PDF - American Indian Graduate Center

Transcription

The
Traditions to
Scholarships
American Indian
Graduate
Winter 2006
Inside this Issue:
• AIGC 2006 Annual
Conference
Walking in Two Worlds
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Table of Contents
The American Indian Graduate
Volume 6, Number 1
A Publication of the American
Indian Graduate Center
4520 Montgomery Blvd., NE
Suite 1B
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Phone: (505) 881-4584
Fax: (505) 884-0427
Volume 6, Number 1 • Winter 2006
5
From the President of the Board
Greeting from Shenan Atcitty President of
the Board of Directors
6
A Personal Perspective
By Dr. Michael Pavel
8 All Native American High School Academic Team
By Marveline Vallo and Susan Duran
11 Honoring Vine Deloria, Jr.
By Dr. Daniel Wildcat
12 AIGC Fellows Update
By Susan Duran
Website: www.aigcs.org
Publisher
Joan V. Currier
Acting Inerim Director
There Just Wasn’t Enough Time
Susan Duran
Consulting Editor
Jim Weidlein
Production Editor
AIGC All Native American High School
Academic Team Recipients Selected for 2006
Carolyn S. Tate
Design & Layout
AIGC Board of Directors
Shenan Atcitty, President
A Modern Vision-Seeker
Diné
Elizabeth L. Washburn,
Vice President
Chickasaw
The Alumni Connection
David Mahooty, Treasurer
Zuni
Joanne Sebastian Morris, Secretary
13Through the Eyes of a Student
My Conference Experience
By Rahmatullah Cholas
Cayuga
David Powless
Oneida
Kathryn W. Shanley
14The Power of Vision
Sharing Our Stories to Inspire Change
Elizabeth L. Washburn
By D.J. Vanas
Dee Ann DeRoin, M.D.
15
A Special Meeting
Nakota (Assiniboine)
Chickasaw
Ioway Tribe of Kansas
Grayson B. Noley
The AIGCS Male Initiative
By Shawn Secatero
16
Council of 100
By Dr. Henrietta Mann
Choctaw
Melanie P. Fritzsche
Pueblo of Laguna
Cover
Thinking Back, Looking Forward
Continued on page 4
Photo art by: Louis Baca, Santa
Clara Pueblo; Design and layout by:
Andrea Multari, Whole Brain Design
Cover Title: “Walking in Two Worlds”
Table of Contents
17
Accenture American Indian Scholarship Fund
Congratulations to the 2006 Recipients
18
The New Generation
A Champion for AIGC
19
By Christa Moya and Shawn Secatero
Community in Conference
AIGC Conference 2006
By Dawn Karima Pettigrew
21
Inside the 2006 Conference
By Susan Duran
24
A Lifetime of Greatness
Many People – One Voice
A Tribute to Vine Deloria, Jr.
25
One Participant’s Story
Sacred Space in the Land of
Enchantment
26
Gates Scholars
By Gabriel Bell
33
An Act of Remembrance
By John Belindo
34
Giving Back – Completing the Circle
36
Honoring Past Council of 100 Co-Chair
By W. Richard West, Jr.
42
A Loss For Indian Country
By Susan Duran
Bell Advances Indian Country
Honoring Vine Deloria, Jr.
2005 – 2006 John Rainer
Fellowship Recipient
The Life and Work of Vine
Deloria, Jr.
In Memory of John Mohawk,
Ph.D.
By Raymond F. Reyes, Ph.D.
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2006 AIGC, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published submissions and advertisements do not necessarily
reflect the views of AIGC, Inc.
“Walking in Two Worlds” conference participants
From the President of the Board
Greeting from Shenan Atcitty
President of the Board of Directors
W
armest greetings—Honored Elders, Tribal Leaders,
Scholars, Donors, Supporters, Students and Friends.
Norbert Hill provided visionary leadership overseeing the growth of AIGC, during the six years he served
as Executive Director, and we are deeply appreciative of his
service and commitment to Indian education, leadership and
community development. He will be missed and we wish
Norbert great success in all of his new endeavors.
It is my intent and vision to continue the stellar work of
AIGC in partnership with the talented and dedicated staff,
who are truly the heart and soul of the organization. As you
know, in addition to administering graduate scholarships and
fellowships, AIGC administers the American Indian/Alaska
Native (AI/AN) component of the Gates Millennium Scholarship (GMS) program. Starting at the undergraduate level,
the GMS program provides educational assistance to students
of high academic achievement who meet specific financial
aid requirements.
Each year, 150 of the nation’s top American Indian/
Alaska Native high school seniors are admitted into the
GMS program. Over the 20-year tenure of the program,
a cadre of over 3,000 of the nation’s top native scholars
will have earned their undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate and/or professional degrees through the GMS
program. Additionally, thousands of incredibly talented,
“non-GMS” American Indian/Alaska Native graduate and
undergraduate scholars will also complete their educational careers and will assume their place as professionals,
within a vast array of career fields, both within and outside of tribal governments and Native organizations. This
influx of Native scholars is unprecedented in the history
of our people and one can only imagine the impact these
students will have on the future of their tribes, their communities and the American Indian/Alaskan Native population as a whole—not to mention the impact they will
have on the nation and, indeed, the world.
It is our sacred and moral responsibility to provide these
scholars and future leaders with all the support and encouragement they need and deserve throughout their educational
endeavors. The investment we make in our future leaders will
have an incalculable return on the betterment of our people
for generations to come. We must be mindful that our cur-
rent and future scholars
are also looking to us to
provide them with the
cultural grounding and
traditional knowledge
that makes them truly
unique among their
non-native GMS and
other academic peers.
Just as we stand upon
the proud accomplishments of our fathers,
mothers, grandparents
and extended families,
Shenan Atcitty
we must provide steady
footing and a strong foundation from which our children can
grow and prosper.
My vision is that, within the nourishing warmth and
safety of a cocoon formed by you; the Council of 100; surrounded and inspired by established American Indian and
Alaska Native professionals in the American Indian Professional Association and guided and encouraged by graduate and post-graduate students, our cadre of thousands of
AIGC scholars and fellows can reach their full potential.
They will become empowered and enabled to lead us and
their children, our grandchildren, into a prosperous and
spiritually grounded future that will warm the hearts of our
ancestors—for our ancestors will see and know, that above
all else, we preserved our cultural identity, grew our intellectual capacity and maintained our pride and honor as
Native people in a world that sorely needs our leadership,
now more than ever before.
Come and invest with us in our most precious resource
and let us truly give back as we move forward. Our ancestors
did that for us and it is the least, yet most important, thing
that we can do for our people and our future. It is our legacy,
it is our destiny—and it is our sacred responsibility in the
history of our people to do this.
Thanks to all of you who have supported, and continue
to support, our mission of “building, promoting and honoring
self-sustaining American Indian and Alaska Native communities, through education and leadership.” ✦
There Just Wasn’t Enough Time
By Dr. Michael Pavel
A
IGC’s annual conference, “Walking in Two
Worlds”, was out of this world! Held at the
amazing Sandia Resort and Casino, AIGC put
together a jam-packed agenda, featuring leading Native
traditional elders, community leaders, scholars, grassroots program developers, undergraduate students,
and graduate students from across the country. Sandia
Resort and Casino is an extraordinary venue to have a
conference, boasting stunning architecture, world class
artwork, breathtaking views, a top level golf course, firstrate workout facilities and thousands of little machines
going ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding,
ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. It was fun and
Sandia Resort and Casino’s staff provided top-level service to make it even ‘ fun’er’.
The conference organizers promised to put together a gathering, where high school and college students
would have direct access to prominent Native Americans, and they scored a major success as many Native
students took the opportunity to meet one-on-one with
elders, scholars and community leaders before, during
and after formal presentation times. Shenan Atcitty,
President of the AIGC Board of Directors, welcomed
everyone in a warm and inspirational way. Dr. Henrietta
Mann opened our minds to the possibilities of “Walking
in Two Worlds.” It was truly inspirational, literally. One
Alaska Native woman in graduate school composed this
poem after listening to Dr. Henri Mann (see sidebar).
Students were able to interact with prominent leaders
because every one of the established people in their fields
came with the intention of making themselves available
to interact with the future of Indian country. And I got in
on some of that action myself! It was an opportunity for
me to say hello to Dan Wildcat, who co-authored the last
book Vine Deloria worked on, Power and Place. When I
introduced myself to Dan, he acted like he knew me and
made me feel like somebody. It was an honor to everyone who had a chance to talk with, or get a book from,
Dan during his book signing because they walked away
feeling important. I had the unbelievable opportunity to
visit with Rick West, Executive Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, and feel
Dr. Pavel (far right) and Floyd Westerman (center) with students
and parents.
first hand what it is like to grow up to become one of the
nation’s most important protectors of our ancestral past
and tomorrow’s legacy. What an approachable and gracious man. That says something about our ancestors and
certainly says something about the type of people we all
should strive to become. Thank you, Rick.
