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Canku Ota
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(Many Paths)
An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
 
 
 
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Favorite Sites
 
 
collected by Paul and Vicki
 

Change The Mascot
Change the Mascot is a national campaign to end the use of the racial slur "redskins" as the mascot and name of the NFL team in Washington, D.C. Launched by the Oneida Indian Nation, the campaign calls upon the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell to do the right thing and bring an end the use of the racial epithet.

http://www.changethemascot.org/

Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve
The Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve mission is to revive, restore, protect, interpret, collect and enhance the history, traditional cultural values and spiritual beliefs of the Tulalip Tribes who are the successors in interest to the Snohomish, Snoqualmie and Skykomish tribes and other tribes and bands signatory to the Treaty of Point Elliott.

http://www.hibulbculturalcenter.org/
Tamástslikt Cultural Institute
Immerse yourself in the history, culture and hospitality of the people who have lived on this land for more than 10,000 years. Come to Tamástslikt Cultural Institute and experience the storied past, rich present and bright future of our tribes through interactive exhibits, special events and a Living Culture Village. More than just a museum, Tamástslikt celebrates the traditions of Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla Tribes.

http://www.tamastslikt.org/default.cfm

Rockwell Museum
The Rockwell Museum houses the largest and finest collection of western art in the eastern United States. The collection contains masterworks by the great nineteenth and early twentieth-century painters and sculptors, including Remington, Russell, Bierstadt, Couse, Dallin, Moran, Catlin, Miller, and many more, most collected by Robert and Hertha Rockwell, for whom the museum is named.

http://www.rockwellmuseum.org/

National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center is the first and only nonprofit, nonpartisan institution devoted to the most powerful vision of freedom ever expressed: the U.S. Constitution. Located on Independence Mall in Historic Philadelphia, the birthplace of American freedom, the Center illuminates constitutional ideals and inspires active citizenship through a state-of-the-art museum experience, including hundreds of interactive exhibits, films and rare artifacts; must-see feature exhibitions; the internationally acclaimed, 360-degree theatrical production Freedom Rising; and the iconic Signers' Hall, where visitors can sign the Constitution alongside 42 life-size, bronze statues of the Founding Fathers.

http://constitutioncenter.org/
What is Confluence Project?
At seven points along the Columbia River Basin, an unprecedented endeavor continues to unfold. Here, where rivers meet and indigenous people once gathered, the Confluence Project explores the intersection of environment, cultures and a regional history that reaches back many hundreds of years.

http://www.confluenceproject.org/

Celilo Arts Education Program
Gifts from Our Ancestors is an arts-education program led by the Confluence Project, local artists, and educators to engage over 1,500 tribal and non-tribal students through multiple forms of artistic, musical and oral expression practiced by Native Americans along the Columbia River for generations.

http://www.confluenceproject.org/education/

The Longest Walk 4: Return to Alcatraz
The Longest Walk 4: Return to Alcatraz is being initiated by those on the original, The Longest Walk in 1978. It will begin on July 15th, 2013 in Washington D.C. and travel to Alcatraz on December 22, 2013. The purpose of this Walk will be to reaffirm the heart of Traditional Tribal Sovereignty rooted in Ceremony and land based spiritual relationships. We call on all Indigenous Peoples to come and support this Walk.

http://returntoalcatraz.com/
Badwinds Studio
Inspired by identity and culture, my work originates from personal experiences. My art is a gateway into the political and racial status I was born into. The colonization I witness began with my Certificate of Indian Blood that states I am 4/4 Navajo. It continued with the withholding of information about the plight of Native peoples in secondary education, which excluded genocide, forced acculturation, and broken treaties. Today, I am confronted with Indian mascots, casinos (which I do not collect on), Navajo hipster panties, Johnny Depp as Tonto, and, now, McCain trying to convince the Navajo & Hopi Nations to relinquish Water Rights forever. My work is an introduction to the complexity of my status as an indigenous person in America.

http://www.badwinds.com
The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
To preserve and perpetuate Pueblo culture and to advance understanding by presenting with dignity and respect, the
accomplishments and evolving history of the Pueblo people of New Mexico.

http://www.indianpueblo.org/
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Banned Books
Banned Books Week is celebrated each autumn, promoting our freedom to choose, and the importance of the availability of books on all topics and about all viewpoints for those that want to read them.
ALA: Banned Books
The American Library Association is the main sponsor of Banned Books Week. Their website provides ideas on how to celebrate the annual event in your community or school, lists of frequently banned books, and resources for fighting a local challenge "A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. As such, they are a threat to freedom of speech and choice."

