the center of the opening and make a roaring noise. (All this is done by someone manipulating it in the background behind the altar.) The shield bearers will then throw meal to the Plumed Snake effigy. In response to each offering the snake roars. When the Sun God's footprints appear in the sand, everyone knows that he's been persuaded to return.
The name "Soyala" means Time of the Winter to those who have been given that name.
The effigy of the plumed snake that is in the kiva is painted black and has a tongue-like appendage protruding from it's mouth. This black snake symbolizes the evil influences that are driving the sun away. So the assembled chiefs make their offerings of prayer and meal to this black Plumed Snake to try to persuade him not to "swallow" the sun, like he does when there is an eclipse.
The Hopis believe that the days are shorter in the winter and grow longer in the summer because it's driven away by hostile forces and then after a considerable battle it's persuaded to return. So, without the Soyaluna ceremony the sun might never come back, bringing warmer weather that's needed for growing corn and other food.
So, the bearers of the Sun Shield represent the Hopi Sun God, whose favors are crucial to the tribe's survival.
]]>Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/08/06/10-things-teachers-should-never-do-when-teaching-native-kids-156252
Each year, teachers with no background or understanding of Native history, culture, or current affairs, offer mainstream and Native students damaging, stereotypical curriculum. As summer winds down and kids get ready to go back to school, let's discuss some things teachers shouldn't do and ways parents can help.
Don’t Ask Native Students to Speak for Their Race
Teachers often ask Native students about anything that comes up about Native Americans. Tell your child’s teachers that every tribe is different as are opinions among Indigenous Peoples, and your child cannot speak for everyone. Recommend books like 500 Nations by Alvin M. Josephy.
Don’t Have Students Make Indian Names or Animal Totems
Many teachers try to teach about Native peoples through crafts projects or assignments like letting students choose Indian names for themselves. Consider it a teaching moment and print out this letter from Wisconsin Activist Richie Plass.
Don’t Host Powwows or First Thanksgivings Without Tribal Input
Some teachers think hosting a student powwow without any tribal input is okay, and honors Native people. Approach teachers as soon as school starts, and let them know you would be happy to help plan an appropriate celebration for Native American Heritage Month. If you don’t, imitation powwows with fake animal names, paper bag vests, and fake feather headdresses could happen. Direct teachers to read “The Harm of Native Stereotyping,” and “American Indian Perspectives on Thanksgiving.”
Communicating with teachers about how to teach Native children is a good way to avoid scenes like this.
RELATED: Video: Florida High School’s Horrific Display of Cultural Stupidity http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/12/31/video-florida-high-school-puts-horrific-display-culture-sharing-152933
Don’t Ever Tell Native Students They Are Going to Drop Out
There is no excuse for it but there are some non-Native teachers who have been known to say things like this. Many Native students report that teachers told them it didn’t matter if they attended school or got good grades, because they would fail anyway. Native students graduate and attend the best colleges in the country, some in the face of many hardships. Teachers should be supportive of all students
Don’t Say that Columbus Discovered America
This should be old news by now, but non-Native teachers are uncomfortable with the truth. Tell them to do some research and even read Lies My Teacher Told Me, by James Loewen.
RELATED: American History Myths Debunked: Columbus Discovered America
Don’t Use Words Like Primitive, Savage, Or Uncivilized
Please. Mainstream science is only just beginning to understand astronomy, geology, and other sciences that have been common knowledge to indigenous people for thousands of years. Is your child’s teacher not so sure about that? Show them this link to StarTeach Astronomy and their page on “Ancient Astronomy of the North American Indians.”
Check Reading Lists: Avoid Racist Commonly Used Books
Books like Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Garth Williams and Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare are still commonly used in the classroom and feature hateful and/or stereotypical portrayals of Native people. Other books may not be overtly offensive to an unsuspecting teacher but are still incorrect or misleading. Read “‘I’ Is Not For Indian: The Portrayal Of Native Americans In Books For Young People” on Native Culture Links before deciding to use a book in your curriculum. Teachers can also check out the American Indians in Children’s Literature blog.