I visited with Floyd ‘Red Crow’ Westerman and he
treated me like a nephew. It was humbling having him
personally share with me the incredible stories of how
he met Vine Deloria and how Vine convinced him to
tell the history of our people through song. I was a fly
on the wall listening to Henrietta Mann and Floyd talk
about the pains of growing old, while glistening with
glee about the moments of their youth. Time after time,
Floyd stole the moment with one of his masterfully delivered jokes (have him tell you the one about the old man
and the talking frog!).
Every time I see him, I have to run up to Howard
Rainer to say hi; just like I was 18 years old again and
seeing him for the first time. He is simply one of the
most inspirational speakers of our time and brought the
house down in an astonishing presentation, during a luncheon honoring the Gates Millennium Scholars, which
gave us a glimpse into the life and times of an incredibly
talented group of Native students going on to college.
People were actually eating and serving themselves when
Howard was scheduled to speak. Howard got up to the
podium, faced the situation with the frank honesty that
Once, I Saw Our Path
We are strong because
We have lived through winter massacres,
starved marches and
influenzas,
decimating.
We are strong because we caught
fish, killed bear and buffalo and
ate the goodness
of our lands.
We are strong because we wade through
their words, and ours,
because we survive
alcoholism,
diabetes,
poverty,
abuse.
Why are we strong?
Because we have to be, because
we were to get here.
We are strong because
we made it this far,
and we have grown
longer legs
to take the next big steps.
Success?
Is living off past strength to become
strength of the future.
Is fighting back with
healthy families,
good dreams,
strong selves.
Success?
Is grandchildren hugging grandmothers,
the rich smell of smoked salmon,
proud generations, toothless smiles.
It is a free flowing of our rivers,
and of the rivers of our peoples.
It is our fist raised to the sky,
while our feet grow deep,
so deep,
into this
earth.
A. Noelle Phillips, 2006
Washington State University
he lives by, and said in the clearest and most passionate
voice, “Ladies and gentlemen, I know it is going to be
hard to compete with the pizza and talk to you while
you are eating but I have something important to share.”
He then launched into telling us about the most influential people of his life, family from Taos Pueblo that
made a profound difference by being deeply committed
to their culture and community. He then pointed out a
dozen people in the audience and listed their numerous
accomplishments, showing all of us that to be great we
had to recognize the greatness in others. I got up after
his presentation and walked over to him and one of the
elders from the Taos Pueblo to give both a hug; to say in
some small way, thank you.
Another guest speaker at lunch, Dr. George Blue
Spruce of Laguna/San Juan Pueblo (the first Indian
dentist) motivated us with a stirring story of how one
Indian dentist has grown into hundreds. What an amazing story. Another luncheon honored AIGC Fellows and
Scholarship recipients and the guest speaker was Governor Joe Garcia of the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo and
President of the National Congress of American Indians.
Governor Garcia gave a talk that provided all of us with
a sense of security that we were in good hands. The presence of all these speakers gave testimony to the fact that
there is a tremendous array of Native talent and leadership in the Southwest (and this coming from a Northwest Coast Indian J).
One afternoon, I sat in a Talking Circle that emanated truth, humility and integrity, as members of the circle
shared their aspirations, fears and desires. Quietly walks
in Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, who sat next to his
dear friend Henri Mann, who was facilitating the Talking Circle. He smiled at each of us in such a way that we
became his relatives. When it came time for him to speak,
we all became spellbound by his own story of courage and
persistence and he gifted us with the feeling that we could
be just like him. Imagine that…. we could, and should,
dream of becoming the next generations of Senator Ben
Nighthorse Campbell, one of our history’s greatest political voices. Wow! Then, one evening, Ben gave a keynote
address that was one of the most powerful talks I have
ever heard. This man is an American hero and his story of
persistence and accomplishments rivals that of any political leader in the histories of our nations.
I introduced myself to Shenan Atcitty, President of the
AIGC Board of Directors, during a pretty busy part of the
her day, to ask if she knew my sister, Mary Pavel, because
they are both lawyers in DC. “Yes!”, Shenan said, and then
took the time to ask about my sister’s daughter, the family
Continued on page 38
All Native American High School Academic Team
AIGC All Native American High School
Academic Team Recipients Selected for 2006
By Marveline Vallo and Susan Duran
T
he AIGC All American High School Academic
Team gives national recognition to American
Indian/Alaska Native students who demonstrate
superior success in academics, leadership and American Indian community service. The goal in recognizing
these students is to motivate academic excellence and the
pursuit of higher education among American Indian and
Alaska Native students and prepare them to be future
leaders and role models.
Each year, ten of the most outstanding American
Indian/Alaska Native students, from across the country are selected to the All Native American High School
Academic Team. Recipients are high school juniors and
seniors, enrolled full-time in an accredited high school,
who display exemplary academic, leadership and community service achievements. The students selected for
this award receive monetary awards and are invited to be
special guests at the American Indian Graduate Center’s
annual conference in Albuquerque.
The Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation, Inc.
also believes that education of today’s youth is the cornerstone for tomorrow’s future and the American Indian Graduate Center is proud and honored to have the
Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation as a sponsor of
the All Native American High School Academic Team.
During the 2006 AIGC annual conference, “Walking in Two Worlds,” All Native American High School
Academic Team recipients were especially honored to
have their awards personally presented by President of
the Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation, R. Guy
Vickers. Mr. Vickers was also the keynote speaker for
the luncheon honoring the All Native American High
School Academic Team.
Congratulations to the 2006 AIGC All American
Indian High School Academic Team:
Madeline M. Anna (Choctaw-Cherokee) graduated
from Liberty High School (which is ranked as one of the
top 500 high schools in the country). She is a freshman
R. Guy Vickers congratulates All Native American Academic
Team Recipient Craig Cheresposy.
attending Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado,
for the 2006-2007 academic
year, pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree. Madeline has been
accepted into their College of
Agricultural Sciences and plans
to major in Landscape Architecture. She was also accepted
into the Colorado State University Honors Program. She helped Madeline M. Anna
create a mentoring and transition program for incoming
freshman, is a Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Conference Ambassador and a very strong lacrosse player.
Nicholas C. Benally (Navajo) is our only high school
senior on this year’s All American Indian High School
Academic Team. He is a senior at
Kirtland Central High School in
New Mexico, where he carries a
3.88 GPA. Nicholas has received
and Outstanding Achievement
Award for the Upward Bound
summer program, Native American Government Class and was
the Business Professionals of
America Chapter President, Kirt- Nicholas C. Benally
land Central High School New
Mexico Student Body Secretary and the 2006-2007 New
Mexico Business Professionals of America State Secretary.
He also volunteers at the Save the Children Foundation
as a tutor and mentor. Described as being motivated and
dedicated, Nicholas has excelled in college-level history,
reading, writing and critical analysis courses and runs
cross-country.
Beau Biron (Cowlitz) graduated from Waldport High
School in Waldport, Oregon.
He is attending Oregon State
University and is majoring in
Civil Engineering. His leadership roles include student government—Treasurer, Sergeant
at Arms, member and Secretary
of the Key Club and President Beau Biron
of the Honors Society. Beau was the primary actor in the
Lincoln County Methamphetamine Awareness Program,
which is currently receiving airtime all across the state of
Oregon. He also served the next generation of his community, as an assistant T-Ball coach, and is active in football, basketball and baseball, receiving many awards.
Lisa Byars (Confederated Tribes
of the Grande Ronde Community) will be attending Penn State
University-Altoona, seeking a
Bachelors of Science degree in
Kinesiology. She was captain of
the Punxsutawney High School
volleyball team and recognized as MVP, both as a junior
and senior. Lisa is a member of
the National Honor Society, a
Homecoming Queen and was a Lisa Byars
member of the Punxsutawney High School Math Team
her junior and senior years. Her outstanding endeavor
was completing, organizing and running a family readi-
ness program fundraiser for the military, in honor of her
mother, who served in the U.S. armed forces for 19 years.
Lisa is described as very intelligent and creative, with a
magnetic personality.
Craig Cheresposy (Pueblo of
Laguna) will be attending the
University of Arizona, seeking
a Bachelors degree in Computer
Science and Business Management. He graduated from Laguna-Acoma High School with a
GPA of 3.89. Craig is a member
of the National Honor Society
and was recognized as a ‘Star
Scholar”—top 10% in the State Craig Cheresposy
of New Mexico. He was the 2004-05 Class President,
2005-06 Student Council President and Captain of both
the varsity football and basketball teams. Among other
activities, Craig volunteered at an orphanage and helped
feed the homeless in Chile, South America, while staying with a host family. Family and friends describe Craig
as ambitious, polite and cordial.
