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Canku
Ota
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(Many
Paths)
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An
Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
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August 2015 -
Volume 13 Number 8
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Favorite
Sites
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collected
by Paul and Vicki
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THE
PIEGAN INSTITUTE
The mission of THE PIEGAN INSTITUTE is to serve as a vehicle
to research, promote and preserve Native languages. Founded
in 1987, the Institute has its national headquarters and community-based
programs on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in northwest Montana.
Our community-based objectives are to increase the number of
Blackfeet language speakers, to increase the cultural knowledge
base of community members, and to actively influence positive
community-based change. Our national objectives are to promote
support for Native language issues through advocacy and education
and to provide a voice to the national and international dialogue
on Native Language restoration.
http://www.pieganinstitute.org |
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Cuts
Wood Academy
Cuts Wood Academy is nationally recognized as a successful and
effective model for Native language immersion with a multi-generational
approach. Cuts Wood Academy's mission is to use the Blackfeet
language as the tool (not object) of instruction within a local
context to produce fluent speakers of the Blackfeet language.
http://www.pieganinstitute.org/cutswoodacademy.html |
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American
Indian Services
American Indian Services (AIS) is a nonprofit organization that
assists Native Americans in developing their human and natural
resources in order to help them make a contribution to society
without detracting from the culture and background from which
they have emerged. Over the last forty years, AIS scholarships
have made it possible for thousands of Native Americans to attend
college, obtain degrees, and provide needed support in their
communities.
http://www.americanindianservices.org |
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Center
for Native American Health
The Center for Native American Health aims to be New Mexico's
best practice for Native American health workforce creation,
health equity promotion, healthy communities support and development.
http://hsc.unm.edu/community/cnah/ |
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Warsaw
Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising began on August 1,1944 when the Polish
Home Army, consisting of about 40,000 resistors, began shooting
at German troops in the streets during World War II. The Polish
resistance fighters were hoping to be relieved by the Soviet
Union’s Red Army, but the Soviet troops stopped short
on the eastern edge of the city. The Warsaw Uprising was the
largest single military effort lead by European resistance
forces during the war, but the Poles were defeated after 63
days.
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American
Radio Works: Red Runs the Vistula
"In August 1944, five years after the start of World War
II, the people of Warsaw, armed with just a few guns and gasoline
bombs, rose up against the German occupation of their city.
The uprising was meant to last just 48 hours. Instead, it went
on for two months." Listen to the hour-long documentary,
or read the transcript and supporting articles. There is also
a resource list of additional websites.
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/warsaw/
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Info
Poland: The Warsaw Uprising
"It is estimated that during the ensuing 63 days, 250,000
perished in the ruins of Warsaw. Eventually, the Home Army surrendered
to the Germans." From the University of Buffalo, Info Poland
has great content but horrible navigation. To progress from
page to page, look for the tiny right arrow near the upper right.
If there is no right arrow, you may have landed in a new browser
tab. If so, close your current browser tab/window in order to
return to the main exhibit.
http://info-poland.buffalo.edu/exhib/warsaw/ |
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Polish
Underground Movement Study Trust
Founded in London in 1947, the Polish Underground Movement Study
Trust is a research institution that collects data about Polish
resistance (1939-1945) during World War II. Their website is
a treasure trove of articles for high-school and college students.
"Almost from the start the Soviet Union showed an openly
hostile attitude to the uprising. The roots of this attitude
lay in the Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin's idea of Poland's
future, which was totally contrary to that of the Polish government-in-exile
led by Stanislaw Mikolajczyk."
http://studium.org.uk/index.php/en/ |
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Project
InPosterum: Warsaw Uprising 1944
Warsaw Uprising 1944 is my pick of the day because it offers
great content in a modern layout that is easy to traverse. It
is published by the nonprofit Project InPosterum, whose purpose
is to promote educational material about World War II and it's
effect on Central and Eastern Europe. Visit for the Timeline,
Photos, and FAQ. "The Polish Underground State was a covert
administrative, political, and military structure operating
in occupied Poland during World War 2 (1939–1945). The
Underground State organized, coordinated and engaged in resistance
against German forces."
http://www.warsawuprising.com |
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Warsaw
Rising
Use your mouse scroll wheel or the down button to scroll through
Chapter 4 of Warsaw Rising. It covers the Polish Underground
State from 1939 to 1945. The background music can be disabled
by clicking on the music note button in the right-hand bottom
corner. This interactive exhibit was produced in cooperation
with the Warsaw Rising Museum to mark the 70th anniversary
of the Warsaw Uprising.
http://www.warsawrising.eu/?chapter=4
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Photography
Tips and Tutorials
Nowadays, digital photography includes both cell phones and
standalone cameras, but most of the following tutorials focus
on digital single-lens reflex or mirrorless cameras that allow
you to control aperture, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity.
