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Native Language Programs Running Afoul Of No Child Left Behind
 Alaska: Some Alaska schools which teach and preserve Native languages and
cultures are having trouble meeting testing requirements under the No Child Left
Behind Act. Native language programs are used in over 30 rural public schools,
and the city of Anchorage has more than 93 languages spoken by students. These
students are expected to pass tests centered upon non-native cultures and
written exclusively in English. For instance, mathematics to American children
is based on units of 10, where increments of 20 are used in Yupik
math. In addition, numerous English words have no Yupik counterparts.
Adapting tests to meet uniform federal law is very expensive and conflicts with
Native cultures and the local control of rural villages. "I feel strongly that
our kids should speak Yupik fluently," said state Rep. Mary Kapsner, of
Bethel. "I really feel this isn't just an academic issue about benchmark tests,
but about cultural and social well being."
 Youth Embrace Subsistence Education and Renew Survival for a Yupik Eskimo
Community
Alaska: In remote Russian Mission, population 307, students at the Russian
Mission School learn how to link traditions with classroom learning. From Grades
3-8, kids are immersed in learning about where, and how, they live. Science and
math lessons might investigate the effects of recent weather on native species,
how to repair an outboard motor, or the temperature at which lard mixed with
sugar and berries congeals into the local ice-cream, aqutak. A single moose
harvested by students provides school lunches of moose stew, moose soup, and
moose fried rice, Older teens catch fish to feed the school. And during all
activities, students read, write, calculate and hypothesize along the way. The
Russian Mission community is also involved. When high schoolers bring in the
silver salmon, the whole town turns out to cut and prepare the fish. “We set up
tables in the gym, and the floor is covered in blood," said school principal
Mike Hull. "When the school menu calls for fish sticks, it’s salmon from the
river.” Russian Mission Students are very attached to their school, and to one
another, as stated by Rachel Evan, 15: "Tell all the other kids in America that
they should come up to Russian Mission and try it out! It's pretty cool."
Israel's first Eskimo soldier
Eighteen-year-old Eva Ben Sira is training to become a squad commander in the
Negev desert - a far cry from the frozen vastness of her homeland. Eva was born
to a Yupik Eskimo mother and a Cherokee American father before being
adopted by an Israeli couple. Her twin brother, Jimmy, will become the army's
second serving Eskimowhen he joins the force next year.
Snow Angels
In Alaska, the all-girl Dragon Slayers race to the rescue. Also called the
Angels of Ariak, the team of seven high school girl--each with 200 hours of
medical and fire-safety training --- respond to 450 calls a year. They are the
only 24-hour emergency medical care available to 3,000 people in 14 villages
across an area the size of Maryland. The girls have pulled children from fires,
saved fellow teens who tried suicide, and revived grandmothers in cardiac
arrest. They've also rescued injured snowmobilers, survivors of small-plane
crashes, and people who fell through ice. "It really changes how you are as a
person," says Erica Kameroff, 16. Most victims, like the Dragon Slayers
themselves, are Yupik Eskimos and Athabascan Indians. Getting to them is
a challenge; Aniak is surrounded by rivers, and no roads lead to the rest of
Alaska. During the coldest months, the team uses snowmobiles and
four-wheel-drive vehicles across the ice. In warmer months they often rely on
boats.
Yup'ik diva dances once more
Alaska: The Egan Center was packed for the drumming and dance showcase during
the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention. Many -- perhaps hundreds -- were
turned away at the door. Performers representing Alutiiq, Inupiat, Yup'ik and
Southeast Indian traditions took their turns, and then a surprise: 87-year-old
Mary Ann Sundown planned to dance. As the beloved "Dance Diva" from the
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta hobbled onto the stage, bent and slow, cheers and whistles
from a thousand or more fans shook the roof. She donned her fur headpiece and
gripped her dance fans, sitting in a chair to perform. Mary Ann's
coordination, grace, charm, and humor showed through, and at the end of each
song, she struggled to her feet for the final choruses. Her performance
included two comic numbers associated with Sundown: the "Mosquito Song," which
includes hilarious swatting and itching pantomimes; and the "Cigarette Song," in
which the performers try to imitate the elegant puffing of movie stars and wind
up coughing. Sundown's set closed with a tribute piece to her grandchildren,
her trademark laugh and an expression of wondering love as she looked back at
her family -- some in diapers -- in front of the stage. Before leaving, Mary Ann
told the crowd in Yup'ik, through a translator, how happy she was to be here.
How she had lost her ability to walk for a while but it had returned. How she
had fallen off a four-wheeler while berry-picking but been unharmed. "She says
someone's looking out for her," the interpreter said, "and that's God."
Kodiak Natives cut an album in an effort to preserve their dying language
Alaska: The Sugpiaq people from Kodiak are working hard to preserve Alutiiq,
their native language. Recently Sugpiaq singers from across Kodiak Island came
together at Kodiak’s Alutiiq Museum to record songs which are sung in Alutiiq
and Slavonic. Susan Malutin, a second-year student in an Alutiiq language
preservation program, considers the recording an important event. “The best
thing was to have so many of our Elders here together in one place at the same
time,” Malutin said. “From 10 am -- 5pm every day, and that’s a really big
commitment for some of them.” The musical CD is produced by Stephen Blanchett,
a member of Pamyua, one of Alaska’s most popular singing groups. Blanchett, who
is Yupik,
has been picking up jobs with his field recording equipment. He’s traveled to
Barrow, Tatitlek, and Chenega Bay, among other places. “I’m all about making
recordings and CDs because we don’t have anything to listen to,” he said.
Alutiiq is spoken by fewer than 100 people in Alaska, and only 35 - 50 original
speakers live on Kodiak Island today. A CD from the sessions will be available
for sale later this year. Museum workers say demand from visitors already
exists.
For
Native Alaskans, Tradition Is Yielding to Modern Customs
Alaska - When Eskimo elders on isolated St. Lawrence Island approved of the
marriage, Clifford Apatiki's relatives did what was required: they bought him
his bride. That meant, according to Siberian Yupik custom, that Mr. Apatiki's
family must come up with the payment of sealskins, rifles, bread, a toaster--a
house full of gifts. Then Mr. Apatiki had to work for her family for a year,
hunting seal, whale and polar bear, and doing chores. The marriage between Mr.
Apatiki and the former Jennifer Campbell was formalized five years ago, when
traditional marriages were still the norm in traditional villages like Gambell.
