NDN News - Daily Headlines in Indian Country

Native American Contractors Association Publishes Economic Impact Study

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:33:02 +0000

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — A comprehensive study on the Benefits of the Native 8(a) program

The Native American Contractors Association (“NACA”) released its 2011 Economic Impact Study, which will serve as a valuable guide for federal agencies, congress, and the administration on the importance to Indian Country of the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development program.

“Our goal is for the study to serve as a glaring illustration of the importance and success of Native participation in the SBA 8(a) program. This study is made available not to only our membership, but also for the agencies and legislators that work with, and seek information from, Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and Native Hawaiian Organizations when it comes to government contracting matters and concerns,” stated NACA’s Executive Director, Kevin Allis.

NACA published its first impact study in October 2007, shortly after critics of the Native 8(a) program proposed legislation that would have negatively impacted Native participation in government contracting. The 2011 study updates key information as it relates to Native participation in the SBA 8(a) program, and the benefits derived from the program. “The story is compelling, as our study clearly shows how important this program is to our Native communities,” stated Lance Morgan, Chairman of NACA. He continued, “Native participation in the SBA 8(a) program stimulates the economies of some of the poorest communities in the country and creates Native human capital growth.”

The author of the impact study, Jonathan Taylor, is an economist with expertise in natural resources, gaming, and American Indian development. He provides counsel to Tribes in the United States and Canada in the areas of public policy analysis, strategic advice, and economic research. He has authored or supported expert testimony in litigation and other public proceedings for a number of Native American groups.

Please contact the NACA offices to order a hardcopy of the handbook. For additional information, contact Jennine Elias at (202) 758-2676.

NACA is a national Native advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., and represents Tribal, Alaska Native Corporations, and Native Hawaiian Organizations across the country. NACA seeks to protect the economic self-sufficiency of America’s indigenous people that is enhanced through the participation of its members in the SBA 8(a) program. NACA’s members represent and provide benefits for nearly 700,000 Tribal members, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians.

SOURCE Native American Contractors Association

New High-Level Advisory Council to Guide Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Native American Mentoring Work

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:31:31 +0000

PHILADELPHIA, May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Philadelphia-based Big Brothers Big Sisters of America has established a high-level Native American Advisory Council to guide the organization in its strategic efforts to expand one-to-one staff-supported mentoring services to help Native American children achieve in school and succeed in life.

The Advisory Council, which will meet quarterly, assembled for the first time in Philadelphia in early April. The group will support and guide Big Brothers Big Sisters and advise on matters of cultural competence as the national mentoring network increases its volunteer and donor base to serve more Native American children.

“The Big Brothers Big Sisters Native American Advisory Council is extremely important as we support our affiliates in their work to provide one-to-one staff-supported mentoring services to more rural and urban Native American families and communities,” said Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Director of Native American Mentoring, Ivy Wright-Bryan, a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe in Nevada. “Longstanding studies, complemented by our real-time Youth Outcomes Survey data, illustrate the effectiveness of these services in helping youth overcome adversity to succeed in school; avoid risky behaviors and have higher self esteem and aspirations. To hold ourselves accountable for these outcomes, we need support from experts such as those who have agreed to serve on the Native American Advisory Council,” she added.

Members of the Council include:

Margo Gray-Proctor (Osage), President, Horizon Engineering Service Company;

Ernest Stevens Jr. (Oneida), Chairman, National Indian Gaming Association;

Lucille Echo Hawk (Pawnee), former Strategic Advisor for Indian Child Welfare Programs, Casey Family programs, and founder of Native Americans in Philanthropy;

Andrea Maril Fisher, Chief Executive Officer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern New Mexico;

Juana Majel-Dixon (Pauma), First Vice-President, National Congress of American Indians;

Jared Ivins-Massey (White Mountain Apache), co-President, national U.N.I.T.Y. Council;

Josie Raphaelito (Navajo), Program Coordinator, Center for Native American Youth;

Quintin Lopez (Tohono O’odham), co-President, National Congress of American Indians Youth Commission

With support from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Big Brothers Big Sisters established its Native American Tribal Community Initiative in 2008. The program serves more than 4197 Native American children, 42 percent of whom are matched with Native American mentors. Local Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliates serve 25 tribal reservation communities and 10 pueblos, where Native American staff, with the help of advisors and elders, carefully match youth with mentors and provide ongoing support to the adult volunteers, mentees and the children’s families. Big Brothers Big Sisters’ local affiliates are engaged with tribal reservation and urban/community-based businesses; educational and vocational training institutions; non-profit groups; and faith-based institutions that serve Native Americans.