Don’t Speak About Natives Only in the Past
Too many teachers are disconnected from Native peoples and have no sense of Natives in the present. If you suspect this is the case, offer to come into the classroom to do a presentation or even provide the teacher with a link to Oyate.org, purveyors of tribally approved curriculum and information. You can also recommend Native news sources.
Don’t Allow Mainstream Students to Bully Native Kids
If teachers see students doing the woo-woo thing, making fun of long hair, calling Native students by mascot names, etc., do not assume it will “toughen them up.” Bullying can result in suicide, damaged self-esteem, embarrassment and more. Teachers can use this as time to teach about diversity and respect.
Teacher Shouldn’t Assume They Know Anything About Natives
When teachers have no understanding of Native culture, they teach stereotypes. Have them contact their local tribes for speakers and be sure they have appropriate sources to get them on the right path to teaching accurately about Native peoples. Native Web Search has loads of resources.
Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/08/06/10-things-teachers-should-never-do-when-teaching-native-kids-156252
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In Native cultures, Native peoples had non-violent life ways based on an understanding of the natural world, viewing health through the traditional concepts of balance and sense of well-being. This webinar will discuss how restoring traditional family values can support positive social change and healthy community characteristics where Native families can exist in a web of relationships, each equal in importance and value.
Presenter: Theda New Breast, M.P.H. (Montana Blackfeet)
Theda is a founding board member and master trainer/facilitator for the Native Wellness Institute (NWI). She is one of the pioneers in the Native training field and an original committee member for the Men’s and Women’s Wellness gatherings. Theda has more than 30 years of professional experience in providing healing and training workshops centered on historical trauma, mental health issues related to alcohol, and other drug use prevention. She is the co-founder and co-writer of the GONA (Gathering of Native Americans) curriculum, one of the Ten Effective Practices and Models in Communities of Color. Theda has facilitated over 600 GONA’s. She lives on the Blackfeet Reservation in Northern Montana and is a Khan-nat-tso-miitah (Crazy Dog) Society member, herbalist, Sun dancer, Pipe Carrier, and lives as Niitsitapi, like all her Ancestors for thousands of years. In 2013, The Red Nations Film Festival Honored Theda with a Humanitarian Award for her lifetime of healing work with tribes and with a Red Nations statuette for her documentary short called, “Why The Women in My Family Don’t Drink Whiskey.”
Date/Time of Webinar:
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
11:00 AM (Alaska Time)
12:00 PM (PACIFIC)
1:00 PM (MOUNTAIN)
2:00 PM (CENTRAL)
3:00 PM (EASTERN)
I am thinking of closing this blog as it is money out of my pocket. I would use mail chimp as my primary means of communication with you. I have 105 people on this blog and 300 on Mail chimp. I think the only thing I would be losing is the archiving. What do you think? Please email me your comments at andrekaruk@gmail.com
Thursday, August 6th, 2015 • 12 noon – 1:30pm pacific time. Webinar: Law School Clinical Assistance, Tribal Violence Against Women Act 2013 Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction. Presenter, Sarah Deer. This webinar will focus on ways for law school clinics to provide assistance to tribes seeking to exercise the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) 2013 enhanced jurisdiction. Indian tribes now have the general authority to implement criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians who violate protective orders or commit domestic violence or dating violence against Indian victims on tribal lands. Tribes wishing to exercise this Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction over non-Indians (SDVCJ) must provide certain rights to criminal defendants and meet certain legal requirements. Registration link, https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1833997857293746689
August 18-20, 2015 • “Uniting & Educating Across Disciplines to Respond to Sex Trafficking of Native Women and Our Children.” Sex Trafficking of Native Women and Children Institute. http://www.niwrc.org/resources/training-technical-assistance/stnw LOCATION: Hotel Cascada, 2500 Carlisle Blvd. Northeast, Albuquerque, NM 87110. CONTACT: (855) 649-7299. FEES: $50.