But keep in mind, there is no need to go overboard with equipment.
With creativity and know-how you can create excellent photos
with even the simplest (or oldest) of cameras.
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Digital
Photography School
Darren Rowse is the "digital photography enthusiast"
behind Digital Photography School, which includes a large tips-section
and an active user-forum. If you're looking for a place to start,
there is a Tips for Beginners section listed under Tips &
Tutorials. The Forum discussion board includes weekly assignments,
a place to share your pictures, and a section for member critiques
(please read the rules and do not submit more than one critique
request per day.)
http://digital-photography-school.com |
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Exposure
Guide
Exposure Guide has short tutorials divided into Photography
Basics, Photography Tips, and Image Editing. Their most popular
posts are listed in the right-hand column and include topics
such as Exposure 101, White Balance, and Focusing Basics. "Focus
enables you to isolate a subject and specifically draw the viewer's
eye to exactly where you want it. The first thing to understand
about focus is depth of field."
http://www.exposureguide.com |
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Photonhead.com:
Beginner's Guide to Photography
"Taking a great photograph has nothing to do with new cameras,
fancy accessories, or rules of thirds. The difference is how
you ... the photographer ... see the world and capture it on
film." With this philosophy, Photonhead presents a Beginner's
Guide to Photography, Photography Tips, Photo Editing Tips,
and (drum roll, please) SimCam. The SimCam (a camera simulator)
is an interactive exercise that demonstrates the sometimes confusing
concepts of aperture, film speed, and camera shake. Even if
you only use a point-and-shoot digital camera, understanding
these basics will make you a better photographer.
http://www.photonhead.com |
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Short
Courses
Short Courses is my digital photography pick of day for its
encyclopedic collection of online tutorials. Topics include
choosing a camera, using a digital camera, desktop lighting,
and digital photography workflow. In addition to the free online
courses, author Dennis Curtin sells a series of books about
specific digital cameras, such as "A Short Course in the
Fine Art of Classic Fuji X100T Photography."
http://www.shortcourses.com |
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Udemy:
Karl Taylor's Free Photography Course
Udemy is an online learning marketplace where anyone can take
a course or create a course to teach others. Karl Taylor has
enrolled more than 93,430 students in his Free Photography
Course that introduces DSLR photography in fourteen lessons.
" Some of these lessons are online videos and others
are downloadable PDF fact sheets. You can take on the lessons
at your own pace. There is no time limit so enjoy the learning
at a pace that suits your daily routine."
https://www.udemy.com/karl-taylors-free-photography-course/
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Voting
Rights Act of 1965
On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting
Rights Act into law. Its purpose was to remove legal barriers
at the state and municipal levels that prevented Black Americans
from voting. Then in 2013, key aspects of the law were struck
down by the Supreme Court. As the 50th anniversary of the
original bill approaches, Congress is working on an amended
version that would fix the enforcement issues caused by the
Supreme Court two years ago.
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History:
Voting Rights Act
"After the U.S. Civil War (1861- 65), the 15th Amendment,
ratified in 1870, prohibited states from denying a male citizen
the right to vote based on ‘race, color or previous condition
of servitude.' Nevertheless, in the ensuing decades, various
discriminatory practices were used to prevent African Americans,
particularly those in the South, from exercising their right
to vote." Visit History for an overview of the Voting Rights
Act explained with videos, articles and speeches.
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/voting-rights-act
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Leadership
Conference: Voting Rights Act
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition
of more than 200 U.S. organizations promoting and protecting
civil rights. "Congress has reauthorized the VRA four times,
most recently in 2006, when both the House and the Senate approved
the measure overwhelmingly in a bipartisan manner. Congress
conducted more than 20 hearings, heard from more than 90 expert
witnesses, and collected more than 15,000 pages of testimony
documenting the continued need for and constitutionality of
the statute."
http://www.civilrights.org/voting-rights/vra/?referrer=http://www.surfnetkids.com/resources/voting-rights-act-of-1965/
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New
York Times: Between the Lines of the Voting Rights Act Opinion
This interactive special from the New York Times explains the
2015 Supreme Court decision that held part of the 1965 Voting
Rights Act unconstitutional. "The decision in Shelby County
v. Holder revolves around Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act,
which establishes a ‘coverage formula' to determine which
states and local governments fall under Section 5, and therefore
need to get approval before changing their voting laws."