“Our program is already resulting in measurable positive outcomes, most notably improved attitudes toward antisocial behavior; stronger parental and peer relationships; better school attendance and scholastic competence; and higher educational expectations, social competencies and school attendance,” Wright-Bryan said. “Ultimately these mentoring services will help improve overall wellness, including the avoidance of substance abuse and suicide.”

About Big Brothers Big Sisters

Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, holds itself accountable for children in its program to achieve measurable outcomes, such as educational success; avoidance of risky behaviors; and higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships. Partnering with parents/guardians, schools, corporations and others in the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children (“Littles”) with screened volunteer mentors (“Bigs”) and monitors and supports these one-to-one mentoring matches throughout their course. The first-ever Big Brothers Big Sisters Youth Outcomes Summary, released in 2012, substantiates that its mentoring programs have proven, positive academic, socio-emotional and behavioral outcomes for youth, areas linked to high school graduation, avoidance of juvenile delinquency and college or job readiness.

Big Brothers Big Sisters provides children facing adversity, often those of single or low-income households or families where a parent is incarcerated or serving in the military, with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. This mission has been the cornerstone of the organization’s 100-year history. With about 350 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves nearly 630,000 children, volunteers and families. Learn how you can positively impact a child’s life, donate or volunteer at BigBrothersBigSisters.org.

SOURCE Big Brothers Big Sisters

Important News from Buffalo Field Campaign Montana Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council Passes Resolution Urging Protection of Wild Buffalo

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:28:48 +0000

From Buffalo Field Campaign:

May 7, 2012

The Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council passed a resolution on May 1, 2012, urging the protection of the wild buffalo currently in or near Yellowstone National Park.
The three resolves: 1. Request Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer to immediately cease harassing (hazing) wild buffalo 2. Request that wild buffalo be allowed to return to summer ranges by following their own instincts, in their own time 3. Urges the United States government and state of Montana to recognize their trust responsibility to Treaty obligations, providing for viable populations of wild, migratory buffalo in their native habitat.
Download the Resolution (PDF, 196kb)
Download the Letter to Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer (PDF, 76kb

Formal Statement to James Anaya, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

admin — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:31:45 +0000

Indigenous Elders and Medicine Peoples

April 27, 2012

Formal Statement to James Anaya, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

“The Creator gave the Aboriginal Indigenous Nations of the People Laws to follow and responsibilities to care for all Creation. These instructions have been passed down from generation to generation from the beginning of Creation. It is the Law that no one can overpower the Creator’s Law, you are a part of Creation, thus if you break the Law, you are destroying yourself.

We speak on behalf of all Creation: the four legged/those that swim/those that crawl/those that fly/those that burrow in the Earth/the plant and tree Nations. This one life system includes the elements of fire, water, earth and air, the living environment of “Mother Earth”.

The Sanctity of the Creator’s Law has been broken. The balance of life has been disrupted. You come into life as a sacred being. If you abuse the sacredness of your life then you affect all Creation. The future of all life is now in jeopardy. We have now reached the crossroads. As Aboriginal Indigenous People we ask you to work with us to save the future of all Creation.”

The Creator created the Aboriginal Indigenous Peoples into the Land at the beginning of Creation and also created into the Peoples the Natural Law. We have followed this Natural law since the very beginning, passing it down through each generation to ensure the survival of all life.

As the Original Stewards of this Land we have the responsibility to follow and uphold the Natural Law. In order to uphold this responsibility we must be free to speak and act on behalf of our relatives who are not easily understood by those who are new to this land and who have little respect for the Natural Laws of this Land. The newcomers have demonstrated their lack of respect for the Natural Law time and again throughout the history of the United States of America, beginning with the abandonment of their own laws and homelands and the creation of new man-made laws that have been designed to serve destructive purposes upon our homelands. The lack of respect and abusive actions that the United States has continually demonstrated in opposition to Natural Law is both offensive and utterly destructive, not only to our Peoples and way of life, but to all Creation.

Since their arrival on our lands, the newcomers have shown very little respect towards our obligation to adhere to the Natural Law of the Creator. Instead of mutual respect there is simply an expectation that we will respect the man-made laws that have been forced upon us. In this way, we find that we are discriminated against, by consistently being required to respond in black and white with a foreign language that is not our own and which does not convey the full depth of our concerns. Our Indigenous ways of decision2 making and speaking are often not accommodated and our ways of interaction are not honored or recognized.

It is our inherent right to follow the Natural Law. And, it is our right to adhere to our obligations under that Law which extend beyond man-made domestic and international law. The government of the United States is also obligated. They are obligated to acknowledge our right to govern ourselves and our lands.