August 19th, 2015 • 12pm – 1:30pm pacific time. Webinar: “Restoration of Family Values and Healthy Community Characteristics.” In Native cultures, Native peoples had non-violent life ways based on an understanding of the natural world, viewing health through the traditional concepts of balance and sense of well-being. This webinar will discuss how restoring traditional family values can support positive social change and healthy community characteristics where Native families can exist in a web of relationships, each equal in importance and value. REGISTRATION: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/200000000028764602
Monday, August 24th, 2015 • 11:30am – 1pm pacific time. Webinar: “Breaking Process and Trauma Bond.” Presenters, Christine Stark (Cherokee/Anishinaabe), and Dr. Alexandra Pierce (Seneca/Caucasian). Registration link, https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2228598287184756994
Friday, September 11th, 2015 • The Sac and Fox Nation 14th Annual Native Nations Law Symposium. This Symposium seeks to promote relations and education of important legal topics among all legal professionals both Tribal and State. LOCATION: Iowa Tribal Reservation, 3345 Thrasher Rd., White Cloud KS 66094. CONTACT:Joshua Langi, (785) 742-741 ext. 2600 FEES: $30 - $150.
]]>This webinar will be a discussion on responsible fatherhood and wellness for Native men, teens, and boys. What does it take for Native men to seek a wellness path and stay committed to be a good husband, father, and mentor? The importance of rehabilitation and healing for Native men. Clayton Small, PhD, CEO for Native PRIDE will conduct the webinar.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION OPENING
(Contract)
POSITION: Creating a Passion for Learning Coordinator for Native American Student Programs
POSITION CODE: A6833
DEPARTMENT: Campus Diversity and Inclusion/Student Life
MONTHS/HOURS: 12 months, 40 hours per week
STARTING SALARY RANGE: Commensurate with experience
AVAILABLE: July 1, 2015
POSTING DATE: April 3, 2015
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Open Until Filled
Click to see the video:
]]>Everyone has seen the Facebook posts with parents frustrated about the complexities of a math problem their child has to solve — and blaming it on Common Core standards, not just in Montana, but nationwide.
Now the Montana legislators are involved. On Monday, the Senate education committee will hear a bill to repeal Common Core standards in Montana, introduced by Rep. Debra Lamm, R-Livingston.
House Bill 377 passed through the House already. If it became law, it would not only repeal the standards in this state, but also eliminate the Smarter Balanced Assessment testing and establish an accreditation standards review council outside of the Montana Board of Public Education.
"HB 377 is basically about local control," Lamm told the Tribune.
Lamm said she's introducing the bill for a variety of reasons: She said experts have shown that the standards aren't as rigorous as they said they would be, it's a one-size-fits-all approach to education and it takes away teacher freedom and creativity when it comes to curriculum and more.
"They were already teaching it and doing a good job, in my opinion," Lamm said. "The curriculum has to stay at the local level."
Full story & video at:http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2015/03/14/myths-truths-montanas-common-core-standards/24768409/
http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/02/25/native-american-education
American Indian leaders on Wednesday called on state lawmakers to increase support for American Indian education
The plea comes after a Minnesota Department of Education working group recommended increasing state funding for mentoring efforts and early childhood programs in districts that serve the state's 20,000 American Indian students.
The report recommended boosting funding to supplement federal funds that go to Minnesota's four tribally operated schools: Circle of Life School in White Earth, Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School in Bena, Fond du Lac Ojibwe School in Cloquet and Nay-Ah-Shing School in Onamia.
Per pupil funding from the federal government for the schools amounts to $5,000 a year, half what other Minnesota districts receive from the state.
Rocky Papasodora, the chairperson for the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig school on the Leech Lake Reservation, said funding equalization would be a first step in improving American Indian student achievement.
"If these dollars are secured through legislation it will lead the way for a just and equitable education for all Minnesota school students," Papsadora said.
The graduation rate for Minnesota's American Indian students is 51 percent, according to new data from state education officials released on Tuesday.
Minnesota's on-time graduation rate for Native American students is one of the lowest in the nation.
