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Canku Ota

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(Many Paths)

An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America

 

June 14, 2003 - Issue 89

 
 

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"Yá'át'ééh Bina"

 
 

The Navajo Greeting

 
 

"Good Morning!"

 
 

Peregrine Falcon Family

 
 

"Hotehimini kiishthwa"

 
 

Strawberry Moon

 
 

SHAWNEE

 
 

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"And when your childrens' children think themselves alone... they will not be alone...At night when the streets of your cities and villages are silent and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning hosts that once filled and still love this beautiful land."
~Chief Seattle~
1855

 

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We Salute
Isidorro "Junior" Sierra

Hulbert High School Valedictorian, Isidorro "Junior" Sierra, recently received notification that he had earned the right to be called a Gates Millennium Scholar. Gates Scholars receive a full scholarship to the college of their choice.

"This is the best thing that could happen to someone who wants to go to school," said Kathy Sierrra, Junior's mother.

"I had been praying to get the money to go to college," Junior Sierra said. "It's just a blessing. Some history books are wrong and I want to make it right. I want to try to give something back to the people. Even though I want to help other Native American tribes, my main focus will be the Cherokee tribe because my ultimate goal is to become the chief of the Cherokee Nation one day.

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Our Featured Artist:

Health and Wellness

Jesse T. Hummingbird

Jesse T. Hummingbird, 3/4 Cherokee and tribal member of the Cherokee Nation, was born in 1952 in Tahlequah, OK. This well known Cherokee artist has won awards for his paintings at major shows across the country. He most recently won the best of division for painting at the Heard Museum Indian Market; second place in painting at the SW Arts Festival in Indio, CA.

 

Bringing Wellness to Your Community or Rez
by Geoff Hampton

For any community or reservation that truly wants to make a difference for the quality of life and longevity of both adults and children who are at risk from a health perspective (or already suffering the effects of catastrophic illness), an exciting grass roots, community based campaign can make all the difference in the world. Importantly, it can virtually be a matter of life or death for many participants.

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Thunderhawk - Our Featured Story:

Northwestern Wisconsin First Person History:

Thunderhawk - The Great Cross Country Adventure - Part 12
by Geoff Hampton

Happy Mouse

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

 

Interesting Sidelights on the History of the Early Fur Trade Industry (part 7)
submitted by Timm Severud (Ondamitag)

Among the many fur trade letters in the possession of Miss Anna Ermatinger two were found written in the Chippewa Language. The earlier one written in 1859 was a beautiful specimen of script. The second letter, written in 1883 was brief, was more ordinary in appearance and was written with lead pencil. Thinking they might prove of interest effort was made to have them translated but this was no easy task. After some correspondence and inquiry was sent to the Chippewa Agency at Cass Lake, Minnesota.

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School News Banner
The information here will include items of interest for and about Native American schools. If you have news to share, please let us know! I can be reached by emailing: Vlockard@aol.com

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Museum News

Preserving Our Languages

Native American Cowboy Exhibition Opens

The artistry, history and poetry of Native American cowboy life will be presented in “Legends of Our Times: Native Ranching and Rodeo Life on the Plains and the Plateau at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Lower Manhattan, on Saturday, May 17. More than 700 objects, such as saddles, photographs, blankets, clothing, horse gear and powwow regalia, will be included in the exhibition, which will continue at the museum through March 7, 2004.

 

Ojibwe Elder Teaches Language

A little boy answers the door at Leslie Harper's home in Cass Lake with a cheerful "Biindigen!"

The toddler calling visitors to "Come in!" is Leslie's 3-year-old son, Theo Liberty. He is learning Ojibwe as naturally as he is absorbing English.

"He's getting there," Leslie said of Theo's Ojibwe skill.

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Television News

Film News

Nunavut Series on Bravo! and at the AGO

Bravo! NewStyleArtsChannel heads North with the premiere of the 13-part dramatic television series Nunavut Our Land on July 9 @ 7:30pm ET. Produced by Igloolik Isuma Productions, each 30-minute episode brings to life the people, setting and continuing story of how Inuit in the Igloolik region of the Canadian Arctic lived on the land in the 1940s. Nunavut Our Land features the creative involvement of Igloolik Isuma president Zacharias Kunuk, director of the 2001 award-winning feature film Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner).