Domestic and International law requires the United States Government to acknowledge the Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination. This includes the right to live on our lands with unrestricted access to our waters and natural areas without fear of contamination or the threat of having our rights restricted or taken away.

In addition, the United States Government is obligated to acknowledge the right of Indigenous Peoples to maintain and protect their “religious and cultural practices.” Based on these legal precepts, our sacred holdings such as Eagle feathers are improperly placed under man-made law. Those who properly maintain and care for these sacred holdings, in accordance with our sacred teachings, are the ones to determine how they are to be used.

These sacred holdings are governed by the Creator’s Law. Yet, the United States Government presumes to control our ceremonies by dictating how and when we can use our sacred holdings, creating man-made laws that govern the use of our sacred holdings and our ceremonial way of life, in direct violation of our rights as Indigenous Peoples. These attempts to disrupt our way of life by dishonoring and disrespecting the Natural Law have consequences. The United States and the international community are experiencing these consequences today. They are being felt in the increased severity and frequency of natural disasters that have been brought about by their activities and they are being reflected in the deterioration of the social and moral standards. The need for manmade laws to be realigned with the Natural Law is urgent. This can only be accomplished if the Natural Law of the Creator, the Law held sacred by Indigenous Peoples, is included in real and meaningful ways. If the United States and International Legal Community does not address their destruction of the natural world and the social injustices that result from this destruction, immediately and urgently, by realigning their values and all future actions with the Natural Law, then we see newly emerging threats on the horizon, threats that pose an immediate danger to our survival as human beings.

As the sole authority on our way of life we must be included in all planning and decision making that affects our way of life and the ability of the natural world to sustain life upon this planet. In regard to the legal consultation requirements set forth under domestic and international law, the United States of America is required to engage in meaningful consultation and to attain the free, prior and informed consent of the Indigenous Peoples before making any decisions that might impact them, their lands or their way of life. However, even with these laws in place, there has been very little meaningful face-toface open dialogue with Indigenous Peoples. When consultation does occur the peoples whose interests and way of life will be most impacted are often disregarded or ignored, while the plans of the United States Government move forward unaltered. Consultation often results in discussions with a few individuals, generally it is with those individuals who will somehow benefit from the decisions that the United States is making. This has endangered our water and subsistence rights and lead to the destructive extraction of our minerals, the introduction of invasive species and numerous pollutants that have contaminated our environment, damaged our way of life and threatened our sacred places. The United States Government has violated our rights and disrupted our way of life, by allowing a few individuals to illegally provide consent on our behalf. Therefore, the United States Government and those individuals, who have participated in the elimination of our rights, by illegally providing consent, must be held accountable for the destruction of our lands, waters and our way of life.

True consultation requires those with decision-making authority to come to us formally and to sit with us face-to-face, to initiate a true dialogue and proceed honorably with consensus, so that we can establish the type of working relationship that is necessary to address the critical environmental issues that all living beings currently face. We recommend that as a first step towards justice and reconciliation, the International Community conduct an independent investigation into all past and current human rights violations, environmental violations and the violation of any and all treaty rights and agreements. We also request that you thoroughly investigate all discriminatory practices and failures related to reaching acceptable standards of consultation, under both domestic and international law. The findings from this independent investigation should be made public and must include participation from Aboriginal Indigenous Nations and people. Recommendations and plans to restore past damage and to prevent future harms to the Indigenous Peoples, our way of life and the natural world should be outlined in legally binding agreements that have clear enforcement mechanisms in place. Today, there are no mechanisms within the laws of the United States that offer any real protections for our sacred places, the natural world or our way of life. The United States must be held responsible for all activities and actions that it has allowed or undertaken that have damaged, destroyed and desecrated our sacred places and the natural world that we rely upon for our survival. Real enforcement mechanisms must be created. Legal authority without enforcement is meaningless.

We are now in the state of survival and we must begin to sacrifice in order to provide a future for our coming generations. We must adhere to the Natural Law. We cannot continue to damage, desecrate or destroy parts of the natural system and expect what remains to live unaffected. We ask that you work with us to save the future of all Creation and to uphold, respect and honor the Natural Law.

We respectfully ask that all Nation States and human beings around the world use the Natural Law, provided by the Creator, as a guiding light and foundation for all decision making, from this point forward. We ask you to stand with us to protect sacred places such as San Francisco Peaks, the Black Hills, Mount Graham, Greasy Mountain also known as South Mountain, Bear Butte, Black Mesa, Bdote and Medicine Lake, and all other threatened sacred places here and around the world.