But now the couple worry whether their children will follow suit as
centuries-old traditions slip away in the modern world. "I'm sure people will
continue to do it for a while," Mrs. Apatiki said "If the tradition isn't in
effect with some families, they are whispered about. They will say about a girl,
'She was not bought.'" Still, keeping the traditions are of great concern to
the elders. Satellite television, rising rates of alcoholism and a growing
rejection by the younger generation of the Yupik language and customs have begun
to chip away at traditions and the hunting-and-gathering subsistence lifestyle.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/21/national/21alaska.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1093061224-RoYkCys713NOo393/G9HRw&pagewanted=all&position=
20th Arctic Winter Games close in Yellowknife
Northwest Territory: More than 2,000 athletes and supporters from the
circumpolar North have returned home after the 20th Arctic Winter Games in
Yellowknife. Alaska won the most medals -- 202, but Team Nunavut won the Games'
top prize: The Hodgson Sportsmanship Trophy. The Hodgson Trophy is awarded to
the team that showed the most fair play and team spirit. "I think our athletes
exude that excitement, that they're here playing, and it's just great," said
Frank Tootoo from Nunavut.
|
The arctic Winter Games |
|
Basketball |
Badminton |
Arctic
Sports |
Biathlon |
Cross Country Skiing |
|
Dene Games |
Dog
Mushing |
Figure Skating
|
Gymnastics |
Hockey |
|
Snowboarding
|
Snowshoeing |
Speed
Skating |
Table
Tennis |
Volleyball |
| |
Curling |
Indoor Soccer |
Wrestling |
|
|
The 2010 Arctic Winter Games will be held in Grande Prairie, Alberta.
Watch
videos from the games: http://www.awg.ca/Video.html
Researchers find new toxic
threat to polar bears
Arctic:
Researchers discovered traces of PBDEs in 139 bears captured and
tested at 10 locations around the Arctic. The chemicals were widely
used as a flame retardant during the 1990s in furniture, computers
and other plastic products. "We don't know exactly what [PBDE]
does, but it may contribute overall to their reproductive rate going
down or their ability to fight disease," said scientist Derek
Muir. Muir says while PBDEs are no longer used in many countries,
there's no way to reverse the damage already done to polar bears and
other Arctic animals. He says governments and manufacturers need to
continue to look for alternatives that won't have an impact on the
environment for years to come.
http://www.cbc.ca/north/story/bear-toxic-10012005.html
Senator finds defense funds
for Arctic Games
Alaska:
The 2006 Arctic Winter Games will be held this March in Kenai. Game
organizers have received a much needed $500,000 from Congress.
Alaskan senator Ted Stevens convinced Congress to allocate the money
for security at the Games. The money will come from defense funds
set aside for international sporting events held in the United
States. Game organizers are also holding fundraisers and searching
for donations and state grants to cover the remaining $300,000
shortfall.
2006 Arctic Games:
http://www.awg2006.org/
Inuit alarmed by signs of
global warming
Canada
- Horrified Inuit with homelands in Alaska, Canada, Greenland and
Russia are watching the Arctic lose its frozen grip and their world
being reshaped. The Inuit are described a "sentries for the rest of
the world, and they are warning that this winter was worst of a
series of warm winters. "These are things that all of our old oral
history has never mentioned," said Enosik Nashalik, 87, Inuit elder.
"We cannot pass on our traditional knowledge, because it is no
longer reliable. Before, I could look at cloud patterns, or the wind
or even what stars are twinkling, and predict the weather. Now,
everything is changed." The Inuits' warnings and alarms were once
considered odd stories. Now scientists know the stories are true,
and they are equally concerned. "... long-range forecasts
indicate the effects of global warming will be most felt in the
north," said Douglas Bancroft, a director of Oceanography and
Climate Science for Canada. Bancroft said there would also be
significant changes in the region's ecosystems. "You have species
that adapted over 40,000 years to a certain regime," he said. "Some
will make it, and some won't."
WARNING ALARMS!
Fish and wildlife are following the retreating ice caps northward.
Polar bears are losing the floes they need for hunting.
Seals, unable to find stable ice, are hauling up on islands to give
birth.
Robins and barn owls and hornets, previously unknown so far north,
are arriving in Arctic villages.
Gray whales in the Bering Sea are heading north to colder waters
Walruses are starving, adrift on ice floes in water too deep for
feeding.
Warmer-water fish such as pollock and salmon are coming in.
In Nova Scotia, ice on Northumberland Strait was so thin and
unstable that thousands of gray seals crawled on unaccustomed
islands to give birth. Storms and high tides washed 1,500 newborn
seal pups out to sea. They died.
In Chukotka, Russia, the Inuit are drilling wells for water because
there is so little snow to melt.
In Pangnirtung, residents were startled by a thunderstorm when
February temperatures hit 48 degrees. The temperature is usually
minus-20 degrees.
In Nain, Labrador, one hunter drove his snowmobile onto ocean ice
where he had hunted safely for 20 years. The ice flexed, and the
machine sunk. The hunter managed to save his life. "Someday we
won't have any snow," he said. "We won't be Eskimos."
Shrinking ice flows mean polar bears travel to town for food. One
mother attacked a bear stalking her 7-year old boy.
In Alaska, water normally sealed by ice is now open, brewing winter
storms that lash coastal and river villages. Two dozen native
villages are threatened.
In Resolute Bay, Inuit people insisted that the dark arctic night
was lighter. A weather station operator discovered that a warmer
layer of air was reflecting light from the sun over the horizon.
"It's getting very strange up here," he said. "There's more warm
air, more massive and more uniform."
The troubles for the Inuit are ominous for everyone, says Sheila
Watt-Cloutier, head of the International Circumpolar Conference, an
organization for the 155,000 Inuit worldwide. "People have become
disconnected from their environment. But the Inuit have remained
through this whole dilemma, remained extremely connected to its
environment and wildlife," she said. "They are the early warning.
They see what's happening to the planet, and give the message to the
rest of the world.
www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/news/
http://www.cbc.ca/north/story/awg-security-09012006.html
Q
Artcirq to stage first show
outside Arctic
Ireland:
Two members of the Inuit circus troupe Artcirq are attending a
week-long residency at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin. Musician,
juggler and acrobat, Derek Aqqiaruq, is also leader of the Igloolik
rock band, The Eskies. Leah Angutimariq is a throat singer, juggler
and acrobat and actress. Artcirq was founded in 1998 to help combat
suicides among young people. This is the first time artists have
performed outside Igloolik. "Artcirq is the first time a group of
Inuit have worked together, understanding the concept of learning
new skills, which in this case is circus, and adapting it with
their own culture in an artistic way," said Guillaume Saladan.
"It's very powerful. We're making a show built on their
traditions."
http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/12350/artcirq-to-stage-first-show-outside-arctic
New Delta rhythm for Bush
teens
Alaska:
Rappers Jaye Ulak and Jimmy Walker, known as Blood Family, don't
have a record deal. But they do have lyrics and a growing posse.
