Canku Ota

(Many Paths)

An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America

December 14, 2002 - Issue 76

"Hon Dah!"

The Apache Greeting

Means “Welcome”

Mohawk

"When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light. Give thanks for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and give thanks for the joy of living. And if perchance you see no reason for giving thanks, rest assured the fault is in yourself."
Taken from "The Gospel of the REDMAN" Chapter 4; The Teachings of Wabasha

We Salute
Tuba City High School Voc-Ed Students

As Hopis and Navajos living side by side on neighboring reservation lands, these students are also learning how to work and build homes for their elderly.

Artist:
Dave Matheson

David Matheson was born on the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation in 1951 at the home of his grandparents, Nick and Margaret Campbell. Since his birth, Matheson has been a member of the Schi'tsu'umsh people, now called the Coeur d'Alene Tribe.

His native language is the Salish dialect, which is unique to this tribe, but shares common elements with the languages of other northern plateau tribes including the Spokane, the Flathead, the Okanogan, and the Kalispel.

The Twins
by Timm Severud

My greatest joy is trying to figure out how a story fits together. To see the human face again put on our history, rather than the propaganda born from the conscience of the past. In delving into the history and stories of our corner of this continent, there is one story, from the Ojibwa that has jumped out at me, for it is not often that one runs into what can only be described as a Shakespearean Tragedy.

We must step back to a period when the Ojibwa and Dakota were in the midst of their 'time of conflict.' Many tend to think that there was a constant state of fighting between them over this land, but that is not correct.

Thunderhawk - Winter Blows into Happy Valley - Part 2
by Geoff Hampton

Writer Geoff Hampton shares this story that should delight both young and old.

Rock Creek Felsenmeer State Natural Area

On the hillside ahead lies a large Felsenmeer, a German word meaning 'sea of rocks.' This natural feature was created by the freezing and thawing action during the last glacier that broke the bedrock into smaller blocks.

Brain Food

Soldier Santa Visits Arctic Village Kids

Arctic Village, AK - Children in Arctic Village aren't likely to believe Santa Claus really fits all those presents into a dinky sled, not when they see Santa arrive every year via a beefy C-130 transport.

This Christmas tradition in their tiny Athabaskan community, nestled in the snowy southern slopes of the Brooks Range, started in 1967 when a forest fire steered migrating caribou away from Arctic Village. Elmendorf Air Force Base's 17th Transport Squadron flew hunters to the herd, returning with meat.

Fightin' Whites Fund Scholarships

GREELEY, CO - The Fightin' Whites - the famous intramural basketball team whose name is meant to goad schools to end the use of Indian mascots - has raised $100,000 for scholarships for Native American college students.

The multiethnic team at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley collected the money by selling more than 15,000 T- shirts on its website, team members said.

Heart of the Earth Charter School Emerges Stronger from Travails

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Minneapolis ponytails and a multitude of feet move in staccato time to the resounding drum beat on a Friday afternoon at Heart of the Earth Charter School in Minneapolis. A circle-drumming, dancing and prayer opens and closes each week at the school, which is pulling itself out of a morass so deep that it faced closure or censure by the State of Minnesota, Minneapolis Public Schools and the state fire marshal within the past year.

Miss NCAI Scholarship Pageant

The 34th Annual Miss National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Scholarship Pageant was held in San Diego, November 9-11, 2002, in conjunction with the annual NCAI convention. NCAI was founded in 1944 and is the oldest as well as the largest tribal government organization in the United States, which serves as a forum for consensus-based policy development among its membership. The Miss NCAI Scholarship Pageant was created to recognize outstanding young Indian women and was first held in 1969 making it the longest running pageant for American Indian women.

Indian Rodeo World Champions Crowned for 2002

SOBOBA RESERVATION, CA - The 2002 Indian National Finals Rodeo came to California for the first time this year, and handed out its largest cash purses ever in four rounds of competition.

Clarence Gilham, Blackfeet, won the 2002 Indian National Finals All-Around Championship, the most coveted title in Indian Rodeo. Gilham is only the fourth rough-stock rider to win this title in the 27 years of INFR history.

Californian will Lead Indian Education Group

Ever since then, the Pit River/Paiute Indian has been teaching Indians and non-Indians alike about native ways and beliefs.

Now, La Marr will get the chance to teach Indian children and adults across the country. She recently was elected president of the 4,000-member National Indian Education Association, one of the oldest and largest Indian advocacy groups in the United States.

Tribe Fights for Its Identity, One Word at a Time

First Nations Sign Historic Education Agreement

"It is clear the provincial standards and the current system don't meet the needs of our students," said Bob Goulais, a spokesperson for the Anishinabek Nation. "We need to find other ways of creating success. We need to make sure students aren't falling through the cracks."

VIOLENCE PREVENTION LEADERS RECEIVE 2002 PEACE PRIZE AWARD FROM THE CALIFORNIA WELLNESS FOUNDATION

San Francisco, CA - The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF) will present its tenth annual California Peace Prize Award to three violence-prevention advocates. The honorees are Joseph A. Myers of Petaluma, Raja Rahim of San Francisco and Wayne Sakamoto of San Diego. Each will receive a $25,000 grant in recognition of their work and achievements at a ceremony in San Francisco on Friday, December 6.

Festival is Taste of Heritage

On Saturday, Blue performed a traditional men's dance at the 13th annual Yap Ye Iswa, or "Day of the Catawba," festival at the tribe's cultural center in Rock Hill.

Navajos in China

Their purpose was to share the Navajo culture and to stress the importance of cultural identity to Chinese students.

Kahn is Tóhadleenii born for Bit'ahnii. Her parents are Annie and Chester Kahn. Chester Kahn painted the "Circle of Light" mural displayed at Ellis Tanner's in Gallup, N.M. She works with the Native American Baha'i Institute in Burntwater, Ariz.

Indian Film Fest Coming to Rapid City

Experts Striving to Revive Language

Today the median age of Alutiiq speakers is 67. From a population of 3,000, only about 400 still speak the language. In 1970, there were roughly 1,000 speakers.

The museum and Alutiiq community are working to reverse the trend.

Niizh Ma'iinganag
(Two Wolves)

An old man was teaching his grandson about life.

"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.

Teach The Children Well