We have been asked to carry sacred responsibilities for our people, to provide a future for the coming generations. This responsibility includes the protection of all life. We are from various Nations and we are spiritually related. We will not be divided by any terminology that defines us as “recognized” or “unrecognized”, by the Government of the United States or any other body. We are recognized by the Creator and we are united under the Creator’s Law, as United Aboriginal Indigenous Nations, with a sacred covenant to protect and extend Life for all future generations.

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COUNCIL Chief Arvol Looking Horse 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Spiritual Leader Lakota, Dakota and Nakota Nations Bobby C. Billie Clan Leader and Spiritual Leader Council of the Original Miccosukee Simanolee Nation Aboriginal People Bucky Preston Hopi Henry Barber President Dine’ Medicine Men Association Leonard Bends Crow Sun Dance Chief Crow Nation -ADDITIONAL SIGNATURES TO FOLLOW

FOREST SERVICE IGNORES TRIBE’S REQUEST FOR PEACEFUL SACRED CEREMONY; TRIBE PLANS WAR DANCE TO PROTECT TRADITIONAL WOMEN’S RIGHTS

admin — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:15:28 +0000

P R E S S R E L E A S E

Winnemem Wintu Tribe

For Immediate Release:

May 4, 2012

For more information:

Caleen Sisk, Spiritual Leader and Tribal Chief: 530-710-4817 James Ward, media relations: 530-638-5580 WinnememWintu Tribe needs 4-day closure of 400-yard section of McCloud River to Perform Girls’ Traditional Coming of Age Ceremony

Redding, CA –U.S. Forest Service Region 5 Forester Randy Moore has missed his May 1 deadline to respond to the Winnemem Wintu’s request for a mandatory river closure to protect their Coming of Age ceremony this summer. The tribe has had not received any intention of Mr. Moore to respond in a timely fashion, and because the government’s legal process is clearly a dead end, the Winnemem will now hold a H’up Chonas, or War Dance, in the near future to defend their cultural rites in a traditional way.

Previous Coming of Age ceremonies have been disrupted by drunken recreational boaters motoring through the site and heckling the tribe with racial slurs.

“I am saddened that Moore does not have the courage to do what’s right,” Sisk said. “We lost all our land when they built Shasta Dam, and now all we want is four days of peace and dignity for our ceremony, which is vital to the social fabric of our tribe. A peaceful ceremony is our right, and we are not accepting anything short of that.”

The tribe is placing a call to action. During the War Dance, the tribe, hundreds of tribal members from around the west coast and allies will gather in solidarity to ensure their sacred ceremony will proceed unhindered as it has for thousands of years before the Forest Service existed. For more information, contact the tribe at: winnememwintutribe@gmail.com. Details will be on the Winnemem Wintu web site soon.

The tribe first brought back the H’up Chonas, or War Dance, in 2004 to protest the proposal to raise Shasta Dam, which would flood many important sacred sites, including the site of the Coming of Age ceremonies. The War Dance signifies a commitment to a spiritual and physical resistance to threats to the tribe’s culture. It means the Winnemem are willing to die to protect their tribal way of life.

Frustrated by being ignored by Shasta-Trinity Forest officials for the past six years, members of the Tribe challenged Mr. Moore at his office in Vallejo, CA, April 16,to ask him directly for the closure for the young women’s ceremony.

Citing the U.N. Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples recently signed by President Obama, Chief Sisk and several women of the tribe sought to convince Mr. Moore that this is an issue of human rights and women’s rights. The Forest Service’s position has been that they lack the authority to grant the request for the traditional tribe, though sources within the agency have verified that Mr. Moore has the authority to close the stretch of river necessary for the ceremony.

In previous ceremonies, the Forest Service attempted a“voluntary” closure of the river, which has led to the tribe being heckled and abused by antagonistic recreational boaters who are often drunk and have shouted racial slurs like “Fat Indians!”.

At the April 16 event, Chief Sisk reported to the press that a voluntary closure meansthat, “the 10 percent who mean harm, disrespect and possible violence barge through the ceremony by motor boat and prove that a voluntary closure does not work. “

Though the Winnemem are federally unrecognized due to a bureaucratic error, the Forest Service has previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the tribe, which states they are the indigenous people from the McCloud River.

Moore said the Forest Service could close the river for a federally recognized tribe on the Winnemem’s behalf. Not only is this an insult to the Winnemem, but it is exceedingly dangerous. It could set a legal precedent that another tribe has authority over the site and the ceremony. “What if the Mormons had to ask the Catholic Church for permission to have a ceremony?” Sisk asked. “What if one day the Catholics said no? Then what do you do?”