"We're Native celebrities," Walker half-joked, surrounded by
admirers following last month's Cama-i Dance Festival . Blood Family
isn't just for the kids. Even the elders jump on the bandwagon,
eager to hear real talk about the underbelly of village life from a
teen's perspective. Since debuting in 2004 at their senior prom in
the Yu'pik Eskimo village of Scammon Bay -- population 486 -- the
duo has performed at schools and conferences in Seattle, Anchorage,
Savoonga, Emmonak and Togiak. Now Ulak, 19, and Walker, 20, have
become a word-of-mouth phenomenon. Blood Family's material is
about blunt reality and taboo topics from village life -- suicide,
depression, drugs and violence. Sometimes there's an undercurrent
of optimism; other times, the words are overwhelmed by despair. In
Blood Family, Native youths now have rappers who not only live and
look like them but provide voices for them. Ulak even raps -- in his
song "Me Against Alaska" -- "I hope I can reach the youth with the
words I speak."
http://www.adn.com/life/story/6522245p-6403538c.html
Census report offers insight
into Native American life today
Included in the Census Reports findings:
4,300,000
people, (1.5%
of the total U.S. population) reported they were American Indian and
Alaska Native;
Of those. 2,447,989 (1%)
reported ONLY American Indian or Alaska Native status;
--- 33%
of AI/AN population are under age 18,
(26% of the total population);
12.4% of
the total population was 65 and older;
The median age is 29 years
for AI/AN compares to the national median of
35 years;
---AI/AN had a higher percentage of
single parent households than the total population;
42% of
Eskimo households were married-couple
families;
---72%
of AI/AN individuals 5 years
and older spoke only English at home;
53% of
Eskimo spoke only English at home.
---71%
of American Indians and Alaska Natives
25 and older
had at least a high school education, compared with
80% of the total
population.
11% of the
AI/AN population had at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with
24% of all people.
---The labor force participation rate for AI/AN men is
66% compared to
71% for all men;
The labor force participation rate for AI/AN women is
57%, compared to
58%
for all women.
IndigenousNewsNetwork
Education consortium
welcomes new tribal college members
Virginia:
Nisagvik College and the College of the Muscogee Nation are the
newest members of The American Indian Higher Education Consortium.
Gerald Gipp, AIHEC executive director, welcomed the new colleges.
''These two new colleges represent the continuing growth of the
tribal college movement. We understand that not all tribal
communities can build their own college; however, we expect to see
an increase in the number of new tribal colleges over the next
decade.'' He added: ''With the addition of our first member
institution from Alaska, the advocacy base for the tribal college
movement and for AIHEC is increased to 14 states."
Ilisagvik College was established in 1995 and is located in Barrow,
Alaska. The 2-year community college serves a largely Inupiat
Eskimo student population.
The College of the Muskogee nation is located in Okmulgee, Oklahoma.
Founded in 2004, CMN emphasizes Native culture, values, language and
self-determination.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416190
For Native Alaskans,
Tradition Is Yielding to Modern Customs
Alaska
- When Eskimo elders on isolated St. Lawrence Island approved of the
marriage, Clifford Apatiki's relatives did what was required: they
bought him his bride. That meant, according to Siberian Yupik
custom, that Mr. Apatiki's family must come up with the payment of
sealskins, rifles, bread, a toaster--a house full of gifts. Then Mr.
Apatiki had to work for her family for a year, hunting seal, whale
and polar bear, and doing chores. The marriage between Mr. Apatiki
and the former Jennifer Campbell was formalized five years ago, when
traditional marriages were still the norm in traditional villages
like Gambell. But now the couple worry whether their children will
follow suit as centuries-old traditions slip away in the modern
world. "I'm sure people will continue to do it for a while," Mrs.
Apatiki said "If the tradition isn't in effect with some families,
they are whispered about. They will say about a girl, 'She was not
bought.'" Still, keeping the traditions are of great concern to the
elders. Satellite television, rising rates of alcoholism and a
growing rejection by the younger generation of the Yupik language
and customs have begun to chip away at traditions and the
hunting-and-gathering subsistence lifestyle.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/21/national/21alaska.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1093061224-RoYkCys713NOo393/G9HRw&pagewanted=all&position=
Eskimo town gets sun for
first time in months
Alaska:
Most residents in Barrow, Alaska, are Inupiat Eskimos who cope
with some of the most bizarre weather in the world. After a 1:50
a.m. sunset on May 9, the sun rose again at 2:56 a.m. Barrow now
faces constant daylight until the next sunset on August 2. To
get an idea of what that means, resident can play outdoor sports
in the middle of the night with absolutely no visibility
problems. “Some people are just used to it because it happens
every year," said Earl Finkler. "But there was one fellow ...
who said that you could put foil over your windows to sleep, but
if you get up in the middle of the night the sun hits you and it
keeps you up. Other people say it energizes them, especially for
subsistence hunting and whaling.” Barrow, a town of 4,500
people, is about 330 miles above the Arctic Circle. From
November 18-January 24, it does not see the sun at all.
Indian Country Today
Banner World of whiz kids
Arizona:
Phoenix recently hosted the 29th annual American Indian Science and
Engineering Society national conference. More than 2,000 Native
students and those with careers in engineering and science attended
the 3-day AISES gathering. Also attending were recruiters from
major companies such as Intel and Google. Events included a career
fair, student workshops, panel discussions, and speeches from renown
speakers. The tribes ranged from Inupiat Eskimo and Athabaskan from
the University of Alaska in Fairbanks to Oneida, Hopi, Anishinabe
and Choctaw.
Trademarked Inuit word
irks language czar
Nunavut:
Nunavut's language commissioner is unhappy with Qimmik
Manufacturing. The company plans to trademark the Inuktitut word
qimmik [dog] for its line of dog food. Company spokesperson Ann
Yourt said the the company has nothing but respect for Inuit
culture. "And this is one of the reason that we chose the qimmik
word because it pays tribute to the plight of the beautiful and
majestic Canadian Eskimo dogs," she says. But Johnny Kusugak,
Nunavut's Languages Commissioner, doesn't see it as an honour,
nor is he surprised. He says other companies have used Inuit
cultural symbols to sell everything from banking services to
rubber boots. However, Kusugak says this company's move is more
disturbing. By trademarking the word, no one--not even Inuit --
can use it to name their business or organization. "There are
words out there that identify who we are. Just like the inuksuk
identifies the Inuit, qimmik fits in with that," he says.