"This is not acceptable," Joan LaVoy, director of education for the White Earth reservation. "The state of Minnesota must support our schools, teachers, students and families to increase the achievement rate and outcomes of our Indian students."
She urged lawmakers to find more money to fund early childhood programs for the state's 11 tribes.
The state Department of Education estimates that would cost $1.6 million a year.
LaVoy said that would provide much needed support on the White Earth Reservation.
"Schools, programs and agencies on the White Earth Reservation provide services to approximately 500 children ages 0 to 5," she said. "We have at least another 250, I'm thinking it's closer to 300, not receiving any type of early childhood programming."
]]>http://www.nativephilanthropy.org/
Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) is a membership-based organization that promotes reciprocity and investment in, with and for Native peoples to build healthy and sustainable communities for all. All are welcome to join the NAP circle. Anyone and everyone who is interested in including Native peoples in creating deep and long-lasting impact, systemic and sustainable change in all of our communities.
NAP is a powerful and growing network of Native and non-Native nonprofits, tribal communities, foundations and community leaders committed to engaging, learning and sharing resources and best practices grounded the Native tradition of reciprocity.
NAP is not a grantmaker. NAP is supported by membership revenue, grants, fee-for service, consulting services and the generosity of communities.
VALUES OF THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INDIAN DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (NCIDC)
Three Efforts of NCIDC:
1. Community/Tribal development, socially, educationally and economically
2. Support culture and language
3. Community based and driven health and wellness
Native Americans suffer disproportionate rates of social, economic and health problems. Only through education, empowerment and asset development can these issues be addressed and overcome to promote the health and welfare of American Indian people, communities and Tribes. We must succeed in successfully meeting these challenges to honor our past and to make a better world for our future generations.
We ask you to share your passion, knowledge and strength to help guide our work to achieve NCIDCs goals, objectives, mission and vision. Please take the time to complete our community needs assessment and participate in the development of programs and services. (NCIDC 2015 survey http://questionpro.com/t/AJ7VbZSbf1
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The 38th California Conference on American Indian Education is coming up March 14-17, 2015 in Palm Springs. The theme this year is Indian Education: Meeting The Challenge. This is an opportunity to share traditional and academic teaching and learning. The conference honors the commitment of families and those who contribute to the advancement of Indian Education in California.
For information, Call To Conference, registration materials and schedule please go to the California Conference on American Indian Education www.ccaie.org
If you have any questions please contact Irma Amaro at 530-895-4212 or by e-mail at mailto:irma.4winds@att.net or Rachel McBride at 530-895-4212 ext. 110 or by e-mail at mailto:rachel.4winds@sbcglobal.net
Editor’s Note: This poem was sent to Native News Online on January 1 prior to the Florida State Seminoles versus the Oregon Ducks appearance in the 2015 Rose Bowl. Melissa Bennett (Umatilla/Nez Perce/Sac & Fox Nations) is the Portland State University Program Coordinator for the Native American Student & Community Center. She earned her Master of Divinity degree from Marylhurst University along with graduate certificates in Pastoral Care & Counseling and Theological Studies. Melissa is a writer and emerging storyteller and was nominated for the Pushcart Prize after her poem “Church of Frida” appeared in the Fall 2013 issue of Yellow Medicine Review. She is interested in story as medicine, especially its ability to heal historical trauma among indigenous communities. Melissa is a member of the 2014-15 Native American Youth and Family Center LEAD Cohort, the Northwest Indian Storytellers Association, and WordCraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers.