Laura J. Gravley (Muscogee-Creek) will be attending
Stanford University, pursuing
a Bachelor of Science degree
in Economics and International Relations, with a minor
in Spanish. She was one of
three awarded the Washington
State Indian Association Merit
Scholarship, is a National Honors Society member and has
earned 12 varsity athletics let- Laura J. Gravley
ters and several athletic awards, including ‘Most Inspirational’. Laura was the Washington Business Week Chief
Executive Officer for March 2005, Yearbook Editor and
National Honor Society Historian for 2004-05. She is
committed to her community, as an Indian Education
Elementary Reading Buddy, migrant summer school volunteer, soccer camp coach and family literacy advocate.
Laura is described as having ‘superb energy’, integrity and
a great sense of humor.
Brittnea S. Nemecek (Choctaw) graduated from Allen
High School in Allen, Oklahoma. She plans on attending East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma to pursue a
degree in Nursing. Brittnea has chaired fundraisers for the
American Red Cross, March of Dimes, Relay for Life and
The AIGC All American High School Academic Team gives
national recognition to American Indian/Alaska Native students
who demonstrate superior success in academics, leadership and
American Indian community service.
Multiple Sclerosis and is described
as being dependable, reliable and
responsible. Brittnea also cares for
elders, by coordinating activities
such as nursing home visits, and
has become known as an adopted
granddaughter by many of those
she visits. Among other outstanding awards, she is on the Governor’s
Honor Roll, is active in FFA and an Brittnea S. Nemecek
All Star basketball player.
Ryan J. Sierra (Cherokee) is attending Northeastern State University in
Tahlequah, Oklahoma. His plans
are to major in Biology and minor in
Cherokee Studies, with an emphasis in Cherokee Language. Ryan
plans to transfer to the University of
Oklahoma Health Science Center to
continue his education as a pre-med
student. Ryan is consistently on the Ryan J. Sierra
Superintendents Honor Roll, is a member of the National
Honor Society, Senior Class President and is concurrently
reenrolled in college courses while attending high school.
He is known for his poetry, since he won first place in
the Masonic Lodge poetry contest, and as an All District
tight end and Captain of the Sequoya High School football team. Ryan volunteers for the City, Tribal Church,
Children’s Hospital and drug-free basketball and is noted
for possessing tremendous leadership skills.
Nolan Smith-Kaprosy (Bay Mills
Indian Community) graduated
from West High School in Green
Bay, Wisconsin, with a GPA of
3.9. He will attend Yale University and seek a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, with
a minor in International Studies.
Nolan placed 15th at the International DECA competition in
Anaheim, California, was select- Nolan Smith-Kaprosy
ed for the United States Senate Youth Program, served as
National Honor Society President and Secretary, was Tennis Team Captain, Green Bay Intra-city Student Council
Prsident and Writer/Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper. Most of his volunteer hours are spent at the Anna
John Nursing Home on the Oneida Reservation. Nolan is
intelligent, hard working and a pleasure to be around.
Yazzie K. Voigt (Navajo) has
been accepted into the Honors
College at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, where he
will major in Computer Science.
He attended Prairie City High
School in Prairie City, Oregon
and finished with a 4.0 GPA.
Yazzie has always been fascinated by electronics and was the
only freshman member of ‘Stu- Yazzie K. Voigt
dents Repairing Used Technology’. He was responsible for
the construction of over 20 of the school’s new computers
and is described as hard working, honest and caring for
those around him. He was Prairie High School’s Team
Captain for both football and basketball. ✦
Please visit www.aigcs.org for details on eligibility criteria and
application procedure.
10
Honoring Vine Deloria. Jr.
A Modern Vision-Seeker
By Dr. Daniel Wildcat
I
t was only fitting that this year’s annual conference
of the American Indian Graduate Center, Walking
in Two Worlds, would honor the late Vine Deloria,
Jr. It would be difficult to imagine an American Indian
whose own life’s work better embodied the vision of the
AIGC than Vine. Can anyone think of a human being
who did more to challenge us to “focus our intent, our
spirit and our traditions to build a better tomorrow for
Indian people”?
As Henrietta Mann, Richard West, John Belindo
and Floyd ‘Red Crow’ Westerman reminded all of us
with their good words and remembrances of Vine, his
greatest accomplishment was that he stayed true to so
much that we admire in our traditions: intellect, honesty, humility, resilience, respect, courage and certainly
humor. Above all else, Vine embodied what it meant to
be a good human being—in this he excelled.
Dr. Henrietta Mann recalled Vine Deloria, Jr. as aweinspiring, courageous and a force to be reckoned with
when he wielded his razor-sharp wit. Vine had an ability
to make people think, feel humility and laugh at the same
time: it is a gift I wish more young Indians possessed.
Vine used his keen wit to skewer ignorance, bigotry and
prejudice in American Society. Re-read ‘Custer Died for
Your Sins’, ‘God Is Red’ and ‘Spirit and Reason’, and marvel at an intellectual who possessed humor and honed the
ability to use it in ordinary language to address complex
ideas and realities. Dr. Mann reminded all of us that Vine
was a human being “who filled our spirits, but who sometimes danced out of step, to make us laugh and to show us
there was another way of seeing the world.”
Richard West, Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian, echoed
Dr. Mann’s remarks and reminded us that Vine affirmed
throughout his work “the value and authenticity of
Native knowledge and tradition.” Who better to remind
us than Mr. West that, for Vine, Native peoples are not
anthropological artifacts and stereotypes, but “complete
and multi-dimensional human beings, not the ‘other’,
but part of the ‘we’ of humankind and, finally, Native
peoples with a spiritual center and practice that is vital
and enduring”. Mr. West closed his remarks with a challenge: those of us fortunate to find paths illuminated by
the spiritual and intellectual power of the person Vine
Dr. Daniel Wildcat
Deloria, Jr. “must have the courage to follow them – for
the sake of all of those who follow us.”
Mr. John Belindo’s personal remarks and reminiscences about Vine reminded many of us of, and introduced a
number of young Indians in the audience to, Vine’s charismatic leadership of the National Congress of American
Indians during the mid-sixties. Mr. Belindo spoke eloquently and movingly about how one man – Vine Deloria,
Jr. – would forever change his life. Belindo’s moving and
at times emotional reflections on Vine made us remember,
what we too often forget, one vision-seeking human being
can make a difference in this world.
As the evening’s honoring of Vine Deloria, Jr. concluded with Floyd ‘Red Crow’ Westerman’s songs,
inspired by Vine’s work Custer Died for Your Sins, I could
not help but think of the many young Natives, like
myself, who had been inspired by Vine. I thought of how
he was so generous with his support and criticism, when
both were well deserved. Ultimately, everyone’s comments regarding the man, Vine Deloria, Jr., reminded
me of what I most treasured in my friendship with Vine.
One can be intellectual without being arrogant and
possess humility without being weak – one should not
worry about being a saint or a savior, but do their best to
be a good human being. I think all would agree after the
AIGC “ Honoring of Vine Deloria, Jr.” in Albuquerque
on September, 22, that Vine left us a lot of good work to
do as vision-seeking human beings. ✦
11
AIGC Fellows Update
The Alumni Connection
By Susan Duran
Class of 1998
Alicia J. (Lechtenberger) Jividen (Cherokee),
M.B.A., 1998, Western New Mexico University
Class of 2005
Gorotia Donia (Romero) Edwards (Nooksack)
M.Ed., 2004, Western Washington University
“The American Indian Graduate Center enabled me
to change my life. Through the money granted to me,
I was able to graduate at the top of my class, with my
Master’s Degree in Business Administration. I later
went on to manage a million dollar budget, as Marketing Manager for a gaming company and, later still, to
become a Senior Sales Executive for another major gaming company. Now however, I have changed my career
and will graduate, in August 2006, as a Certified Fashion Designer, through the University of Nevada – Las
Vegas. I now own my own company, Alicia’s Intimates,
and design and retail women’s clothing. Please visit my
web site: www.aliciasintmates.com. Thank you to the
American Indian Graduate Center for empowering me
to become the great business woman I am today!“
“For my graduate work, I completed a research project
on transition services for students with learning disabilities. I am proud to announce that my daughter is now
pursuing a graduate degree from Evergreen University.”
Class of 2002 Dr. Miranda Haskie (Navajo) Ed.D., 2002, Fielding
Graduate University
“Thank you for the scholarship! Through your commitment to Indian Education, one more Native American
received her Doctorate.”
Class of 2005
Angela Wiley (Muskogee Creek), B.S., 2001,
University of Oklahoma
“I have completed the requirements for the master of
human relations degree, so I will not be attending classes
for Spring 2006. Thank you for working with me and
I appreciate all the financial help AIGC has given me.