CBC News
Alaska Struggles with High
Suicide Rate
turned
to thoughts of suicide. It is not an unfamiliar notion in Brevig
Mission, an isolated Inupiat Eskimo village of 300 people on the
Bering Strait. Alaska has one of the highest suicide rates in
America, in large part because of the large number of Alaska Natives
who take their lives. Several factors put Natives at risk, including
the availability of guns, geographic isolation, poverty, boredom,
and the erosion of traditional values and culture. But now, at 21,
Tokeinna tries traditional Eskimo dance when he gets down. And he is
teaching other young people in his village to use dance to get them
through the tough times, too. "I didn't think dancing was preventing
suicide. I thought it was just an activity. Now, I look at it
differently," Tokeinna said. "It lifts up the spirit and makes the
person happier." Tokeinna learned traditional dance mostly from
video tapes because dance had died out in the village. He also
attended a conference on preventing suicide and is using what he
learned to form a dance group for young people in his village. "They
lost their identity and their culture. They don't know who they are
anymore," he said. "I went through rough times and I relied on
dancing to keep me happy and healthy."
http://www.imdiversity.com/Article_Detail.asp?Article_ID=21557
Fairbanks professor rewarded
for language work
Alaska:
Michael Krauss has received the Ken Hale Prize for lifetime
achievement by the Society for the Study of Indigenous Languages of
the Americas. The prize is awarded for a lifetime of dedication to
the understanding and preservation of native languages. Mr. Krauss,
a professor emeritus at UA Fairbanks, is a founder of the Alaska
Native Language Center which opened in 1972. Krauss' personal work
has centered on Athabascan and Eskimo languages. He is especially
focused on the Eyak language, for which only one fluent speaker
remains. "When you lose a language and a language goes extinct,
it's like dropping a bomb on the Louvre," Krauss said. "Ken Hale
said that, 'Of the earth's remaining 6,000 languages, nearly half
will completely disappear during this century.' We work to save
endangered species, but we don't work to save endangered languages.
It's a lot easier to keep them alive than to bring them back."
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/020507/sta_20070205012.shtml
Court advocate program seeks
to recruit Alaska Natives
Alaska:
Sue Marsh. a volunteer with the Fairbanks Court-Appointed Special
Advocates program, relies on her personal experience as a mother as
she advocates for abused and neglected children. But Sue has one
other valuable characteristic: she is an Alaska Native. More than
half of the roughly 1,700 children in state custody are of American
Indian or Alaska Native descent. Marsh, 47, is the only Alaska
Native CASA volunteer in Fairbanks. Now a new recruitment campaign
is attracting Alaska Native people. "It's important to have someone
who is objective and who is able to bridge cultural gaps," Atkinson
said. September 30th statistics show:
1,753 Alaskan children are in state custory;
1,038 are Alaska Native Heritage;
630 were listed as white;
156 were black;
30 were Asian, Hawaiian or Pacific Islander;
37 were of an undetermined race;
Some children are listed under more than one race.
http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~3119140,00.html
Southeast Natives Protest
Federal Restrictions on Eagle Parts
Alaska:
Almost 3,000 names wait on a federal list to legally obtain eagle
feathers for religious observations. But in Juneau, the feathers are
easily found on beaches, in yards and in parking lots where
thousands of eagle feathers land after the birds' annual molt. The
law, which makes it a crime to pick up eagle feathers, is overlooked
by many simply because people don't know a permit is needed first.
Only the National Eagle Repository near Denver can legally grant
eagle parts for use by Native Americans. Brad Fluetsch, a Juneau
resident and member of the Alaska Native Brotherhood, thinks the
federal permit program is a disgrace. Until he realized it was
illegal, Fluetsch gave bald eagle feathers to other Natives. Now
the Sealaska Heritage Institute has protested federal laws regarding
bald eagles in Alaska. They ask that Alaska Natives be exempt from
the permit requirement because Alaska's eagles are genetically
distinct from birds found in the lower 48 states. They are asking
for Alaska's eagles to be taken off the endangered species list.
Associated Press
Learning to Tell Stories
Alaska:
MEDIAK - Media Education and Development Institute of Alaska - is a
collaboration of Cook Inlet Tribal Council and Koahnic Broadcast
Corp. MEDIAK is an after-school media program for Native teens.
Using microphones, cameras, video cams, and notepads, students
interview others about tough topics and ask tough questions. But
students also promote positive stories, such as culture, traditions,
and pride. MEDIAK is free to all Alaska Native and American Indian
high-school age students. The members come from high schools,
homeless shelters, youth programs, and treatment centers. "It's
giving them this voice they've never had before," said instructor
Chris Joy. ‘I mean, you ask them, 'When you're watching television
and you're watching stuff about Alaska, what's missing? What do you
see?' They always say it's all white people..." MEDIAK kids earn
high school credit for 120 hours of work and three projects. They
can also apply for paid media internships, from reporting to graphic
design. Recently, MEDIAK students even made public service radio
announcements about Alaska Native Heritage Month. MEDIAK is funded
through next summer through a U.S. Department of Education grant.
Beyond that, its future is uncertain.
Media Educational Development Institute of Alaska:
http://www.citci.com/index.aspx?pageID=34
Amindian Listserve
Native Students Assist
Bristol Bay Walrus Study
Alaska:
The Bristol Bay Summer Youth Stewardship Program gives local Native
students an opportunity to work in ecological research project.
This year the students are researching the Pacific walrus who
congregate in Bristol Bay. "These are critical habitat areas in
Bristol Bay where walruses have come to rest between feeding bouts,"
said Joel Garlich-Miller of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"These isolated locations are filled up with up to tens of thousands
of animals out there nesting." Students are tracking the numbers of
walruses and monitoring human disturbances near the resting
walruses. Walrus numbers in Bristol Bay are declining, and this
long-term project will help develop management plans for the
species.
Breakup of the North Pole
The
Northeast passage across the Siberian polar ice is open;
The channel between Greenland and Ellesmere Island is open;
Only 250 miles of ice remains on the North shore of Greenland
connecting it to the polar ice. And that is breaking up;
The entire north shore of Alaska and Siberia is ice free.
In short, the North Pole is falling apart--and some claim global
warming isn't real?
http://www.aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20editorials/2004%20opinions/August/16%20o/Breakup%20Of%20The%20North%20Pole%20By%20Dirk%20Dunning.htm
Fairbanks professor rewarded for language work
Alaska:
Michael Krauss has received the Ken Hale Prize for lifetime
achievement by the Society for the Study of Indigenous Languages of
the Americas. The prize is awarded for a lifetime of dedication to
the understanding and preservation of native languages. Mr. Krauss,
a professor emeritus at UA Fairbanks, is a founder of the
Alaska Native Language Center which
opened in 1972. Krauss' personal work has centered on Athabascan
and Eskimo languages. He is especially focused on the Eyak language,
for which only one fluent speaker remains. "When you lose a
language and a language goes extinct, it's like dropping a bomb on
the Louvre," Krauss said. "Ken Hale said that, 'Of the earth's
remaining 6,000 languages, nearly half will completely disappear
during this century.' We work to save endangered species, but we
don't work to save endangered languages. It's a lot easier to keep
them alive than to bring them back."
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/020507/sta_20070205012.shtml
Family lines keep an ancient skill alive
Alaska:
In Yup'ik, they're called a mingquetuli -- "skin sewer," one who
makes clothing from animal pelts. It's a skill passed in Native
Alaskan families from mother to daughter, usually during childhood.