 

Four NFB films to be screened at First Peoples' Festival

The National Film Board of Canada is pleased to participate in the First Peoples' Festival, organized by Land InSIGHTS, from June 10 to 22, at the NFB Cinema in Montreal. Four NFB documentaries will be featured, including the Montreal premiere of Si le temps le permet, which will close the festival.

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Student Honors

Student Honors

Red Mesa Students Earn Laurels for Drama

Getting a guy to wear a dress and combat boots on stage could be hard to do. But for Red Mesa High School drama teacher Conni Dilago, the task was like having a fairy godmother granting a wish.

"He did it," Dilago said.

Dilago, who is also a journalism and English teacher at Red Mesa, said she was able to convince senior Ryan Harrison to wear the getup for a play.

 

Hopi High School Journalists Honored

The Hopi High School Bruin Times newspaper won five awards at the Arizona Interscholastic Press Association spring conference.

Daryn Melvin won an award for news writing, Hester Sekayumptewa won an award for feature writing, Michael Schjang won an award for an editorial and Lenita Poncho won two awards for layout and design.

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Student Honors

Health and Wellness

Grad Will Wear Cultural Symbol

The eagle feather was among her most prized possessions -- a symbol of her cultural heritage, a display of Native American pride.

Magen Lozeau wanted to wear it on her graduation cap as she marched down the aisle to receive her diploma. But the principal of North Central High School -- whose mascot is the Indian -- wouldn't allow it at first.

 

Winnipeg Troupe Targets Native Youths' Diet

There is an epidemic sweeping through First Nations youth across Canada—and the toll it takes is devastating.

That's why a group from R.B. Russell Vocational High School in Winnipeg made the trek to the Couchiching Bingo Palace last Wednesday and Thursday to send an important message: your lifestyle is killing you.

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Traditions

Honors

Basket Course Weaves in History Lesson

About 10 San Manuel tribal members and relatives surrounded Donna Largo at Tribal Unity Park on Saturday as she effortlessly weaved grass into a tight knot.

Clean the grass, slice it down, soak it for a while, and then start the tight weaving, she said, just like had been done generations ago.

 

Native American Studies Professor Receives Award From University of Minnesota

Brenda Child, renowned professor of Native American Studies and public historian, was among the recipients of the University of Minnesota Outstanding Community Service Award. Professor Child received her award at the awards ceremony banquet May 20.

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Story

Hockey

Dawn Girl
by John Rustywire

In the early morning, when the sweet taste of dew is on the land, just a taste of sweet life, it shines in the early light and the air is crisp and clean she runs. In the days of summer, winter and windblown fall and under the slim showers of spring she runs to East, along the horizon where the beginning of day chases the night away. In the early light of blue black skys she sees the hint of turquoise blue, in the shimmer of gray light, a tint of pink, blue and gold she runs to the break of day, always to the east.

 

Tootoo Signs with the Predators

Jordin Tootoo is the first Inuk to sign a contract with a National Hockey League. Tootoo signed a three-year contract with the Nashville Predators on Thursday. The 20-year old hockey player from Rankin Inlet says it's a day he'll never forget.

Jordin Tootoo got the call from the Nashville Predators on Thursday.

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Education Opportunities

Education Opportunities

Native American Students Discover Engineering at Camp

Washington State University's Native Youth Exploring Engineering Camp, the only camp of its kind in the country, will offer Native American students throughout the region the opportunity to learn about engineering and experience university life June 15-20.

The camp, located at the university's Pullman campus, is free to Native American students in grades 9-11 and includes their teachers in the program. This allows students and teachers to return to their schools with a renewed enthusiasm and understanding of math and science, said Charlena Grimes, NY'EE camp director and academic coordinator for the WSU College of Engineering and Architecture.