Because of AIGC, I was financially able to support my
two children, attend college full-time, earn my master’s
degree and earn a 4.0 GPA in my graduate studies. I will
send an official transcript when the degree is confirmed.
Thank you very much!”
12
Class of 200?
Tracie Tuck-Davis (Chickasaw) CPA, MBA,
Cameron University
“Thanks for helping all the many students, who may not
otherwise ever attend graduate school. Your assistance
was critical and instrumental to me. Thanks again.”
(Tracie currently works with Lummi Nation Head
Start)
Class of 2006 Randy M. Quinn (Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa) MBA,
Duke University
“I graduated from Duke University with an MBA, in
May and will be heading for Dallas, Texas to begin
the next phase of my career. My wife, Erin, who is six
months pregnant with our first child, is excited about
the move. I would like to express my sincerest appreciation to AIGC for all the help and care during the pursuit
of my degree.” ✦
Notes:
To insure that we have all your current information,
please take a minute to visit our web site (aigcs.org)
or send an email to ([email protected]) to update your
information (be sure to include your previous address
so we know we have the right individual).
We’re very proud of all our alumni, so… while
you’re updating your information, please let us know
what’s been going on with you.
Though the Eyes of a Student
My Conference Experience
By Rahmatullah Cholas
T
he 2006 AIGC Annual Conference truly had an
impact on me. The conference focused on the important theme of “Walking in Two Worlds”. This is a
subject with which I struggle; trying to understand how
to balance living in mainstream society, while maintaining
native traditions and identity. This conference touched on
many different aspects of this topic and highlighted examples of people who have been able to give back to their Native
communities, while achieving notable careers and positions
in mainstream society.
Many sessions during the conference also dealt with
some of the major issues facing Native communities, such
as low educational rates, drug abuse and unemployment.
On the other hand, the conference also looked at positive
aspects of Native culture. I particularly enjoyed the Native
storytelling, like the story about the porcupine that killed a
buffalo, wonderfully told by Ed Edmo! The Talking Circles
were also very inspiring and
the GMS male initiative,
where the Native male Gates
Millennium Scholars shared
their experiences of pursuing
higher education, was truly a
unique experience.
A main highlight of
Karilyn Haozous and
the conference for me was
Ed Edmo
meeting other participants,
particularly other Native students. We went to workshops
together and shared each other’s perspectives. We also had
fun together during lunch and dinner and looking at the
many different exhibitor and vendor booths.
Another major highlight was meeting the AIGC staff in
person. Their enthusiasm, encouragement and spirit of service
is so uplifting. They took care of us so well. Thank you! ✦
LEARN TODAY… LEAD TOMORROW
Learning is not only attaining the basic mathematical skills or using the proper English for
effective communication but also enhancing the life skills, personal growth, and leadership
skills for our communities. Office of Indian Education Programs (OIEP) is a place where
success and leadership are promoted through our K-12 educational program.
The OIEP operates 60 elementary and secondary schools, and 124 elementary and secondary
schools, are funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs which operate as grant or contract.
Our schools are located on or near 63 Indian reservations in 24 states. If you’re an educator
or a college student who is looking to return home, we invite you to explore the teaching
opportunities with us. OIEP is the place where you can apply your expertise and share your
knowledge with other Native American educators. The BIA-operated schools offer a base
salary of $35,295 with excellent retirement benefits and insurance.
For an information packet, please contact:
OIEP Human Resources - Attn: Recruitment
P.O. Box 769, Albuquerque, NM 87103
1-877-284-3822 • www.biaeducationjobs.com
13
The Power of Vison
Sharing Our Stories to Inspire Change
D.J. Vanas © 2006
I
would like to say ‘miigwetch’ (thank you) to all those
who attended our recent Council of 100 National
Conference at the beautiful Sandia Resort in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My mind and spirit are still on
fire with excitement from the experience after hearing so
many inspirational stories of struggle and success from
so many wonderful people.
With a first class event and an all-star cast, the conference reminded me of our ancient prophets who fulfilled
a very important role – they saw things not as they are, but
as they could be! Through the presentations, workshops
and discussions, the conference was filled with this power
of vision. It was refreshing to me to be with so many that
focused on what could be better in Indian Country – and
how we could make it that way with education. After all,
visions are regarded as powerful and sacred in our culture
because they are what really move people to change and
improve.
Medical studies have explored what it takes to truly
create changes in attitudes and actions. When working
with cases of very unhealthy people, they said, “If you
continue to live like this, you’ll die in two years.” Do you
think that was effective in changing people? A handful,
motivated by fear, made temporary changes but most
made none. A much better result came when the doctors
said, “If you change the way you live, imagine how you’d
feel, how you’d look, what kind of example you’d be setting for your kids.” Do you think this approach worked?
You bet it did! It took sharing a vision of what success
looks like, feels like and tastes like. This is the key to
change.
Across Indian Country we know that we’ve got problems on par with the scenario above – unhealthy situations
including the meth epidemic, a crisis high school dropout
level, violence, abuse and hopelessness infecting our communities. What will it take to change it? Not focusing
our time and energy on criticism, highlighting the flaws
or getting bogged down in the negative. What will create a change in the minds and hearts of our people is to
inspire a new vision of what we could truly be and achieve
as a people! I believe, like the American Indian Graduate
Center and the Council of 100, that a key to opening the
door to change is through the power of education. I also
14
New Council of 100 Co-Chairs, D.J. Vanas and Henrietta Mann
believe the Council of 100 can play a vital role in creating
this positive change.
My vision for the Council of 100, in 2006 and beyond,
is to start actively sharing our stories with others – in person,
in print and online. Share our successes, our failures, the
wisdom gained through struggles, the fears overcome and
the thrill of accomplishing big goals. This is not to inspire
and impress others with what we’ve done, but to inspire and
impress on others what they could do for themselves, their
families and their tribal communities! Our oral traditions
that taught lessons, values and virtues worked the same way
– they inspired others to change, to live right and to succeed – by sharing stories. The Council of 100 can lead by
example and play a critical role in this effort. We can make
things better – and it can start with us!
I’m humbled, honored and look forward to serving
as your Co-chair for the Council of 100 with a person
I highly respect as an elder, a leader and a friend – Dr.
Henrietta Mann. ✦
D.J. Eagle Bear Vanas (Odawa) is a nationally acclaimed motivational
storyteller, success coach and the author of the celebrated book, The
Tiny Warrior: A Path to Personal Discovery & Achievement and
audio CD series The Warrior Within. D.J. uses traditional warrior
concepts and wisdom to inspire people to achieve their best in life,
school and career and owns Native Discovery Inc., a company dedicated to “building the warriors of tomorrow…today.” He can be reached
at (719) 282-7747 or at http://www.nativediscovery.com
A Special Meeting
The AIGCS Male Initiative
By Shawn Secatero
A
s part of an American Indian
collect and disseminate information
Graduate Center program,
among American Indian males, to
a male initiative project was
promote post-secondary endeavors,
established this year, to promote,
male role models and leadership
retain and support American Indian
development,” said Shawn. “We are
males in college. The first of this projdefinitely excited about the positive
ect series took place at the 2006 AIGC
feedback that we are receiving about
Annual Conference, “Walking in Two
this project.”
According to the National Center
Worlds”, as twenty American Indian
Gates scholars shared their college
for Educational Statistics, the number
experiences and developed a network
of American Indian males attending
circle, as a means of offering support Walter Buffalomeat and Lyle Begay
college is only forty percent (40%)
and encouragement to one another.
compared to the predominant sixty
The Male Initiative was facilitated by Harvard Unipercent (60%) of American Indian female population
versity doctoral candidate, Lee Bitsoi, graduate student,
attending higher learning institutions.
“I feel that the session was great and we were able
Eric Manuelito, Regional Coordinator at Futures for
Children and Stanford University Graduate, and Shawn
to get to know one another and share information”, says
Secatero, a University of New Mexico doctoral student
Walter Buffalomeat, a Gates Scholar and junior at the
and AIGCS Coordinator of Student Services.
University of Oklahoma. “As Native scholars, this will
“The purpose of the AIGCS Male Initiative is to
definitely help us succeed in the future.” ✦
AIGC 2006 Annual Conference
Rick West, National Museum
of the American Indian,
and AIGC’s Development
Assistant, Leander Bekaye.
15
Council of 100
Thinking Back, Looking Forward
W
hen I was asked, as one of the new AIGC Cochairs of the Council of 100, to write an article for the American Indian Graduate, many
things crossed my mind.