One skilled mingquetuli is Carrie Anvil-Kiana, who listened when her
mother said: "You must learn to make mukluks and parkas for your
family. " Carrie, now 76, made parkas, hats, mittens, and mulkuks
for her six children using furs harvested in
Alaska as well as calfskin and the pelts of nutria, rabbit and
squirrel. Seam quality is the true measure of a mingquetuli, Anvil-Kiana
said, showing off a parka's neat, fur-free seams. "If there's hair
caught in these seams, we say she's a kelugpak," meaning an inexpert
skin sewer. Carrie also said that people were known by their
parkas. Each region had a specific style or decoration no other
family could copy. Customs aren't as strong now; people generally
incorporate what they like in their parkas, although the green and
red tassels Anvil uses are Yup'ik colors. "Red for blood and green
for life," Anvil said. "But for kids, you can use whatever colors.
" Anvil and other Yup'ik women are passing on their skin sewing,
crafts and beading in weekly classes for young women.
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/matsu/story/8686167p-8583054c.html
Publisher offers Alaska
Native Yellow Pages
Alaska:
By March 2006, CBG USA hopes to publish a telephone directory of
Alaska Native Yellow Pages. Publisher
Jim Cocallas plans a comprehensive listing of
Alaska Native corporations and
businesses. The Native directory will look more like a magazine
than a traditional phonebook, with as many as 100 glossy pages. The
directory will also include information about Alaska's 13 regional
corporations, the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act, doing business with Alaska
Natives, emergency and social services, education, health care, and
other topic. Once published, over 25,000 free copies will be given
to Alaska Native corporations,
businesses, organizations, and city, state and federal offices.
Advance subscriptions will be sold for $35, with half of the
proceeds donated to Native scholarships and nonprofit
organizations. "It's going to be a long-term project," Cocallas
said. "It's going to be around for years to come."
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/ap_alaska/story/7164399p-7073827c.html
Alaska Villages Caught in
Slow-Motion Disaster
Alaska:
The cost to move villages which face extinction in the ten years is
staggering:
Moving the small town of Newtok (315
people), a Bering Sea town being swamped by two rivers:
$130,000,000 or
$412,000 per person.
Moving Shishmaref, a strip of sand in the Chukchi Sea, home to about
600 people:
$200,000,000, or $333,000 per
person.
Moving Kivalina, a shrinking barrier island in the Chukchi with
380 residents:
$125,000,000, or $329,000 per
person.
Meanwhile, millions more dollars are needed to protect the people
and areas from erosion until they move. Where will all the money
come from? That question is receiving much attention at the
federal, state and local levels. In years past, Natives would
simply pick up and move to safer places. Today, school buildings,
airstrips, roads and conveniences keep once-nomadic people anchored
in place. Senator Ted Stevens warned village leaders during an
Anchorage hearing that funds to help are extremely limited.
Newtok photo: http://noblesseoblige.org/
Anchorage Daily News
|
Cultural connections
Alaska: Nicole Lewis, 15, was surprised by how little she knew about Native
culture when she took an Alaska history class at her high school. The Inupiaq
teen grew up in the urbanized Mat-Su Valley, far from the subsistence-reliant
Alaska village of Noorvik where her mother was raised. Lewis's mother married a
non-native and rarely talks about her Inupiat Eskimo culture. And, although
Lewis has visited Noorvik, she doesn't know her family's language or
traditions. "I want to know a lot about my culture like everyone else does,"
she said. Sarah Scanlan, vice president of First Alaskans Institute, said
Nicole shouldn't be embarrassed. "A lot of our kids have been in her shoes,"
she said. "They don't learn about their culture in school, and they don't hear
about it enough at home." Recently, as a youth representative, Lewis joined
1,000 Alaska Natives at the annual Native Elders and Youth Convention to learn
more about her Inupiat heritage. The two-day conference brings together past
and future generations of Alaska Native leaders to discuss issues of concern,
including substance abuse and preservation of traditional knowledge. In 2004,
there were only 7,000 Alaska Natives age 65 and over compared to 54,000 under
the age of 19. "You can hear the urgency in the elders' voices when they talk
about the importance of preserving Native languages." Scanlan said. She sees a
growing movement among Native youth to revive their Native language and
dance. "Forty years ago you wouldn't have had dancing in school, but now the
youth are really demanding cultural learning take place so they can maintain a
connection with their homes," she said. As the first day of the convention,
Lewis was enthralled by the movements of the Inupiat and Yupik Eskimo
performers. "It's something I don't usually see," she said. "I did it once when
I was in fifth grade, but I don't know any of the movements." She said that
her attendance at the conference left her invigorated and emboldened
Yupik teen tears up the slopes]
Alaska: Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, 15, has won the Junior Olympic Snowboard
Championships in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Yupik teen is now competing
in the 2005 Junior World Championships in Switzerland. Former Olympic skiier
Suzie Chafee, who supports native ski teams, supports a remark made by Tex Hall,
president of the National Congress of American Indians: "Indian youth sports
opportunities are the answer." As an example of this success, officials point
to Arizona's White Mountain Apaches. They opened two ski resorts three decades
ago, and the slopes has done wonders their tribes and their people. "It had
everything to do with skiing,” said Chairman Dallas Massey. "Skiing is the No
1 motivate of our youth [then rodeo], and prevents alcohol abuse if we can
reach our children early enough."
2005 Finalists for American Indian Tribal Governance Awards
Massachusetts: Fourteen finalists have been selected by “Honoring Nations,”
Harvard's awards program that recognizes innovation and excellence in American
Indian tribal governance. On Tuesday, Nov. 1, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the finalists
will make public presentations to the Honoring Nations Advisory Board. The
Advisory Board then selects up to seven programs to receive “high honors” and
$10,000 to share their success stories with others. They also designate up to
seven “honors” programs that will receive $2,000. Currently in its fifth year of
awards, Honoring Nations is a member of a worldwide family of “governmental best
practices” awards. Since "Honoring Nations" began in 1998, 64 tribal
government programs and initiatives have been recognized. This year’s 14
finalists were chosen from applicants representing 41 Indian nations and seven
inter-tribal collaborations.
2005 Honoring Nations Finalists included:
Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council
Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, Koyukon and Gwich’in Athabaskan,
Yupik, and Tlingit, Fairbanks, Alaska
2004 World Eskimo
Olympics winners
This
summer, the World Eskimo Olympics was held in Fairbanks
Alaska. The results:
Race of the
Torch
MEN Andrew
Marks, 18:02
WOMEN: Elizabeth Rexford, 22:16 |
One-Hand Reach:
MEN Jesse
Frankson, 5 ft. 9 in
WOMEN Elizabeth Rexford, 5 ft. 1 in |
AK High Kick:
MEN Jessie
Frankson, 7 ft. 10 in
WOMEN Alissa Joseph, 6 ft. |
Indian Stick
Pull:
MEN Dennis
Gould, Jr.