The north end of the ceremony site is private land not accessible to boaters. The river closure would not stop a thoroughfare, but simply cut off a 400-yard corner of the 30,000 square-acre Shasta Lake. At previous ceremonies, the Forest Service’s law enforcement officers have implemented a mandatory closure of the river on the last day of the ceremony when the young women swim across to symbolize their transition to womanhood. They have cited safety reasons behind the closure. Learn more about the Winnemem Wintu at http://www.winnememwintu.us/

Learn more about the ceremony at www.saveourceremony.com.

Download Video of motorboats speeding past ceremony and flashing the participants at: http://vimeo.com/39867112

Footage of April 16, 2012 protest at Forest Service Region 5 Headquarters in Vallejo: http://youtu.be/oglCy–o7oY # # #

National Tribal Organization for Emergency Services and Emergency Management

admin — Sat, 05 May 2012 01:28:30 +0000

March 28, 2012

Dear Tribal Leaders and Tribal Emergency Management and Response Providers:

Is Indian Country ready?

Our communities are in need of essential services that will support the quality of life, health, and safety of Native people throughout the United States. Access to emergency services is a fundamental principle and responsibility of government, however Indian Country experiences significant disparities regarding accessibility and sustainability of these services. These disparities are unacceptable. In an effort to enhance tribal sover-eignty and self-governance, we must take immediate action to enhance the safety, security and well-being of our people.

Throughout the last few years, various conversations have been held with multiple part-ners to identify and create a solution that is centered on enhancing emergency services throughout Indian Country. These discussions have revealed the need for a unified ap-proach to improving emergency services – an approach that speaks with one strong, united voice. The solution is a National Tribal association whose focus is on strengthen-ing emergency management and services throughout Indian Country. Based on a multi-discipline approach, the national association would serve as a conduit for coordinating and improving emergency services within Tribal communities nationwide. With signifi-cant consultation and representation, the association would have the capacity to serve as an advocate and coordinating body for training, incident response, project delivery and other efforts to enhance each discipline of emergency management and services.

In January, a meeting was held in Portland, Oregon to discuss the creation and sustaina-bility of a National Tribal association to support emergency management, response, and services throughout Indian Country. Representatives from several Tribes and regional organizations convened to share information about emergency management operations in their respective areas. The resulting vision was to create a united voice with respect to promoting and enhancing tribal emergency service capacity. A National Tribal emer-gency management and services association was outlined, consisting of a tribal-centric governing structure and an organizational structure that included all the disciplines of emergency services: Fire, EMS, Emergency Management, Law Enforcement/Homeland Security, and Incident Response. It was agreed however, that an emerging national model must be decided by consensus from across Indian Country. Therefore, we are presenting this concept to you today to ask for your input, thoughts, and ideas as we move forward and lay the groundwork for this association.

We have developed a survey which will serve as a method to not only capture input concerning the creation of this association, but also as a snapshot to see what services are currently available and desired within Tribal communities. We will present and dis-cuss the data collected from this survey and identify necessary steps to move forward at a meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico on May 8th, 2012. This meeting will coincide with the Department of Interior/Bureau of Indian Affairs sponsored Tribal Assistance Coordination Group (TAC-G) conference.

The survey can be accessed at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NationalTribal.

We believe an effective national association can only be developed through the transparent exchange of in-formation and ideas with Tribal partners. It is the intention of the National Tribal association working-group to engage all Tribes, Pueblos, Rancherias, Nations, Villages, Communities, other jurisdictions and agencies to de-velop solutions that promote emergency management and services throughout Indian Country. Your input at this crucial phase of development is imperative. We encourage you to voice your ideas and concerns about the development of this national association now. This is truly an historic moment for Indian Country. We do not want you to miss the opportunity to stand up and be heard in this national conversation. Thank you for your careful consideration of this matter. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Jake Heflin (Osage)

Lead Facilitator National Tribal Working Group PO Box 11901 Reno, NV 89510 949.500.1224 nationaltribal@gmail.com

A New Beginning for the U.S.-Tribal Trust Relationship

admin — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:13:13 +0000

From White House Press Room

Today, we were honored to join Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to announce the settlement of breach-of-trust lawsuits filed by more than 40 federally recognized American Indian tribes against the United States. The announcement was an extraordinary conclusion to nearly two years of negotiations between the tribes and the United States that have culminated in settlements between the government and 41 tribes, totaling more than $1 billion.

These settlements resolve in a fair and just manner breach-of-trust claims brought by Indian tribes, some dating back more than a century. They bring to an end long-standing disputes about the management of trust funds and non-monetary trust resources, and will allow the United States and the tribes to move beyond divisive issues and into a new era of strengthened and respectful government-to-government relationships. This is a fundamental goal of this Administration.