Suitable for high-school students, grownups, and lawyer wannabes.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/06/25/us/annotated-supreme-court-decision-on-voting-rights-act.html?_r=0
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Teaching
Tolerance: The Voting Rights Act, 1965 and beyond
This classroom resource has something for both students and
teachers. Students should look through the videos and PDFs listed
under Materials Needed. These include topics such as Voting
Issues Today, States with Voting Restrictions and Percentage
of Registered Voters in Black Voting-Age Population. For teachers,
there are lesson plans for grades 6 to 12. For everyone, there
are additional resources listed at the bottom of the page, under
the headline You Might Also Like.
http://www.tolerance.org/lesson/voting-rights-act-1965-and-beyond
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US
Department of Justice: Voting Rights Act of 1965
This Department of Justice site summarizes the history of
federal voting rights laws, from the 1965 enactment of the
Voting Rights Act to the 2006 amendments, which "eliminated
the provision for voting examiners." Click on Recent
Activity (in the left-hand menu) to learn about the June 25,
2013 Supreme Court decision that held certain parts of the
Voting Rights Act unconstitutional.
http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/intro/intro_b.php
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Manhattan
Project
The Manhattan Project (1939 – 1946) was a secret
military research and development project to produce a nuclear
weapon during World War II. The project began because it was
feared that Nazi Germany was working on a similar plan. Some
of the world’s best scientists, engineers and mathematicians
participated in the Manhattan Project, which produced four
atomic bombs. Two of these were dropped on Japan in 1945,
resulting in their unconditional surrender.
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American
Museum of Natural History: The Manhattan Project
"In 1938, three chemists working in a laboratory in Berlin
made a discovery that would alter the course of history: they
split the uranium atom. The energy released when this splitting,
or fission, occurs is tremendous — enough to power a bomb.
But before such a weapon could be built, numerous technical
problems had to be overcome." Visit to read about the letter
Albert Einstein wrote to U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt suggesting
that the US work on an atomic bomb and Einstein's reaction to
the bombing of Hiroshima.
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/einstein/peace-and-war/the-manhattan-project |
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Atomic
Archive: The Manhattan Project
"Beginning with the scientific developments of the pre-war
years, the monograph details the role of United States government
in conducting a secret, nationwide enterprise that took science
from the laboratory and into combat with an entirely new type
of weapon." This 99-page site offers a detailed look at
the Manhattan Project, starting with the Einstein letter of
1938 and ending with the creation of the Atomic Energy Commission
in 1947.
http://www.atomicarchive.com/History/mp/ |
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Contra
Costa County Office of Education: The Race to Build the Atomic
Bomb
This is an excellent site, but suffers from an outdated design.
The key to getting the most out of your visit is to understand
that you need to scroll horizontally to view the content. Start
with the timeline, then continue down the menu (scroll left
to see the menu) to Competition, Exodus of Scientists, Physics,
Those Responsible, and Research. The site also has lesson plans
for teachers and a fantastic list of additional resources.
http://www.cccoe.k12.ca.us/abomb/timeline.htm |
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US
Dept of Energy: The Manhattan Project, an Interactive History
"The advent of nuclear weapons, made possible by the Manhattan
Project, not only helped bring an end to the Second World War
— it ushered in the atomic age and determined how the next
war, the Cold War, would be fought." Although many sub-sections
of this site remain unfinished, there is enough here to warrant
a visit. Best clicks include Adventures Inside the Atom (a comic
book history of nuclear energy produced in 1948), List of Events
(a timeline guide to the Atomic Era), and the list of Department
of Energy publications that are available as PDFs (look in Resources.)
https://www.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-history/index.htm |
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US
History: The Manhattan Project
"In late 1941, the American effort to design and build
an atomic bomb received its code name — the Manhattan
Project. At first the research was based at only a few universities
— Columbia University, the University of Chicago and
the University of California at Berkeley." Use the Next/Back
links at the top and bottom of the page to traverse the site,
and be sure to check out the related links in the left-hand
column.
http://www.ushistory.org/us/51f.asp
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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/
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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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