WOMEN Lena Danner |
Eskimo Stick
Pull:
MEN Jessie
Frankson
WOMEN Annette Donaldson |
Toe Kick
MEN Karl
Frankson, 4 ft. 8 in
WOMEN Carol Pickett, 4 ft. |
Ear Pull:
MEN Dennis
Frankson
WOMEN Noel Strick |
Kneel Jump:
MEN Jesse
Frankson, 63 3/8 in
WOMEN Nicole Johnston, 46 1/2 in |
Scissor Broad
Jump:
MEN Jesse
Frankson, 36 ft. 5 1/4 in
WOMEN Nicole Johnston, 25 ft. 4 1/4 in |
2 Foot High
Kick:
MEN Karl
Frankson, 7 ft. 10 in
WOMEN Nicole Johnston, 6 ft. |
Grease Pole
Walk:
MEN Mathew
Evans, 2 ft. 4 in
WOMEN Elizabeth Rexford, 2 ft. 6 in |
Arm Pull:
MEN Brian
Walker
WOMEN Annette Donaldson |
Ear Weight:
MEN Dennis
Frankson 1500 ft.
WOMEN Noel Strick 21 ft. 10 in |
Blanket Toss:
MEN Oliver
Peetok
WOMEN Elizabeth Rexford |
Drop the Bomb:
MEN Tony
Oyakak 77 ft. 3 in
WOMEN Sandra Madison 3 ft. 10 in |
4-Man Carry:
MEN Dean
Katairoak, 150 ft. |
Knuckle Hop:
MEN David
Thomas, 95 ft. 7 in
WOMEN Elizabeth Rexford, 21 ft. 5 1/2 in |
Muktuk Eating
Contest:
1st - Dean
Katairok 20.5 seconds
|
Fish Cutting
Contest:
1st -
Charlie Brower, 47 seconds
|
Baby Contest:
Eskimo: Jan
Nashookpuk
Indian: Heaven Cadzow |
Native Dress
Pagent:
Eskimo Cloth
Parka:
1st Ashlyn Santiago Brower
Eskimo
Fur Parka:
1st Joshua Stone
Indian Skin Dress:
1st La'Ona Dewilde |
Dance Team-Final
results
Indian:
Nenana City Public Schools
Eskimo: Barrow Dance Group |
Sunlight is Destroying
Alaska Native Art Collection
Alaska:
Sun is damaging one of Alaska's most important collections of
contemporary Alaska Native art. The light-saturated gallery in
Stevens International Airport holds 150 masterpieces including
Inupiat etched ivory tusks, Cup'ig beach grass baskets, a Tlingit
carved canoe paddle and a floor-length Tlingit ceremonial blanket
featuring a 2-foot-high raven shaped from tiny glass beads.
Alaska's state conservator warns that SIA's treasured collection
could be ruined within five years unless it is relocated or
protected. Committed to protecting the pieces, Stephens Airport
officials are relying on experts from the Alaska Arts Council and
arts community to help them understand the airport's options.
Whistling language remains a
mystery
Alaska:
OF the 6,800 languages the world, some have a rather unique form of
delivery: whistling. In the village of Savoonga, some claim an
ancient form of communication still exists. Yaari Kingeekuk and
Marisa Jackson call it Kookameegeenuk. According to Kingeekuk, the
language was used most frequently when the men were out hunting, to
keep track of each other and communicate messages. “We use it to
communicate when my friends or relatives were a distance away and I
wanted to communicate with them,” said Kingeekuk. Marisa considers
Kookameegeenuk a big part of her daily life. “I enjoy using it as a
source of communication and I would think it would be really
interesting to pass it on to a younger generations.” Jackson
said. Yaari hopes to do just that; she knows that the only way to
keep Kookameegeenuis alive is to pass it on. Now her children are
learning it. However, linguist professors at the University of
Alaska Anchorage and University of Alaska Fairbanks have never heard
of the Kookameegeenuk language. But that doesn't mean the language
does not exist. One professor believes it simply has never been
researched.
http://www.ktuu.com/cms/templates/master.asp?articleid=2541&zoneid=1
Landmark book preserves
Dena'ina culture
"Shem
Pete's Alaska" is a treasure trove of information about all things
Dena'ina. Shem Pete, whose family included the last official chiefs
of his clan, was born in the late 1890s. During his long life he
traveled on traditional hunting, fishing and trading routes and
lived in several areas of Alaska. Shem became famous as a
storyteller and tradition bearer before his death in 1989. "I don't
want this story to die," he said, speaking about the book. "That's
why I am telling this story. If I die, who is going to tell this
story? Nobody. You people are going to hear it. My name is Shem
Pete. That's enough." The book resulted from decades of work by many
people. It's an example of how Native elders and non-Native scholars
can work together to rescue indigenous knowledge from the brink of
oblivion
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/121103/ins_121103ins003001.shtml
Bird flu scientists in
northernmost U.S.
Alaska:
Scientists are stationed in Barrow, the nation's northernmost city,
to look for early warning signs that migratory birds are carrying
the bird flu virus to North America. The virus has led to the death
or slaughter of millions of birds in Asia, Europe and Africa. It's
also killed more than 128 people who had close contract with sick
birds. The testing is part of an effort to sample 75,000 -100,000
birds across the nation, many of which migrate through Alaska.
However, for Inupiat Eskimos, subsistence hunting is a vital source
of food in a community where grocery store prices include $35 for a
steak and $7.50 for a gallon of milk. A public information
campaign has eased their fears by instructing hunters to thoroughly
cook game birds and use rubber gloves when handling and cleaning
their catch. Frances Leavitt, a 41-year-old Barrow housewife, says
that after the initial concerns about bird flu wore off, the subject
became a joke among the hunters in her family. "They would say to
each other, 'Are you going to go bird flu hunting now?'" she said.
http://tinyurl.com/qxqfr
Running Back Home
California:
After six months of running, the Peace and Dignity Journey 2004 has
come to an end. Every four years since 1992, American Indians run
the length of North and South America to encourage unity among
tribes and to inspire a better future for succeeding generations.
Two groups of runners begin at opposite ends of the continents; one
group begins in Alaska and the other in Argentina. This year's
journey, which honored "the spirit of the woman," ended in Panama
City. Hector Cerda, whose mother is Apache and father is Purepecha,
joined a group of 30 runners who averaged 70 miles a day. Cerda
contributed 10 miles a day. One stop in El Salvador made a lasting
impression. Four grandmothers met their entourage in El Salvador,
and one expressed her disappointment of not welcoming the runners
with cultural songs and flowers. Then, a runner told her she would
get the chance. "The look on her face, it was like she was refreshed
in her spirit," Cerda said. "It also really made me feel good. I had
felt sad for her. We came back the next day and it was beautiful
the way they greeted us."