We have been proud to lead the team of attorneys who represent the Department of Justice in these negotiations and to conclude this process in a way that addresses historical grievances and strengthens the trust relationship that is so fundamental to the government-to-government relationship with American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages. We look forward to continuing similar efforts to resolve cases brought by other tribes through settlements that are fair to both the tribes and the United States.

Under the negotiated settlement agreements, litigation will end regarding the Department of the Interior’s accounting and management of the tribes’ trust accounts, trust lands, and other natural resources. The United States will compensate the tribes for their breach-of-trust claims, and the tribes will waive, release, and dismiss their claims with prejudice. The settlement agreements also contain measures to strengthen management of the tribes’ funds and natural resources, to improve communications between the tribes and the Department of the Interior, and to resolve disputes informally to reduce the likelihood of future litigation.

Tony West is the Acting Associate Attorney General and Ignacia S. Moreno is an Assistant Attorney General at the Department of Justice.

Navajo & Hopi cross-country runners face-off on life’s challenges and the fight for a championship title in the Public Television documentary Racing the Rez, available to stations this October

admin — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:10:19 +0000

April 17, 2012

Contact: Jessica Kinser (402) 472-8607, jkinser2@unl.edu

For Immediate Release:

Lincoln, Neb.: Native American Public Telecommunications, Inc. (NAPT) proudly announces the release of the documentary film Racing the Rez from Director/Producer Brian Truglio. A life-long runner and a 1990 cross-country standout at Watchung Hills Regional High School in New Jersey, Truglio understands the power of running to raise the human spirit in trying times. In 1989, he lost his close friend and cross-country teammate, Chris Drewry, after a tragic boating accident. This experience, which left his community in mourning, coupled with Truglio’s passion for running and Native culture led to the creation of the Public Television documentary Racing the Rez.

The film, set in the rugged canyon lands of Northern Arizona, follows Navajo and Hopi cross-country runners from two rival high schools that put it all on the line for Tribal pride, triumph over adversity and state championship glory. Win or lose, what they learn in the course of their seasons will have a dramatic effect on the rest of their lives.

“For Native culture, running is much more than a sport,” commented Truglio. “It’s part of their creation stories and is woven into the cultural fabric of their lives. Whether distant or recent, every family’s lore contains legends of runners.”

A co-production of Wolf Hill Films and NAPT, Racing the Rez moves beyond Native American stereotypes of the past and present by delving deep into the daily grind of these Native teenagers. Over the course of two racing seasons, you’ll witness the boys striving to find their place among their Native people and the American culture surrounding them.

The film sheds light on the many challenges that these runners face living on a Reservation and how they come to terms with having to make cultural choices that most American youth will never encounter.

Tuba City cross-country runner Billy Orman stated that running is a way of escaping the screwed-up stuff that occurs on the Reservation. Collectively, the runners shared stories about the presence of alcohol, drug abuse, family deaths from overdosing, parental abandonment and living conditions among others.

“All of the boys in the film showed a tremendous amount of courage in the things that they shared with me,” Truglio added. “I think part of it is that they needed to share this stuff and wanted to.”

The two head cross-country coaches, Shaun Martin of Chinle High School and Carl Perry of Tuba City High School, recognized the opportunity for harnessing the immense running talent of Navajo and Hopi youth for obtaining more than just school championships. “These teenage years are a crucial and transitional point in their lives—they’re on the cusp of adulthood—where they are caught between the traditional and modern worlds and have to come to a decision of whether they should leave the Reservation to seek opportunities elsewhere,” they commented.

Set against the iconic landscape of the Southwest, Racing the Rez promises to yield a powerful, intimate view of transformation and hope.

To watch the film’s trailer, visit www.nativetelecom.org/racing_the_rez. Racing the Rez, an American Public Television (APT) offering will be available to Public Broadcasting stations early this fall. For broadcast information in your area, please visit www.pbs.org/stationfinder.

About NAPT

Native American Public Telecommunications, Inc. (NAPT), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) which receives major funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, shares Native stories with the world through support of the creation, promotion and distribution of Native media. Founded in 1977, through various media—Public Television, Public Radio and the Internet—NAPT brings awareness of Indian and Alaska Native issues. NAPT operates VisionMaker, your premier source for quality Native American educational and home videos. All aspects of our programs encourage the involvement of young people to learn more about careers in the media—to be the next generation of storytellers. NAPT is located at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. NAPT offers student employment, internships and fellowships. Reaching the general public and the global market is the ultimate goal for the dissemination of Native-produced media.