I thought back to the inception of the Council, its
‘father’, Vine Deloria, Jr., and how proud his spirit must
be to see the Council celebrating its 5th anniversary. I
also thought about the remarkable diversity of tribal, traditional, professional and intelligent, outstanding men
and women that make up the Council and how honored I am to have been asked to follow Vine’s path, not
only in helping define the role of the Council as leaders,
mentors and role models, but to continue Vine’s legacy
of a passionate, lifetime pursuit of higher education for
American Indian and Alaska Native youth.
Vine knew, from personal experience, that although
it wasn’t always easy, Indian people could learn to “Walk
in Two Worlds” and, with sufficient knowledge, could
excel in both. Vine would have also been very proud of
the number of Council of 100 members who attended
the recent AIGC annual conference.
As a strong Cheyenne woman, mother, educator and
Council of 100 leader, I know it is our sacred responsibility, to both our past and our future, to demonstrate, by
example, how we can balance spirituality, cultural identity
and higher education. The higher education of our youth
is crucial. Succeeding generations must have the knowledge that will enable them to lead Indian Country forward and be a strong, united voice for indigenous people.
During the AIGC “Walking in Two Worlds” conference, I had an opportunity to meet and speak with students from across the nation. Their thirst for knowledge,
both traditional and academic, is exciting and motivating… and their reason for attending the AIGC conference?…it helps satisfy both thirsts. I am sure that Vine
was with us in spirit at the conference. After all, what better place for him to be ‘in his element’ could there be?
I have no doubts about the future of Indian Country. Like Vine, I believe that our presence and voices are
growing larger and stronger, as today’s and tomorrow’s
generations use the invaluable knowledge gained by
‘walking in two worlds’. ✦
16
Henrietta Mann and Senator Ben Nighthorse
Campbell
Henrietta Mann
Accenture American Indian Scholarship Fund
Congratulations to the 2006 Accenture
American Indian Scholarship Fund Recipients!
F
or the second year, Accenture has partnered with
the American Indian Graduate Center to bring
the Accenture American Indian Scholarship Fund
to Indian Country. This year more than 140 students
applied to the scholarship program, which seeks the
brightest American Indian and Alaska Native students.
Applicants were evaluated based on academic excellence, demonstrated leadership ability, commitment to
preserving and giving back to their American Indian
communities and proof of enrollment in a federally recognized American Indian/Alaskan Native tribe.
“Accenture is honored to contribute to the higher education of these exceptional women and men,” said Randy
Willis, senior executive sponsor of Accenture’s American
Indian Interest Group. “While there were many deserving
candidates, these students stood out as future leaders in
the American Indian community.”
Six Accenture Scholars will receive undergraduate
scholarships toward completing four-year baccalaureate
degrees:
• Laura J. Graveley, (Muscogee) of Okmulgee, OK,
will attend Stanford University
• Nolan Smith-Kaprosey, (Bay Mills Chippewa) of Fort
Snelling, MN, will attend Yale University
• Gary L. Richards Jr., (Oglala Lakota Sioux) of Pine
Ridge, SD, will attend Creighton University
• Brittnea S. Nemecek, (Choctaw) of Durant, OK, will
attend East Central University
• Jana V. Lekanoff, (Qawalangin) of Unalaska, AK,
will attend Cornell University
• Terra L. Branson, (Muscogee) of Okmulgee, OK,
will attend Dartmouth College
Four Accenture Fellows will receive graduate scholarships towards completing advanced or professional
degrees:
• Jon P. Swan, (Chippewa-Cree Rocky Boy’s) of Box
Elder, MT, will attend the Harvard Kennedy School
of Government
• Jay H. Calhoun, (Cherokee) of Tahlequah, OK, will
attend Dartmouth College
• Jeri A. Azure, (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) of Belcourt,
ND, will attend the University of North Dakota
• Dana R. Arviso, (Navajo) of Fort Defiance, AZ, will
attend the University of Washington
“Accenture is honored to contribute
to the higher education of these
exceptional women and men…”
In addition to the scholarships, these recipients will
be eligible for summer internships with Accenture as
first-year graduate students or junior-year undergraduate
students.
The students were recently honored at a celebration
event held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the
American Indian (NMAI) in Washington DC. Randy
Willis kicked off the celebration with comments on leadership and determination and the importance of giving
back to the community. The day was filled with interactive dialogue between the students and distinguished
guest speakers from Accenture, NMAI and Congress.
As the students looked out onto a beautiful panorama view of the United States Capitol building, two
members of Congress, U.S. Rep Norm Dicks from the
State of Washington and U.S. Rep Dan Boren from the
State of Oklahoma, stopped by to offer their personal
congratulations and to share their thoughts on leadership with the group.
Several Accenture senior executives also shared in
the festivities. Ed Fikse, Accenture’s U. S. Geographic
Council Chair; and Stan Gutkowski, Accenture’s Managing Director Metro Washington DC Operations,
shared their comments on leadership principles and practical advice on how the students can achieve their goals.
Virginia Elwell, NMAI’s Director of Development,
shared her welcoming words along with a distinguished
NMAI panel including Patsy Phillips, Helen MaynorScheirbeck and Jim Pepper Henry, who provided insight
into where the NMAI is headed and personal stories of
leadership and growth as American Indians in society.
Other Accenture featured speakers included Pedro
Suriel, a senior executive and US Diversity lead for Accenture’s Government Practice, who shared new perspectives
on inclusion and diversity and how the students can tap
17
The New Generation
A Champion for AIGCS
By Christa Moya and Shawn Secatero
“A
lways remember the people
and organizations that helped
shape the person you are, for
it is these people who will forever be
an invaluable asset in your future success.” As an Ambassador for the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars
(AIGCS), Bron Deal has been inspired
to “give back” and to contribute to Indian Country, by increasing awareness
about the GMS scholarship.
“As a Gates Millennium Scholar, I
have been blessed with this opportunity
to reach my fullest potential and I want
Bron Deal
others to benefit, as I have, from the GMS
scholarship.” Driven to help others reach their potential,
Bron travels to surrounding high schools, college fairs and
regional conferences, held throughout Oklahoma, to present information on the GMS program. Bron says, “I share
information about the GMS nomination process, such as
eligibility criteria, the importance of selecting a nominator and recommender and how to successfully submit a
competitive scholarship application. More importantly, I
share my own college experience with the students I meet
in hopes that they will be inspired by my college journey.”
Bron also reaches out to potential nominators and recommenders, such as high school counselors, educators and
other professionals who work directly with high school students and/or GED recipients regarding the GMS nomination process.
Bron Deal is a senior at the University of Oklahoma,
where he is double majoring in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Bron was selected as a Gates Millennium
Scholar in 2002. In addition to volunteer work for the
American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, as an Ambassador, Born stays busy as the President of the Beta Epsilon
chapter of the International Business Fraternity of Delta
Sigma Pi, a co-ed, professional organization rich with cultural diversity. Bron also donates many hours of volunteer
service to the American Red Cross.
Bron has received a great deal of support from his
family, the staff at AIGCS/GMS, the University of
Oklahoma staff and the Chickasha Nation. “I owe much
of my success to these people who supported me”, Bron
18
said, “ I was raised to honor the people
who have helped me be the person I am.
I especially want to credit my grandfather, Bill Graves, who instilled in me
the values to work hard.”
During the American Indian Graduate Center’s 2006 “Walking in Two
Worlds” conference, held in Albuquerque, Bron was honored as an “AIGCS
Ambassador of the Year”. He was chosen based on his exemplary service to
the American Indian Graduate Center
Scholars, to the State of Oklahoma and
to Indian country. Bron is a great role
model for his fellow GMS Scholars and
to the high school students to whom he reaches out. ✦
ESTERN
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Community in Conference
AIGC Conference 2006
By Dawn Karima Pettigrew
C
ommunity.
Communication.
Connections.
Camaraderie. These four “C’s” intersected, during the fall of 2006, at the American Indian
Graduate Center Conference. For scholars, professionals
and educators, this conference offered an opportunity to
share our strengths, to develop academic strategies and
to learn from one another. Participants gathered at the
luxurious Sandia Resort and Casino to listen to dynamic
presentations, hear fascinating speakers and to interact
with intriguing vendors and media.
Community is a vital part of American Indian identity.
Elders, students and professionals from various backgrounds and nations joined in an inspiring community
of people committed to American Indian education. The
result? A powerful unity, rooted in the AIGC, which will
resonate throughout Indian Country.
Communication represents an important foundation
of a thriving community. Many wonderful conferences
convene annually throughout Indian Country, yet the
AIGC event allows scholars from dissimilar disciplines,
professionals from particular fields and participants
in an interesting array of occupations to interact. The
result? A stunning fusion of diverse insights, distinctive
experiences and different interests, which evokes innovative, interdisciplinary thought and action.