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/9395047p-10302649c.html
This Elvis is Tlingit
Alaska:
The Tlingit King is about to perform. He bops nervously from foot
to foot, all glam and glitter from his colorful cape to his shiny
tennis shoes. Then the crowd trickles in and it's showtime. The King
hits "play" on the boombox behind him, and as Elvis Presley croons,
Leonard R. Johnson dances up and down the small stage. "It doesn't
get any better than this. Tlingit Elvis! It's perfect," fan
Cristine Crooks said. The Alaska Native answer to Elvis, Johnson
began as a reluctant Elvis impersonator. "I really never did get up
in front of people like that...," Johnson said. "I really kind of
felt embarrassed until everybody started getting louder and
whistling and they liked it -- I know they liked it -- so I just got
into it." Johnson's wife, Pua Maunu, designs Johnson's wardrobe with
intricate painting, beadwork and feathers done in traditional
Tlingit fashion, but unmistakably Elvis in their presentation. Bold
reds, aquamarine blues, blacks and yellows form the cape's eagle,
which is Johnson's tribal clan. Eagles also appear on his necklace
and giant belt buckle. Johnson gets autograph requests that he
obliges by signing "Tlingit Elvis," and Maunu's costume was recently
on display in the Juneau Douglas City Museum, "Who would have
thought that Elvis and the Northwest coast go together so
beautifully?" said Jane Lindsay, museum director.
The Associated Press
First Americans May Have
Sailed, Not Walked, to New World
Many
theories about the New World suggest that its first humans walked
across the frozen Bering Straights from [today's] Russia into Alaska
about 13,000 years ago. According to "Prehistoric
Americans,'' however, the New World may have been a melting pot long
before Christopher Columbus invaded. "Prehistoric Americans", a
program aired on National Geographic TV, agrees that people
traveled over the Bering Straights. It also suggests humans from
both the Pacific Rim and Europe arrived earlier. And rather than
walk, some may have sailed to the Americas on an ancient version of
the yacht.
According to the program:
Early
sailors navigated along a "kelp highway'' that hugged the coastline
from the southern Pacific Rim to today's California. The thick,
anchored vegetation attracted fish and animals for the yachtsmen's
food and lessened the impact of waves. Human remains found along the
route bolster the theory;
Immigrants
could have walked to America over a sheet of ice connecting today's
Western Europe to Canada, or navigated along the icy rim in
boats;
250 fossilized indentations found south of Mexico
City are human footprints that date back at least 40,000 years;
Some Virginia artifacts go back 17,000
years;
A stone tool found near Pittsburgh has been
dated at 16,000 years.
Extinct Languages Saved by
Work of Eccentric Linguist
California:
More and more indigenous people are finding their extinct or
endangered tongues thanks to the late J.P. Harrington and UC Davis
scholars. Born in 1884, John Peabody Harrington spent 40 years
gathering phonetic notations on the native languages of tribes from
Alaska to South America. Driven to record the disappearing him, he
also began using also used wax cylinders, then aluminum discs, for
audio recordings. Today researchers and American Indian volunteers
are transcribing Harrington's phonetic notations and recordings. The
information will be entered to a database for tribes to access. The
researchers hope the words will bridge the decades-long silence
separating the people Harrington interviewed from their descendants.
J. P. Harrington Database Project:
http://nas.ucdavis.edu/NALC/JPH.html
http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_8282226
Kingston School's Reading
Program Going Along Swimmingly
Washington:
Students at Wolfle Elementary School will soon begin a reading
journey that mimics the travels and life cycle of salmon. Students
will take a 3,000-mile trip by reading 1,500 minutes to learn
geographic regions, tribes and rivers. Students in grades 1-3 will
be moving fabric canoes and salmon on a large 3-dimensional mural
made by Kingston Middle School students. The mural includes coastal
communities, Native American tribes, and rivers from Washington to
Alaska. "They say that the salmon are not just fish, they are people
like us," said Chenoa Egawa from the First Nations Math and
Engineering Science Achievement. She explained that salmon are more
than a fish. - the salmon people provided food while humans kept
streams clean to support the salmon. " It's really trying to get
them to have a very holistic view of the Pacific Northwest," said
education director Christine Daniel.
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/feb/18/kingston-schools-reading-program-going-along/
New Publication Helps
Educate the Public and Preserve Education Resources in Native
Communities
A
new publication is now available to help educators, lawmakers and
the public better understand Native education in the U.S. Native
Education 101: Basic Facts about American Indian, Alaska Native, and
Native Hawaiian Education was created by the National Indian
Education Association and the National Education Association. It
shares problems faced by Natives in schools, highlights the needs of
the Native community, and explains laws and executive orders. “This
brochure provides the information and the inspiration for educators,
lawmakers and the public to get active in addressing education
concerns for Native communities," said Reg Weaver, NEA president.
"This is a shared responsibility, because the bridge to a successful
future relies on the foundation we build today.” Native Education
101 among several NEA projects designed to help American Indian,
Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students. Some are:
A 12-point plan to reduce high dropout rates.
Only 51%of Native American 9th graders graduate on time with their
classmates;
Teacher resiliency camps to help
educators understand native students' cultural backgrounds and the
effective ways to engage students;
A teacher’s guide, DVDs, posters and
other materials to help Wisconsin teachers diversify their Native
American curriculums.
Download Native Education 101:
http://www.nea.org/mco/images/07nativeeducation101.pdf
Siberian, native American genes linked
California:
Scientists have learned that native Siberians are genetically linked
to people of the Americas. Stanford University studied the genes of
Siberian Yakuts and found similarities with the native peoples of
Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Brazil. This includes the
Mayans, Suruis and Karitianas. The finding support theories that
humans migrated from Siberia to the Americas about 30,000 years ago.
They traveled over an ancient landbridge from today's Russia into
today's Alaska. http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=44414§ionid=3510208
Report notes 'crisis' facing
urban Indian youth
For
American Indian and Alaska Native children living in Los Angeles
County, one in four live below the poverty line, few live in
two-parent households, many face educational barriers and few have
access to childcare. "As home to the largest urbanized American
Indian population, this region should be on the forefront of
developing and implementing policies and programs that address the
challenges of American Indians,"said the Los Angeles County
American Indian Children's Council (AICC). Research shows that:
25%
of Indian youth live below the poverty line;
More than 5,000 Indian families live below
the poverty line;
45% of homes were headed by a single
parent;
40% of Indian males did not complete
high school;
Only about 50% of Native students
graduated with their class;
The unemployment rate among Indians was nearly
twice that of non-Hispanic whites;
Indian men earned 45% less than
non-Hispanic white men;
Indian women earned 31% less than
non-Hispanic women;
The poverty rate among American Indians is
250% larger than the rate among non-Hispanic whites.