Additional Information Regarding Racing the Rez:

Feed Date/NOLA: October 2012 (APT)

Run time: apprx. 57 minutes

Credits: A film by Brian Truglio.

Racing the Rez is a co-production of Wolf Hill Films and NAPT.
Funding for Racing the Rez: Major funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting & Native American Public Telecommunications, Inc. (NAPT). Also, a special thank you goes out to the film’s private donors, especially those who supported Racing the Rez’s Kickstarter Campaign.

Press Kit available online at: www.nativetelecom.org/racing_the_rez

Listen to the filmmaker interview online at:

http://www.nativetelecom.org/producer_profile_brian_truglio

Crew Bios:

Producer/Director

Brian Truglio is a filmmaker and editor as well as a former cross-country athlete and current long-distance runner.

He first traveled to the Navajo and Hopi Reservations in the early 1990s as part of a month-long assistant teaching program run by Bucknell Universtiry and has since returned a number of times. His credits include Fenceline: A Company Town Divided (Associate Producer & Editor), a documentary on environmental racism in the town of Norco, Louisiana, as well as editing on popular series such as Design Squad (WGBH/PBS), Build It Bigger (Discovery Channel), Sliced (History Channel), The Works (History Channel) and Kids by the Dozen (TLC). He got his television start as a Post-Production Assistant on the 2000 Emmy^® award-winning School Prayer: A Community at War—a documentary about one woman’s fight to separate church and state in her children’s Mississippi high school. Beginning in 2002, Truglio lived in Dublin, Ireland, for five years where he taught at the National Film School and did editing work on such projects as the Louis Marcus documentary Cosc Ar Ghneas/A Ban on Sex, the award-winning short film Recoil, and the feature documentary Here to Stay. He holds a BA in Philosophy from Bucknell University and an MFA in photography, film and video from the Visual Studies Workshop.

Editor

Sean Sandefur has been working in documentary film and television for 15 years. He has worked on projects for PBS, BBC-World, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, A&E, The History Channel and many other networks and independent outlets. His editing credits include The Unholy Tarahumara, an award-winning and poetic representation of the lifestyle and culture of the Tarahumara Indians who are renowned runners from the vast and astonishing Copper Canyon area of Chihuahua, Mexico. From 2004-2005, Sandefur edited the PBS special Raising Cain featuring child psychologist Michael Thompson taking an in-depth look at the emotional lives of adolescent boys. His series work includes the shows Design Squad (WGBH/PBS), The Works (History Channel), Build It Bigger (Discovery Channel), Extreme Engineering (Discovery Channel) and Kids by the Dozen (TLC). He holds a BA from the University of Arizona and currently works and resides in Boston, Mass.

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Educational Version (with PPR): $225.00 (Available May 2012)

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PA museum begins construction of longhouse

admin — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:05:06 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

PA museum begins construction of longhouse

• 1719 Hans Herr House (Willow Street, Pa.) joins with Circle Legacy Center (Lancaster, Pa.) to build replica Eastern Woodland longhouse that honors Native American legacy in Pennsylvania • Project responds to October 2010 service of honor and healing in which leaders acknowledged three centuries of misunderstanding and abuse of Native Americans in Lancaster County

Willow Street, Pa., April 17, 2012—On Saturday, April 28, dozens of volunteers will gather in Willow Street, Pennsylvania, for a very unusual work day: stripping bark from hundreds of saplings that will be used to construct a Native American longhouse on the grounds of the

1719 Hans Herr House & Museum.

For the last two years, the Circle Legacy Center in Lancaster, the 1719 Hans Herr House and Native American and European American volunteers have been on a quest to build a replica longhouse that honors the Native American legacy and teaches children and adults about a part of Pennsylvania history that that has been excluded for too long.

The longhouse will look like homes that were built here for hundreds of years: curved bark walls and roof secured to a framework of bent saplings, all supported by log posts and beams. The design is based on a longhouse excavated in Lancaster County in 1969. Members and descendants of regional tribes—including Lenape, Onondaga and Susquehannock—as well as local authorities like archeologist Fred Kinsey are advisors for the project, making it a truly collaborative effort.

Land for the longhouse was dedicated after a service of honor and healing on October 9, 2010. During the service, Presbyterian, Mennonite and Quaker leaders and local and state officials recognized three hundred years of misunderstanding, neglect and abuse of Native Americans in Lancaster County.

“As Mennonites and the first European settlers of the land known as Lancaster County, … we have failed in living out our convictions to live peacefully and express love for all people,” Lancaster Mennonite Conference bishop Lloyd Hoover confessed to representatives of more than a dozen Native American groups.