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned
Banned Books Week
"Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982." With separate sections of resources for kids, librarians, teachers, parents, students, writers, booksellers and artists, this is another American Library Association website, created in association with about a dozen other official sponsors. Be sure to visit their YouTube page to view videos of readers reading from their favorite banned or challenged book.

http://bannedbooksweek.org/
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
Comic books are also frequently challenged, but I was surprised to learn about the existence of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. It is a non-profit "dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form." Jump to Resources for articles on why comic books are banned, which comics are frequently challenged, and the history of comic book bans. "Comic books have been the object of legal controversy since the 1950s when the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency investigated the medium in response to public pressure about its content."

http://cbldf.org/
National Coalition Against Censorship: Kids' Right to Read Project
The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) offers support and advocacy for those fighting book challenges. The Kids' Right to Read Project specifically offers "advice and assistance to students, teachers and others opposing book-banning in schools and communities nationwide." To learn more about the organization, read up on their position against book ratings (you'll find the link in the third paragraph.) "The KRRP has spearheaded a collaborative effort to oppose the growing trend to rate and label books, like movies and video games."

http://www.ncac.org/Kids-Right-to-Read

S-Collection: Challenged Children's Books
The S-Collection from the library at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers lists of frequently banned children's books in three categories: Picture Books, Chapter Books, and Young Adult Books. For example, in the Picture Book category you'll find "Where's Waldo," "Where the Wild Things Are," and "Strega Nona." The site also provides a short list of sources for additional research, but a few of these require campus credentials (and are not available to the public.)

http://www.library.illinois.edu/sshel/s-coll/findbks/addlbibs/challengedbooks/

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Neptune
Neptune is the farthest planet from the Sun, with a huge orbit compared to ours. It takes Neptune approximately 165 Earth years to complete a single trip around the Sun. Neptune is one of three blue planets (Earth and Uranus are the others), and the only one discovered by mathematical prediction instead of observation.

Cool Cosmos: Ask an Astronomer: Neptune
I love this collection of questions. "Why is Neptune blue? How did Neptune get its name? How many moons does Neptune have?" Simply click on any of the questions to view the answer on Cool Cosmos. Cool Cosmos is a "NASA education and outreach website for infrared astronomy and related topics." In addition to the Ask an Astronomer section, they have an interesting set of resources for teachers.

http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_kids/AskKids/neptune.shtml

National Geographic: Neptune
"Despite its great distance from the sun and lower energy input, Neptune's winds are three times stronger than Jupiter's and nine times stronger than Earth's." The highlight here is the interactive Planetary Stats feature. Click on the menu items (Intro, Neptune Stats, Size Comparison, Moons) to scroll through it. There is also a short article full of great stuff for school reports.

http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/neptune-article/

NASA: Solar System: Neptune
"Neptune has six known rings. Voyager 2's observations confirmed that these unusual rings are not uniform, but have four thick regions (clumps of dust) called arcs." Most of what we know about the distant planet we learned from Voyager 2's 1989 mission. "It discovered five moons, four rings, and a 'Great Dark Spot' that vanished by the time the Hubble Space Telescope imaged Neptune five years later." Use the tabbed menu to explore what NASA knows about Neptune. The tabs include Facts & Figures, Missions, Rings, Moons, News and a FAQ. If you only visit one Neptune site, this should be it!

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Neptune

Kids Astronomy
"How much would you weigh on Neptune? If you weigh 70 pounds (32 kg) on the Earth, you would weigh 78.5 pounds (36 kg) on Neptune." Kids Astronomy's Neptune page has Fast Facts and a short Neptune lesson. At the bottom of the page is a link to a page about Neptune's moons. "Due to its great distance from the Earth it is extremely difficult for us to see any of Neptune's moons. For that reason most of its moons were not discovered until 1989 when NASA sent a satellite to explore the world."

http://www.kidsastronomy.com/neptune.htm

StarDate: Neptune
"Neptune might be called the mathematicians' planet. German astronomer Johann Galle discovered it on September 23, 1846. The discovery was made possible, though, by the calculations of mathematicians Urbain Leverrier of France and John Couch Adams of England." After reading the main Neptune feature, explore the links and featured images in the right-hand column. Topics include Neptune at Opposition and Neptune's Triton (its largest moon.)

http://stardate.org/astro-guide/ssguide/neptune

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Internet Glossaries
No matter your age or your level of expertise, technology changes so fast, we all need somewhere to lookup technical jargon and obscure acronyms. Today's picks are online dictionaries specializing in Internet and computer terms, and although they are not specifically written for kids, they most surely will come in handy one day.