Get the Report:
The Status of American Indian Children in Los Angeles (November
2003)
http://www.childpc.org/resource-files/AIANChildrenPolicyBrief1103.pdf
http://www.indianz.com/News/archives/002846.asp
Bringing Native history home
When
Harold Jacobs, Tlingit, saw a Native headband made of braided hair
in a Philadelphia museum, he knew whose hair it was and sang its
song. It was made by Jacobs' great-great-great-great-great
grandmother who cut her hair, made it into a headband and gave it to
her husband to be remembered by. The woman's father then wrote a
song about the headband to mark her marriage. "We still do that
song today. She made that hairpiece for her husband using her own
hair," Jacobs said. In February, John organized a visit of clan
leaders to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and
Anthropology in Philadelphia. The Natives consulted with museum
officials about the possible return of tribal objects. "The
significance of bringing these artifacts back home is very
powerful," John said. "There's healing that flows. It's very
exciting." Steve Henrikson from the Alaska State Museum in Juneau
agrees. "Those artifacts are like chapters out of the Tlingit
history book," he said. "If you have some of the chapters missing,
it's very difficult to teach the history from one generation to the
next."
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/022204/sta_native.shtml
Harvard honors tribal
governments' work
Massachusetts:
Fourteen tribal government initiatives were recently singled out
by Honoring Nations, a program administered by the Harvard
Project on American Indian Economic Development. The Honoring
Nations program recognizes tribes that adhere to self-governance
principles, a belief that tribes "hold the key to positive
social, political, cultural and economic prosperity." "We have
to become self-sufficient," said Oren Lyons, chairman of the
Honoring Nations advisory board. "We can't depend on anyone
anymore." Of the 14 programs awarded honors, seven were given
high honor recognition and $10,000 cash prizes during an awards
presentation at the National Congress of American Indians in
Tulsa. High honors, $10,000
1. Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, Fairbanks,
Alaska
2. Oneida Nation Farms, Seymour, Wis.
3. Flandreau Police Department, Flandreau, S.D.
4. Professional Empowerment Program, Sisseton, S.D.
5. Tribal Monitors Program, Fort Yates, N.D.
6. Siyeh Corp., Browning, MT.
7. Akwesasne Freedom School, Rooseveltown, N.Y.
Honors, $2,000
1. The Cherokee Nation Language Revitalization Project,
Tahlequah, Okla.
2. Choctaw Tribal Court System, Choctaw, Miss.
3. The Hopi Land Team, Kykotsmovi, Ariz.
4. Miccosukee Tribe Section 404 Permitting Program, Miami.
5. Migizi Business Camp, Manistee, Mich.
6. Navajo Nation Sales Tax, Window Rock, Ariz.
7. ONABEN's Innovative Models for Enterprise Development,
Tigard, Ore.
National
Statistics:
American
Indian and Alaska Native children are:
300% more likely to live in poverty than white children;
More than 200% likely to commit suicide;
200% more likely to die in a car accident, because reservation
roads are the most dangerous in the country. Wilson's
commendations:
Tribal colleges have produced more Native graduates in the last
30 years than all mainstream universities combined;
Thousands of Native children have graduated from Indian Head
Start programs and are doing remarkably better than youth who
didn't attend.
Wilson requested from Congress:
Convene an Indian education summit;
Help tribal language movements;
Create greater teacher support;
More flexibility and acknowledgment of the unique contexts of
Native schools;
Data collection and research with culturally appropriate design
models and methodologies;
Re-authorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act;
Increase and include input from Native leaders when Congress
debates the No Child Left Behind Act.
Education consortium
welcomes new tribal college members
Virginia:
Nisagvik College and the College of the Muscogee Nation are the
newest members of The American Indian Higher Education
Consortium. Gerald Gipp, AIHEC executive director, welcomed the
new colleges. ''These two new colleges represent the continuing
growth of the tribal college movement. We understand that not
all tribal communities can build their own college; however, we
expect to see an increase in the number of new tribal colleges
over the next decade.'' He added: ''With the addition of our
first member institution from Alaska, the advocacy base for the
tribal college movement and for AIHEC is increased to 14
states."
Ilisagvik College was established in 1995 and is located in
Barrow, Alaska. The 2-year community college serves a largely
Inupiat Eskimo student population.
The College of the Muskogee nation is located in Okmulgee, Oklahoma.
Founded in 2004, CMN emphasizes Native culture, values, language
and self-determination.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416190
Study: Native babies
"babble" just fine
33%
of American Indian and Alaska Native children who are 9 months
old live in poverty, 25% live in households with absent fathers,
and more than 10% were born to teenaged mothers. Yet a new
report called American Indian and Alaska Native Children:
Findings From the Base Year of the Early Childhood Longitudinal
Study finds that Native babies keep up with other children in
their developmental skills. They even show signs of walking at a
slightly higher rate. “These infant children have kept up with
others developmentally despite hardships,” said Russ Whitehurst,
director of the Institute of Education Sciences. “The challenge
for the preschools and schools that will serve these children
when they are older is to maintain their level of progress.
Poverty should not be an excuse for letting these children fall
behind.” The study found that 9-month old Native children are
similar to the general population in early mental and physical
skills, exploring objects in play, eye-hand coordination,
pre-walking skills and “babbling” (the first stages of
talking). The study was co-sponsored by The Office of Indian
Education.
Read the report:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2005116
http://nativetimes.com/
Report finds low graduation rate for Natives
According
to a new study, Native American students at public high schools
only have a 50-50 chance of
graduating. The study, compiled by the non-partisan Urban
Institute, offers wildly different results from number reported
by some states. According to the study: in
2001, only
51.1% of Native students graduated compared to
74.9% for Whites and 76.8%
for Asians. The national average was
68.0% . "...a graduation gap of this magnitude is
certainly large by any standard of comparison and should be
cause for concern among educational systems committed to
achieving equity across student subgroups," wrote Christopher
B. Swanson, the author of "Who Graduates? Who Doesn't?"
More Facts
Midwest: 40.1% of
Native students graduate;
South:
58.1% graduate
Alaska:
46.5% graduate;
California: 42.9%
graduate;
Oklahoma: 63.9%
graduate;
New
Mexico -
60.0% graduate;
Montana - 45.8%
graduate;
Nebraska - 32.3%
graduate;
North
Dakota -
52.6% graduate;
Oregon - 42.4%
graduate;
South
Dakota -
32.1% graduate;
Wyoming - 34.4%
graduate;
http://www.indianz.com/News/archive/000355.asp
In the Mix: "Native American Teens: Who We
Are"
[Editors
Note: Native Village was honored to assist in this project]
What's it like to be a young Native American today? Teens from
throughout the United States share their stories in this "IN THE
MIX" special co |