Leaders recounted the infamous massacres of Conestoga Indians in Lancaster in 1763 and the establishment of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School nearby in 1879, as well as a series of insidious offenses: Europeans encroaching on Native land, poaching game, failing to aid Indians in need and imposing their cultural standards on Native groups.

“We mourn for the acts done by our sisters and brothers in faith,”

Presbytery moderator Rev. Jane DeFord said. “We ask that our Native brothers and sisters forgive the wrongs done to them.”

“The stories that we’ve heard this morning are very disturbing,” said Mitchell Bush of the Onondaga/Iroquois Confederacy, “but let me tell you something about the Onondagas—we’re not raised to hate.”

“The fact that all of you would come here, assemble here, to say these things is what I would consider a legitimate act of contrition,” said Curtis Zunigha of the Delaware Nation. “I will take your words back to my people. … I look forward to returning with the response of my people and joining you all in an effort to make great change so that we may never feel like this again.”

The first phase of longhouse construction begins this month. Planners are hoping to recruit one hundred volunteers to take the bark off more than a thousand saplings which will be donated to the project.

“Constructing this longhouse at the 1719 Hans Herr House & Museum—the site of three Herr family homes—enables our organizations to tell the Lancaster County story from the 16th century up to the turn of the 20th century,” museum director Becky Gochnauer said.

Snacks and lunch will be provided for volunteers and Native American food will be for sale, said Mary Ann Robins (Onondaga), board president for the Circle Legacy Center.

Interested volunteers should contact the 1719 Hans Herr House at (717)464-4438 or longhouse@hansherr.org. Additional details about the longhouse can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lancasterlonghouse.org.

Circle Legacy Center (www.circlelegacycenter.org) is a Lancaster nonprofit dedicated to supporting and empowering the First Nations Peoples of the Americas.

1719 Hans Herr House (www.hansherr.org) is a museum that includes Lancaster County’s oldest building and the oldest Mennonite meetinghouse in the Americas.

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HO-CHUNK LANGUAGE IPAD APP FREE IN THE ITUNES STORE

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:41:47 +0000

Cutting-edge technology meets ancient culture

The Ho-Chunk Nation’s Hoocąk Waaziija Haci Language Division has worked with Thornton Media to release a dynamic next-generation Ho-Chunk language app for the iTunes Store. iPhone and Android versions are soon to follow. The app is the first release for Thornton Media’s new Language Pal 2.0 software, the latest version of their popular language-learning software apps. “The 500-entry Ho-Chunk app is part of a vigorous Ho-Chunk language revival program.” said Don Thornton, President of Thornton Media. “The app has record / playback capabilities, reading, writing and speaking quizzes, and three levels of games. It is highly personalized to the Ho-Chunk community”

“The Ho-Chunk staff worked incredibly hard to make this a success,” said Thornton. “They submitted their materials to us before we arrived at their location so we were able to get a lot done in a short time. They made their knowledgeable staff available to us, even over the Thanksgiving Holiday.” Ho-Chunk Nation is offering the first version of the Ho-Chunk language app free in the iTunes Store.

The program is headed by Richard Mann, respected tribal elder and fluent speaker. “Richard said to us “If people come onto Ho-Chunk land, they should learn to speak Ho-Chunk” said Thornton. “Richard told us he had to learn to speak English, so what’s fair is fair.”

The Ho-Chunk Nation will also be releasing an iPhone / iPod Touch version of Ho-Chunk Basic. An Android version will be released in May. In addition, an iPad storybook app “The Two Wolves” will be available soon in both English and Ho-Chunk. The Ho-Chunk language program learned about Thornton Media when they attended one of their popular Las Vegas workshops in 2011.

Thornton Media has also created an on-line web portal for clients to upload their own materials. “This will save clients the cost to fly us out to their reservation or reserve” said Thornton. “We will be introducing our Online Portal to Indian Country at the Wisconsin Indian Education Association Conference on April 20th. It’s been a busy time for us and we have a lot of new information to present.”

Thornton Media has been the industry leader in language learning technologies. “Our Cherokee Basic was the first indigenous language learning app in the iTunes Store in 2009. We will release a 2.0 version in Cherokee next month”, said Thornton. “Our clients will be releasing about a dozen apps in the coming months. Tribes and First Nations want to reach their citizens, young and old, so the languages can live on.”

The app is free and can be found by searching “Ho Chunk” in the iTunes store.

Thornton Media Inc. (www.ndnlanguage.com) is a Cherokee-owned company based in Las Vegas NV. In 1995, Thornton Media became the first company in the world to offer customized hi-tech tools to revitalize Native languages. Since then they have worked with more than 130 tribes and First Nation clients in the US and Canada.

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