Connections help American Indians not only to survive,
but to thrive. Since most of us define who we are by our
relationships—to our family, to our clans, to our tribes,
to our lands—connections are crucial assets to our lives.
The AIGC conference provides an environment that is
conducive to networking. The result? Empowering those
who are active in American Indian education to intro-
duce themselves to new contacts, refresh connections
with acquaintances and to learn from others establishes
important connections and influential networks.
Camaraderie proves to be an important component of
this conference. Many American Indians in higher education and professional occupations identify with feelings of isolation. Higher education, high achievements
and even honors may precede a sense of being “the only”
or “the first” that can be daunting. The AIGC conference provides a place for professionals, scholars, elders,
students and participants to encourage one another.
Sometimes, sincere empathy and someone who truly
does understand is a major factor in ensuring continued
success in academic and occupational endeavors.
As a first-time presenter and participant in the AIGC
conference, I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of
Community, Communication, Connections and Camaraderie. Each of these four “C’s” features prominently in
this annual gathering. Well-organized and well attended,
this conference is a worthwhile celebration of American
Indian education, identity, culture and tradition. ✦
Dawn Karima Pettigrew is Creek/Cherokee and belongs to the
Panther/Tiger and Red Paint Clans. She is the host of Rezervations
with Dawn Karima, a Native American talk show that airs
on Native Voice One (www.nv1.org). She is the author of two
novels, The Marriage of Saints and The Way We Make Sense
and recently released a CD, The Worship of Angels. She is a
correspondent for News from Indian Country.
Community is a vital part of American Indian identity. Elders, students and
professionals from various backgrounds and nations joined in an inspiring
community of people committed to American Indian education.
19
A GRADUATE DEGREE IS
YOUR PATH TO LEADERSHIP.
UNC-Chapel Hill’s graduates return to their communities to become leaders in education, health care,
business, science, law, public service, and the arts.
BE ONE OF THE LEADERS.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Fellowships and funding for American Indian students
• Exceptional research facilities and opportunities
• Support from prominent faculty in American Indian
Studies
• Active American Indian
student organizations
• Intellectual, social and
cultural activities including
a national conference for
American Indian scholars
• Support from our state, home
to the largest American
Indian population east of the Mississippi River
• Tours for students interested in attending Carolina
• For more information, visit www.gradschool.unc.edu
Please join us for the UNC-Chapel Hill Graduate School Fall Recruitment Event, Oct. 6-7, 2006.
Visit www.gradschool.unc.edu/airecruit.html for more information.
For more information, visit www.gradschool.unc.edu
or contact Sandra Hoeflich, 919-962-6323 or
[email protected]
Inside the 2006 Conference
Many People – One Voice
By Susan Duran
M
ore than 500 celebrities, students and alumni,
business professionals, scholars, authors, musicians, artists, tribal officials, exhibitors and
higher education officers gathered in Albuquerque for
the American Indian Graduate Center’s 2006 Annual
Conference, “Walking in Two Worlds”.
They came from as near as the University of New
Mexico and, from as far as Alaska and Florida. They
represented tribes from the Assiniboine to the Pueblo of
Zuni and came in planes and vans, singly and by the
dozen, encompassing all generations – from seventeen
to ninety – across all professions. They came from all
walks of life, from all over the country, to stand on equal
ground, united for one goal – to reinforce and support
the importance of higher education for Native American
and Alaska Native students.
Over the course of two days, participants attended
workshops and presentations covering many aspects of
‘Walking in Two Worlds’, ranging from the high school
to college transition through surviving graduate school.
Enrico Cullen of Arts Engine, producers
and distributors of the film “Arctic Son”
There were ‘Talking Circles’, facilitated by the AIGC
Council of 100, luncheons that were used to acknowledge, honor and award students, a book signing, a heartfelt honoring of Vine Deloria, Jr. (founder of the Council
of 100), a viewing of the movie, “Arctic Son”, and a closing banquet filled with music, laughter and celebration.
Networking was plentiful. Old friendships were
renewed and new friendships were made. Students
received an abundance of information from exhibiting
universities and business recruiters and interacted with
Native role models who have ‘walked in two worlds’ for
many years, smoothing the path for those who follow.
It was a powerful, positive and learning experience that
inspired and motivated.
Each conference participant left with something new;
knowledge, friendship, a vision of the future for Indian
country, or just a good feeling. Whatever it was, AIGC
was proud to have been a small part of the process. ✦
Gates Scholars: Shawntay Lupi,
Sara Buckman and Juanita
Lt. Governor Alvin Warren, from Santa Clara Pueblo
Toledo
21
Faces of the Future
22
Faces of the Future
23
A Tribute to Vine Deloria, Jr.
By Henrietta Mann
L
ife can be challenging and I have encountered my
share of challenges. The most demanding of them,
to date, however, is condensing a lifetime of greatness into five minutes. Nonetheless, I add my humble
commentary upon the life of one Vine Victor Deloria, Jr.
to the others.
Vine was an awe-inspiring individual, who has
always loomed large on the Indian and national horizon. There are many things about him that we must
remember, which make us proud to be one of this land’s
peoples. We must never forget that he was named by
Time magazine as one of the eleven most influential religious thinkers in the 20th century and his Native primer, Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto, was
named among the 100 best books of the 20th century.
Vine also received the 2002 Wallace Stegner Award from
the Center of the American West, in Boulder, Colorado.
In 2005, Indian Country Today, selected this intellectual giant as the recipient of its 2005 American Indian
Visionary Award.
Although Vine retired as a professor of Political Science at the University of Arizona and as a professor of
History at the University of Colorado, we must never
forget his significant contributions to the academic discipline of American Indian Studies. He left us with his
views on education in Power and Place: Indian Education
in America, the book he co-authored with Daniel Wildcat. His writings serve as the basic texts for courses that
look at religion, history, politics and law.
Vine was a man of courage. He went where no other
had gone before. The titles to his books indicate this:
Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto
Behind the Trail of Broken Treaties: An Indian
Declaration of Independence
We Talk, You Listen: New Tribes, New Turf
God is Red: A Native View of Religion
Red Earth, White Lies: Native Americans and the
Myth of Scientific Fact
He is the most powerful spokesperson of our time.
He assumed considerable and tireless responsibility for
our welfare as residents of this “Great Turtle Island”.
24
Henrietta Mann
He got the attention of the general public, by provoking them to re-think history and consider the savage
impact of cultural imperialism on Native peoples. He
was at his best when it came to correcting stereotypes
and myths. America has never been the same since Vine
began to publish his thoughts. What an enjoyable and
highly informative ride he took us on.
His wit was razor sharp, particularly when it was
directed toward his friends, one of whom is Rick West,
the Executive Director of the National Museum of the
American Indian. I listened and laughed as they bantered their way through many meetings of the Board of
Trustees. Their museum association was lengthy, one
being the Founding Director and the other a Founding
Trustee. The museum itself stands as a symbol of Vine’s
abiding commitment to our having a place to house our
indigenous national treasures.
Vine also was relentless about securing American
Indian religious freedom, especially when it came to
carrying through the mandates of the Native American
Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 and
protecting Indian sacred sites. He engaged in the war of
words and was a force to be reckoned with when it came
to protecting our environment and the sanctity of the
sacred landscape our homelands. He wrote:
Sacred Space in the Land
of Enchantment
By Raymond F. Reyes, Ph.D.
A
utumnal equinox is on September 22, the time
when the sun crosses the equator, making night
and day of equal length in all parts of the earth.
Indeed, it is a rare instance in the Earth Mother’s celestial journey of walking in the two worlds of night and
day that light is in perfect balance with the shadow. In
his book, For This Land: Writings on Religion in America
(1999), Vine Deloria describes how, for tribal people,
nature is an active force that demands our participation.
He goes on to profess how “the universe is a fabric, a
symphony, a tapestry; everything is connected to everything else and everything is alive and responsible to its
relationships in every way.”
Albuquerque, New Mexico was midwife to such a
symphony on September 22-23, 2006, when the American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) called to order its
Second Annual Conference, “Walking in Two Worlds.”
Have you ever been at the right place at the right time,
with the right people, for the right reason, without righteous indignation? I have! I might not win on the slots
or ever have my name called at a raffle, but I was lucky
enough to attend the AIGC Conference this year. As a
middle-aged, Mexican Indian, who has worked the last 18
years at a “PWI” (Predominately White Institution) i.e., a
private Jesuit, Catholic university in the Pacific Northwest
I thought I had died and gone to heaven! Let me explain.