“FSU Goes to the Rose Bowl”
By Melissa Bennett
Unwrapping my new stainless steel French press when you
On the couch three nephews away from me
Unwrap your 1996 flannel shirt and show us all
With a big smile on your face that pints nowhere near me
Your new Florida State Seminoles t-shirt
And that pasty white face
With the two red war paint stripes
With the low hanging feather
And the mouth open in a battle cry or mourning wall
Is the only thing I see in that room
The Christmas tree with its white lights and red ornaments has disappeared
The presents left underneath fade away
The smell of holiday ham and Grandma’s pineapple sauce evaporates
The laughter of your boys as they open gift after gift has never existed
Mom and Dad are gone
Your wife an illusory mirage at the edge of my vision
It is you
And it is me
And it is that shirt
Almost 38 years I have been a daughter in this room
36 of those years I have been your sister
In the time it took you to unwrap your flannel
And reveal your allegiance
To racism and oppression and colonization
Your made me the Indian sister to the white brother
The adopted one
The outside one
The alone one
The one no one listens to
Or cares about
And it all comes back
When I was four and overheard Mom defending her choice to adopt an Indian baby
When I was six and our Great Aunt told her friend standing next to me,
“You know she has that red blood in her”
When I was twelve and everyone began asking, “What are you?”
When I was sixteen and became a “Half Breed” certain to get one of those “Indian scholarships”
When I was twenty and my abusive boyfriend reminded me I was a “Lazy Indian”
When I was thirty-two and a man in my grad school class said,
“I bet you could sneak up barefoot on a white man and slit his throat”
And on Monday when I heard that an Indian man was killed because the police officer mistook his sweetgrass braid for a knife and shot him
And how my friend was the dead man’s cousin
All of it comes back
Every cut
Every mirco-aggression
Every feeling associated with
Every word
Every look
Every act of violence
All of it
The adoptions
The sterilizations
The relocations
The reservations
The suicides
The homicides
The blood quantum
The boarding schools
The 522 years of genocide
All of it hides in that pasty white face on your shirt that is supposed to be me
An Indian
Your sister
StoryCorps, in partnership with the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, is accepting applications from public libraries and library systems interested in hosting StoryCorps @ your library programs.
Funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), StoryCorps @ your library will bring StoryCorps’ popular interview methods to libraries while developing a replicable model of oral history programming.
Program guidelines and the online application are available at apply.ala.org/storycorps. The application deadline is Feb. 6.
Ten selected sites will receive:
Each library will be expected to record at least 40 interviews during the six-month interview collection period (May-October 2015). In addition, each library must plan at least one public program inspired by the interviews they collect. Local libraries will retain copies of all interviews and preservation copies will also be deposited with the Library of Congress.
This StoryCorps @ your library grant offering represents the second phase of the StoryCorps @ your library project, following a pilot program in 2013-14. Read more about the pilot libraries at http://www.ala.org/programming/storycorps and http://www.storycorps.org/your-library.
About ALA’s Public Programs Office
ALA’s Public Programs Office provides leadership, resources, training and networking opportunities that help thousands of librarians nationwide develop and host cultural programs for adult, young adult and family audiences. The mission of the ALA Public Programs Office is to promote cultural programming as an essential part of library service in all types of libraries. Projects include book and film discussion series, literary and cultural programs featuring authors and artists, professional development opportunities and traveling exhibitions. School, public, academic and special libraries nationwide benefit from the office’s programming initiatives.
About StoryCorps
StoryCorps’ mission is to provide people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, preserve and share their stories. Each week, millions of Americans listen to StoryCorps’ award-winning broadcasts on NPR’s Morning Edition. StoryCorps has published three books: Listening Is an Act of Love and Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorps, and All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps — all of which are New York Times bestsellers. For more information, or to listen to stories online, visit storycorps.org.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Native Americans Work to Save Language
For Americans Fighting to Reclaim Their Culture, Thanksgiving Means More Than Food
Cherokee language: From Trail of Tears to texting in the native tongue
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National Congress of American Indians
Watch the #BigGame commercial the NFL would never air.
Get involved by contacting the Washington Professional Football Team, the NFL and the Washington Post:
DC Team
@redskins
http://www.redskins.com/footer/contact-us.html
Roger Goodell & NFL
@NFL
@NFLcommish
Washington Post
DC's hometown paper is still using the R-word in its coverage of the team.
@WashingtonPost
@PostSports
https://www.facebook.com/washingtonpost
Contact the Washington Post:
202-334-6100
http://help.washingtonpost.com/ics/support/ticketnewwizard.asp?style=classic&deptID=15080
Thank you to all of the filmmakers who donated their footage.
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