 

Native American Nursing Careers Promoted at WSU College of Nursing Summer Institute for High School Students

Students from 13 Native American western and southwestern tribes have a unique opportunity to learn more about nursing and Native American health issues through an annual summer Na-ha-shnee Summer Nursing Institute program sponsored by the Intercollegiate College of Nursing/Washington State University College of Nursing.

The week-long course, which runs June 14-20 in Spokane, addresses the history, culture and health care needs of Native Americans and is intended to get and keep high school students interested in nursing as a career. As part of the curriculum, students gain an understanding for the value and necessity advanced math and science coursework can play in their college preparation.

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Lacrosse

Minnesota News

Iroquois Nationals Take Silver at Inaugural WILC

The Iroquois Nationals took on the best in the world at the inaugural World Indoor Lacrosse Championships and almost came out on top. Last Saturday, the guys in purple and gold took on Team Canada for the gold medal at Hamilton's Copps Coliseum. In their first meeting of the tournament Team Canada prevailed by a score of 15-13; the Iroquois Nationals' first and only loss of the round-robin portion of the tournament.

 

Indian museum has local touch

Stone by Minnesota stone, the long-awaited national museum of American Indian life and culture is going up on the National Mall in Washington.

In April, workers began installing Minnesota Kasota limestone on the museum's exterior, even as stonecutters continued to quarry blocks from the Minnesota River Valley. The butter-colored stone is meant to evoke a different feel from the rest of Washington's monuments.

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Student Honors

Student Honors

Noli Indian School graduates 19 seniors

In a solemn ceremony celebrating their cultural heritage, 19 Noli Indian School seniors graduated Monday night at the Soboba Sports Complex.

Cultural teacher Kim Marcus and other Cahuilla Bird Singers sang an honor song and champion hoop dancer Terry Goedel entertained the crowd of about 200 well-wishers.

 

Nunavut students receive awards

Two Nunavut students have won awards from the Millennium Scholarship Foundation. The Millennium Excellence award program was established by the federal government in 1998. The awards are given to high school students entering university. They're awarded to students who show leadership, academic excellence and commitment to their community. Matthew Fergusson is one of the two winners. He's just about to graduate from Nanisivik High School in Pond Inlet.

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Notice of policy guidance with request for comment.

SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) publishes Revised Guidance to Federal Financial Assistance Recipients Regarding the Title VI Prohibition Against National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons (Revised DOL Recipient LEP Guidance). This Revised DOL Recipient LEP Guidance is issued pursuant to Executive
Order 13166.

DATES: This Guidance is effective immediately. Comments must be submitted on or before June 30, 2003. DOL will review all comments and will determine what modifications to the Guidance, if any, are necessary. This Guidance supplants existing guidance on the same subject originally published at 66 FR 4596 (January 17, 2001).

For more information: click here, then search for fr29my03-184.

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In Every Issue Banner

About This Issue's Greeting - "Yá'át'ééh Bina"

Navajo is an American Indian language spoken by between one hundred twenty and one hundred forty thousand people in the Southwestern United States.

Navajo is a member of the Athabaskan family of the Na-Dené group of languages. It is considered to be closely related to Apache.

This Date In History

 

Recipe: Culinary Herbs - Teas

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Story: Why the Owl Has Big Eyes

 

What is this: Great Horned Owl

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Craft Project: Tapestry Crochet Necklace Pouch

 
This Issue's Web sites

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Opportunities

"OPPORTUNITIES" is gathered from sources distributed nationally and includes scholarships, grants, internships, fellowships, and career opportunities as well as announcements for conferences, workshops and symposia.

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  Canku Ota is a free Newsletter celebrating Native America, its traditions and accomplishments . We do not provide subscriber or visitor names to anyone. Some articles presented in Canku Ota may contain copyright material. We have received appropriate permissions for republishing any articles. Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monetary gain to those who have expressed an interest. This is in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107.  
 

Canku Ota is a copyright © 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 of Vicki Lockard and Paul Barry.

 

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