Floyd ‘Red Crow’ Westerman with students
(l. to r.) Rick West, Henri Mann and John Belindo
Rounding up to the nearest ten, I have worked in
Indian Education for 30 years and, for eight of those
years, I managed a regional Indian Education Technical
Assistance Center that served 200 school districts in seven
northwest states. A “BFO” (Blinding Flash of the Obvious) of my educational career is that I have attended a ton
of conferences and, without doubt, the AIGC Conference
was by far the proverbial impeccable best. The people, the
program and the participation created a different time
zone, where the synergistic convergence of past, present
and future was manifested in the Land of Enchantment.
I was graced with the opportunity to witness an intergenerational dance of cultural resilience, intellectual acumen,
empathetic insight and prophetic vision.
The oldies but goodies, i.e., the wisdom keepers
holding the institutional memory of tribal issues and
Indian education, like Dr. Henrietta Mann, Rick West,
Floyd Red Crow Westerman and Sam English, were
interacting with the current “indigenous intelligentsia”
and the future leaders of Native America. An impressive
number of American Indian undergraduate and graduate students, representing diverse academic disciplines
from colleges and universities throughout the United
States, shared their passion, idealism and wit. The genius
25
Gates Scholars
Bell Advances Indian Country
By Gabriel Bell
A
ho — Greetings from Arizona! I am a Gates Millennium Scholar from “Cheyenne-Arapaho Country.” You might ask what I am doing in Arizona,
considering the fact that most Cheyenne-Arapahos are
from western Oklahoma. Good question…. and I’m
glad you asked. It was the Gates Millennium Scholarship (GMS) that brought me into the west. Allow me to
share my story with you.
My name is Gabriel Bell. I realize that is not the
most “Indian-sounding” name but, for the record, my
grandmother’s name is Salome Whiteshirt Matanane and
she is from Concho, Oklahoma, home of the CheyenneArapaho Tribe. She currently resides with her husband,
Juan Matanane (my grandfather), in McLoud, Oklahoma, along with my mother, Rosa, and sister, Christina
Matanane. McLoud is home to me, too, as it is where I
did much of my growing up.
In 2002, my twin brother, Michael Bell, and I
graduated from McLoud High School at the top of our
class, with honors as American Indians. That’s right, I
have a twin brother. The beauty of being twins is that
we were able to encourage one another throughout our
years at McLoud High. But, I attribute much of our academic success to the discipline my mother instilled in
my brother and me at a young age.
Upon graduation, the overwhelming thoughts concerning college had begun to alarm me. Coming from a
family that experienced a devastating divorce and adversity on many fronts, our family had no way of financing higher education for my brother and me, which is
the case with many families in America. The American
Indian Graduate Center’s Gates Millennium Scholarship
program was able to step in, fill the gap and provide the
means to cover the much-needed expenses. In short, GMS
has affected our lives in ways I may never fully realize.
I first heard about AIGC’s GMS program through
my high school career counselor, who had approached me
one day with the Gates Scholarship opportunity. Needless
to say, I welcomed it with open arms. Following nominations from our counselor and recommendations from
our employer, my brother and I were well on our way to
becoming GMS recipients. By the end of the summer,
Michael and I were both accepted as “Gates Scholars.”
Receiving the scholarship was, no doubt, a lifechanging event. Initially, the questions were, “Where
am I going to college?” and “What am I going to do?”
While choosing a university can be a daunting task, we
were resolved in our decision to attend Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU), a four-year, private, liberal-arts
university in Shawnee, Oklahoma. In addition to the
facts that OBU was close to home and the student-toinstructor ratio was perfect, the university has always
been well known for its academic strength. As a matter
of fact, U.S. News has ranked OBU the 2nd comprehensive university in the western region, for a number of
years. With those qualities, OBU was the perfect option.
So, in the fall of 2002, we enrolled at OBU and pioneered our journey into higher education as Gates Millennium Scholars.
I am happy to report that, after four years of hard
work, I graduated from OBU with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Mathematics this past May. Obtaining my
undergraduate degree has been my most valued achievement to date. But I don’t believe my academic career is
over yet. I am just beginning to realize my true potential
has no bounds. It is not a question of whether or not I
have the ability to accomplish more. I have already proven myself to this point. The real question is how far do I
want to take it?
More and more, I find familiar sentiment to be true:
you can do anything you put your mind to. With organizations like GMS and the American Indian Graduate
Center Scholars (AIGCS), the ability to “do anything”
becomes a reality. It is organizations like these that catalyze progress in society where it would otherwise not be
possible, due a simple lack of resources. I cannot thank
The positive influences of American Indian role models are crucial to the hope that
young Natives put into their future.
26
Gates Scholars
GMS and AIGCS enough for their direct contribution to
my education, as well as the education of Indian Country. These organizations prescribe to a powerful vision of
hope. The objective now is to transfer this vision into the
hearts and minds of those who experience despair where
hope should abound.
Fostering the vision can come in a variety of forms,
including serving the local community as an AIGCS
ambassador of hope. During our time at OBU, community service was always an integral part of our college
career. Michael and I devoted much of our extra-curricular time to the Kickapoo Friends Center, a mission to
the Kickapoo Indians north of McLoud. These service
opportunities have allowed me to operate in leadership
roles, conducting organizational services, as well using
my musical talents to lead worship services and camp
music programs.
I also spent many semesters with the McLoud High
School English Language Learner (ELL) program,
geared especially for Kickapoo and Hispanic students in
need of specialized tutoring. As an undergraduate mathematics student, I tutored McLoud ELL students in all
areas of mathematics, from remedial levels to advanced
placement calculus. The most rewarding aspect was, not
only was I the only available math tutor for the class of
10-15 students, but as an American Indian I could tutor
other American Indians. While I tutored at the high
school, Michael contributed as a math tutor at the Kickapoo Tribal After-School Program for Kickapoo students
of all ages. To me, having an impact on lives of fellow
Natives gives so much meaning to my charge.
The positive influences of American Indian role models are crucial to the hope that young Natives put into
their future. The impact of our tutoring service is verified by the comments of gratitude made by the students
whom we have had the privilege to help along the way. It
is the act of getting involved in young peoples’ lives that
gives them the push they need to reach further than they
thought they could. An inspirational note here is that I
have come to realize in my experience that, no matter
what level of education you have attained, whether it be
high school or college, we all have the ability to impact
the surrounding community for the betterment of Indian
Country and beyond. Young Natives are looking for positive role models to look up to for guidance and encouragement. The “Gates Scholar” is a prime candidate for such a
role. It has become my goal to be that example.
To shift gears for a moment, I would like touch on one
dynamic every American Indian college student must
overcome. The dynamics of university demographics
does not favor American Indians in any instance. Allow
me to explain. Considering the fact that American Indians make up less than one percent of the U.S. population,
American Indian students will face this same demographic in student bodies as well (Census 2000). Native
students have a difficult time finding fellow American
Indian peers throughout their undergraduate and graduate experiences. This dynamic held true at OBU, where
Natives numbered in the 20’s out of a student body of
just under 2,000. Among the 20 to 30 Natives, there
were about five other GMS students besides Michael and
me. But, in many cases, the populations of Natives in
higher education appear to be extremely under par with
the national demographic. There is sometimes a feeling
of isolation accompanied by such environments. While
many students can find strength in numbers, American
Indians students are often left fending for themselves, as
minorities among minorities. I have found that simply
knowing there is another American Indian on campus to
be encouraging.
It was not until I participated in the Washington Internship for Native Students (WINS) at American University in Washington, D.C. that I experienced
a summer with over 80 fellow Native college students.
Never have I been in the presence of so many Native
students. The WINS program places American Indian
students into various federal agencies throughout D.C.
Along with the full-time internship, WINS students
complete a 3 credit-hour American Indian policy class,
as well as a 3 credit-hour general internship course. The
dual requirement of the program makes for an intense
but rewarding semester. It was in D.C. with the WINS
program where I bumped elbows with a number of other
GMS scholars. It was also in D.C. with the WINS program that I began to develop a vision for Indian Country across the nation. The dialogue within the program
among the WINS students cultivated fertile ground for
the exchanging of ideas, the sharing of stories and an
overall presence of contagious motivation for the future
of Native America.
I spent the summer of 2005 in D.C., with the
Department of Veteran’s Affairs, as a WINS intern in
the Office of the Chief Actuary. I completed an extensive summer project, independently researching Native
American Veteran statistics with the Census Bureau.
At the end of summer, I put together a comprehensive
research paper based on my findings. The paper was
added to a publication that was later submitted as a
White House report to the Bush Administration, in the
fall of 2005. I was later honored as one of the outstanding WINS interns for that year. The honor was given to
27
Accenture American
Indian Scholarship Fund
Continued from page 17
into these elements for future success; and Suzanne Randall, a senior manager and national lead of the Accenture
National American Indian Interest Group, who facilitated
an interactive discussion on relationship building.
After a guided tour through the NMAI, each scholarship recipient was honored with a traditional Chief Joseph
style Pendleton blanket in recognition of their achievement as an Accenture American Indian Scholar for 2006
and future potential as American Indian leaders.