Google Define
Google supplies definitions through its search function. For example, to lookup the definition of "avatar", simply search for "define avatar" and you will see a Web definition at the top of the search results. What's interesting about the define results is that they do not come from a single glossary, but rather are culled from a large variety of sources. For more Google search tips, check out their Search Features page.

https://www.google.com/

Learn the Net: Interactive Glossary
From "Access Provider" to "Zombie", Learn the Net provides a glossary and a quiz to test your Internet vocabulary. For more quizzes, look for the "Test Yourself" link on the left-hand menu. There you'll find a Netiquette Quiz, Email Quiz, Security Smarts Quiz, and Internet Trivia. "Who sent the world's first email message? Bill Gates, Phio Farnsworth, Paul Allen or RayTomlinson?"

http://www.learnthenet.com/glossary/

Netlingo
When I visited Netlingo, the Internet Word of the Day was: "serendipity search: An Internet search that uncovers interesting and valuable information that was not intended in the original search." In addition to the Word of the Day, and Acronym of the Day, NetLingo serves up New & Updated Terms and an A to Z glossary. It's my pick of the week because of the breadth of helpful tidbits it provides.

http://www.netlingo.com/

PC.net: The PC Glossary
This glossary is quite extensive, and in addition to the main glossary, PC.net also has sections on Emoticons, Chat Slang and File Extensions. Have you wondered exactly what an "illegal operation" is? "When a program on your computer has an error, you may see a message pop up on the screen saying, ‘Illegal Operation.' This is a rather tactless way of saying something went wrong with the program that was running." ^_^

http://pc.net/glossary/

Webopedia
Designed for professionals who need to keep up with technology, Webopedia has a number of features you won't find in the other glossaries. Visit their home page to learn what's hot ("Top Terms"), what's new ("Recent Terms") and to sign up for the Term of the Day newsletter. Once you've arrived at a definition page, you'll see links to related categories and terms, and the ability to email a definition to a friend. The site is maintained by professional editors who verify their work against multiple sources, so if technology is your game, Webopedia deserves a spot in your favorites list.

http://www.webopedia.com/

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Pilgrims of Plymouth
The Pilgrims were a English Separatist congregation that emigrated to Holland in 1608 to escape religious persecution. Twelve years later, discouraged by economic conditions, the congregation voted to move again, this time to America. A small ship, the Speedwell, carried them to Southampton, England, where they joined another group of Separatists and finally departed from Plymouth, England aboard the Mayflower in 1620.
Pilgrim Hall Museum: Pilgrim Story
The Pilgrim Hall Museum site has oodles of great educational material. Key elements of the Pilgrim story are retold via "stories and in paintings: the Mayflower Compact, the Landing, the First Thanksgiving at Plymouth." As with all history, these stories are based on facts, but are interpreted through the lens of the era when they were created. "We invite you to search through the layers of retelling to find the foundation of the 17th century. Where does it all begin? And where does it end?"

http://www.pilgrimhallmuseum.org/ap_pilgrim_story.htm
Plimoth Plantation: Just for Kids
"The Englishmen who sailed on the Mayflower were a very unusual mixture of people from many different backgrounds. Some came from big cities like London, others came from small towns and villages in the country." Listed under Just for Kids in the left-hand menu menu, you'll find pilgrim coloring pages, recipes for native dishes such as succotash, homework help, and stories told from a kid's perspective. The Homework Help section includes articles about the Wampanoag natives, the Mayflower, and the first Thanksgiving.

http://www.plimoth.org/learn/just-kids
The Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony: 1620
Although totally without any aesthetic appeal, this well-written study guide about the Pilgrims of the Plymouth Colony deserves a visit. "After two months at sea, the Pilgrims arrived at Cape Cod. Imagine the sight that greeted their eyes on that cold November morning. It was as though they had landed on another planet, a strange, unfriendly place with no signs of civilization-a stark, barren landscape."

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mosmd/
Scholastic: Research Starters: Plymouth Colony
Need ideas for a Plymouth Colony research project? This Scholastic site is a great resource, with a glossary, a list of articles from Grolier Online, and topics "to explore that relate to the Plymouth Colony. Looking at the articles, images, and other materials in this Research Starter may give you more ideas." For further research, there is a resource list of additional websites.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/researchtools/researchstarters/plymouth/

Social Studies for Kids: The Pilgirims: Voyage to Freedom
This two-page illustrated story for elementary school students, tells a short history of the Pilgrims, the Mayflower, and Plymouth Colony. "The ocean crossing was long and difficult. Many of the Pilgrims wondered if they would ever see land. Two people died, and one baby was born. On November 9, they saw land. Two days later, they dropped anchor at Cape Cod, which is now in Massachusetts."

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/pilgrims1.htm

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STAR
Students And Teachers Against Racism announces their new website that offers insight into the Native American perspective to teachers and educators.
http://www.racismagainstindians.org/
Changing Winds Advocacy Center
Through presentations, classroom sessions, curriculum, fund raising, charitable works, and multi-media efforts, we seek to raise public awareness of the stereotyping, discrimination, racism and other unique situations facing Native Americans.
http://changingwinds.org/
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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 - 2013 of Vicki Williams Barry and Paul Barry.
 
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