Canku Ota

(Many Paths)

An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America

October 19, 2002 - Issue 72

Opportunities

• Positions Available - including Fellowships and Internships;
• Scholarship, Award and Grant Information; and
• Event Announcements.

• We receive these announcements from various sources including Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP).

• To view additional listing from previous issues, click here

• The Society for American Archaeology (SAA)
• SAA Arthur C. Parker Scholarship and National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships for Archaeological Training for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians for the year 2003
• Together, these scholarships will provide four awards of $3000 - to support training in archaeological methods (fieldwork, analytical techniques, and curation)
• High school seniors, college undergraduates, and graduate students - and personnel of Tribal or other native cultural preservation programs
• High school students must be currently enrolled seniors
• Undergrad/grad students must in enrolled in an accredited college or university
• Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and Indigenous peoples from Canada are eligible for these scholarships
• Documentation of Native identity is required
• Scholarships will support training programs in archaeological methods offered by accredited colleges or universities
• The SAA Parker Scholarship will provide $1500 for one scholarship recipient, which will be matched by a $1500 NSF Scholarship. Three additional scholarships of $3000 each will be funded by NSF for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians program

Native American Literacy Institute to focus on teaching parents (The
Farmington Daily-Times 10/16)

The Native American Family Literacy Institute is coming to Shiprock to teach parents how they can support reading and learning activities at home. The conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at Ts Bit'A Middle School and is co-sponsored by Central School District's Indian Education Committee and The Center for the Education and Study of Diverse Populations, based in Albuquerque.

"Parents will learn strategies and techniques for reinforcing reading at home," said Betty McCorkey, a trainer with The Center for the Education and Study of Diverse Populations. "For example, Native Americans need a lot of visuals. We'll share creative ways to help children organize and structure their thinking when having to write a report."

The parent conference will also incorporate the Equal Chance, Equal Learning through Literacy Project, which focuses on improving reading and writing skills of Native American middle school students. The daylong conference will also address why teenagers act the way they do by providing the latest information on brain research. Parents will learn about the brain development of their adolescent children.

"The teenage brain is not as fully functional as we sometimes think it is," McCorkey said. In addition to specific strategies, brain research and the importance of reading, the parent conference will address reading legislation in the No Child Left Behind Act and what it means for parents.

Leah King, a parent with children in Central Schools who attended a similar conference in Farmington last spring, said that the conference provided her with a lot of valuable information regarding study habits and reconfirmed the literacy efforts her family was making at home. "My daughter was in preschool and we had to maintain a journal of our reading at home. We noticed her vocabulary increase as we read to her each night," King said. "The conference gave us a lot of projects that we can do at home with our children, whether they are in preschool or in middle school."

Randy Roberts, a parent from Naschitti who also attended the spring conference said, "I wish all parents could attend the workshop. They are very educational."

The Central Schools Indian Education Committee encourages all parents to attend this conference designed specifically for them and others to follow. The committee also plans to share information on student achievement data.

Information: Monica Lujan, (505) 368-4984 ext. 324.

Big Elk Spiritual Gathering

Many years ago, Black Elk had a vision, a vision of peace and unity among all peoples. Though years have passed, Black Elk's vision has been pondered and cherished by many, knowing that at some time, the vision would be fulfilled. Sitting Bull also spoke of the time when there would be a gathering of the tribes. People continue to ponder these prophecies of the Great leaders and to consult with the Elders regarding when these prophecies would be fulfilled. We believe that time is now.

For thousands of years Elders, Grandmothers, Medicine men and women on many islands of our planet have known that someday all races would be reunited and would bring healing to our Mother Earth. Indigenous peoples who have retained a spiritual way of life would teach their brothers and sisters all over the planet renew these ways and live in humility, having respect for all and a sense of oneness with each other and Creator.

To unify and introduce each other, a Big Elk Spiritual Gathering is being held the 14, 15, 16, & 17th of August 2003 on the Omaha Reservation, Nebraska. All Red Nations friends and friends of the Red Nations of are being invited to come and share their foods, music, stories and friendship.

Because of the nature of this gathering, indigenous nations from all over the world, we are notifying all early enough to make long range plans. We will use the facilities at the Big Elk Campgrounds for the visitors from out of town. Plans are in motion to have many sweat lodges available, along with special educational sweats for beginners, available for the first to make appointments.

Our plans will involve serving free food for all that attend and facilities for the Elders. We are holding it on the same week-end of the Omaha Nation's Pow Wow so anyone who has never witnessed a pow wow, can attend.

With a variety of visitors, Australian aborigines, New Zealand Mauri, Papa New Guinea, to name a few along with friends from Central America and Canada attending, we ask that respect for all traditions be shown.

This Gathering will be peaceful in nature, founded upon the very principles which are imparted to all who get together. While the Gathering will not presume to be an answer in and of it itself, it is a hope for the future, creating a loving and unifying atmosphere as a standard. The spiritual compassion and equality that has been understood by Native peoples for generations is the foundation for this Gathering. This Gathering will encourage sharing from all who attend, through a prayer, story, song, teaching, etc. Each person is important to the whole.

Mark your calendar for the 14-17th of August 2003 to attend this special gathering on the Omaha Reservation (45 minutes north of Omaha). For more information, email chi_ex@hotmail.com

pass this notice on to anyone you feel would be interested

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