The Accenture American Indian Scholarship Fund
is one part of Accenture’s commitment to the American
Indian community in the United States and part of its
global corporate citizenship program. Accenture’s American Indian Scholarship Fund was created in September
2004, at the same time that Accenture supported the
opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the
American Indian in Washington, DC. Accenture acts as
a management consultant and information technology
services advisor to the Museum. ✦
AIGC 2006 Annual Conference
AIGC Scholars Program Staff with Gates Scholars, Dustin Hayes and Bron Deal.
28
Opportunities
Bureau of Indian Education
L
earning is not only attaining the basic mathematical skills or using the proper English for effective
communication but also enhances the life skills,
personal growth, and leadership skills for our communities. Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is a place where
success and leadership are promoted through our K-12
educational program.
The BIE operates 60 elementary and secondary
schools while it provides funding to 124 schools which
operate under grant or contracts and are tribally controlled. Our schools are located on or near 63 Indian reservations in 24 states. If you’re an educator or a college
student who is looking to return home, we invite you
to explore the teaching opportunities with us. BIE is a
place where you can apply your expertise and share your
knowledge with other Native American educators. The
BIE-operated schools offer a base salary of $36,285 with
excellent retirement benefits and insurance. ✦
BIE Human Resources ∙ Attn: Recruitment
PO Box 769 ∙ Albuquerque, NM 87103
[email protected] ∙ www.biaeducationjobs.com
Bureau of Indian Education
Learning
is not only attaining the basic mathematical skills or using the
proper English for effective communication but also enhances the life skills,
personal growth, and leadership skills for our communities. Bureau of
Indian Education (BIE) is a place where success and leadership are
promoted through our K-12 educational program.
The BIE operates 60 elementary and secondary schools while it provides
funding to 124 schools which operate under grant or contracts and are tribally
controlled. Our schools are located on or near 63 Indian reservations in 24
states. If you’re an educator or a college student who is looking to return
home, we invite you to explore the teaching opportunities with us. BIE is a
place where you can apply your expertise and share your knowledge with
other Native American educators. The BIE-operated schools offer a base
salary of $36,285 with excellent retirement benefits and insurance.
BIE Human Resources ∙ Attn: Recruitment
PO Box 769 ∙ Albuquerque, NM 87103
[email protected] ∙ www.biaeducationjobs.com
29
Advertise Today!
The American Indian Graduate magazine is a bi-annual publication of the American Indian
Graduate Center. 10,000 copies are printed and distributed nationwide to AIGC Alumni, AIGC
Fellows, GMS Scholars, members of the AIGC American Indian Professional Association, graduate
schools, colleges, universities, tribal colleges, tribal, federal and state education programs.
Advertising Deadlines:
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Advertising and Content Submissions by February 15
Distribution Date – Spring
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Distribution Date – Fall
Advertising Rates:
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30
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Include all fonts on disk. Please save everything to a CD.
The following file formats are acceptable:
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• Embed all fonts.
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Camera-Ready
Ads are considered camera-ready if they meet all AIGC specifications.
Advertisers who do not meet these specs will be notified and will either resubmit a cameraready ad or have AIGC produce the ad and charge accordingly. No agency commissions or
camera-ready discounts will be applied to ads that do not meet AIGC specifications.
Advertisers and ad agencies assume liability for all content including text, representations and
illustrations of ads printed and also assume responsibility for all claims arising there from made
against AIGC, the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement not in
keeping with AIGC standards. All copy is subject to publisher’s approval.
Advertising Contact:
Susan Duran
Phone: 505.881.4584
Fax: 505.884.0427
[email protected]
31
4HE
Graduate School /REGON3TATE5NIVERSITY
By John Belindo
M
y name is John Belindo. I am a full-blood
Indian’s desire to preserve his ‘Indian-ness’”. Vine added,
Kiowa/Navajo and a member of the Kiowa
“Reservation Indians dwell in a society where life is not a
Black Legs and the Kiowa Gourd clans. My
series of compartments, each of which claims a certain area
Navajo clan is Todichii nii, Bitter Water.
and produces certain tensions. The Indian puts a premium
I am also a former Marine and Vine was also in the
on just being alive.”
Marine Corps. We talked often about how Camp Pend One day, in 1966, Vine called me and told me that
leton, in San Diego, had changed. “Camp Matthews, the
the Department of Interior and the Bureau of Indian
old firing range, is no longer there”, Vine stated, “and the
Affairs were in Santa Fe, New Mexico, writing Indian
old tent camps no longer exist.”
policy, behind closed doors. Vine
I met Vine Deloria, Jr. in the
called an emergency meeting of
autumn of 1965, when I wrote a
the NCAI Executive Council and
weekly column for an Oklahoma
asked me to provide coverage of
City newspaper called “Changing
the NCAI protest for the OklahoProfile”. Vine was visiting Oklama City newspaper. This was my
homa City in preparation for the
first exposure to American Indian
1966 Annual convention of the
activism.
This would be the first time
National Congress of American
Indians (NCAI). Vine was the
I met Alvin Josephy. With pipe
new Executive Director.
in hand, Josephy appeared to be
I was impressed by the NCAI
a constant voice for meaningful
Director’s attack on a national
change in Indian affairs. Alvin was
distillery advertisement, which
a competent, charismatic writer and
appeared in a national magazine
a member of the Council of Indian
that fictionalized an Indian in
Affairs. Josephy reiterated, “The
full regalia, holding a jigger of 86
Indian was making a new stand for
proof ‘firewater’. The distillery ad
dignity, independence, self-determistated, “If the Sioux had soft whisnation and we want to help.”
Stan Steiner, the author, was on
key, they would never have called
it ‘firewater’. Soft whiskey swalthe verge of releasing “The New
lows easy, but don’t fool yourself, Council of 100 member, John Belindo, greets a
Indians”, interviewing tribal leaders
guest following the tribute to Vine Deloria, Jr.
soft whiskey isn’t for old squaws,
who were protesting the closed-door
it’s 86 proof.” The distillery manager was called, followed
sessions. Stan wrote eloquently about the new, emerging
by Vine’s angry letter. The ad was cancelled, at the cost of
leadership. I carefully kept notes of the confrontation and
$300,000, largely because of Vine’s intervention.
reported the stories back to the newspaper.
In January, 1966, I interviewed Vine Deloria, Jr. in
In May 1966, Vine Deloria offered me the job as NCAI
Oklahoma city and ran Vine’s comments in the “ChangDirector of the Washington Office and we hired Juanita
ing Profile” column:
Echohawk Neconie, as Secretary for the Washington office.
“Tribal society lives because the Indians believe in
Together, we facilitated issues with the Denver office, headthemselves and their survival.” Vince continued, “Wars,
ed by Vine Deloria, Jr. My life would change forever.
migration and pestilence have not eroded or changed the
“Tribal society lives because the Indians believe in themselves and their survival.”
33
Giving Back—Completing the Circle
2005-2006 American Indian Graduate
Center John Rainer Fellowship
M
y name is Karletta Chief and I am honored to
receive the 2005-2006 American Indian Graduate Center John Rainer Fellowship. John Rainer
was a phenomenal individual who reached above his circumstances to attain success, become a leader, and give
back to the Native American community. Because of
community leaders such as John Rainer, Native communities have progressed in the past 50 years in increasing
its number of college graduates. In honor of John Rainer
and his commitment to the Native American community,
I had the opportunity to participate in several volunteer
projects, including presenting motivational speeches to
K-12 Native youth, and tutoring and mentoring Native
American undergraduate students.
One particular project I became involved with is
the Canyon Country Guitar Project (CCGP) and documentary, a multi-faceted guitar program at Page (Ariz.)
High School where 80 percent of the student population
is Native American. By utilizing a grant awarded by the
Arizona Commission on the Arts, CCGP focuses on students who are high risk for dropping out of school. The
guitar program not only expands their musical talents but
helps them stay in school and build self-confidence. The
majority of the participants are Navajo and these students
are faced with substance abuse, crime and/or family issues
on a daily basis. One of the key developers of CCGP is
classical guitarist and musician Brad Richter, who travels from Tucson, Ariz., to teach guitar and music theory.
Richter has taken great interest in the lives of these young
students who amazingly taught themselves complex classical pieces by ear. As an incentive, CCGP sponsors a four
day end-of-the-school-year retreat on Lake Powell, where
the most improved students undergo an intense one-onone musical training while enjoying the beauty of the
natural surroundings through recreational activities. The
students’ journey in their personal and musical development is documented on video and will be aired on PBS.
The video will provide
cultural awareness to the
general viewing public as
well as provide cultural
and community pride
for the Navajo and Page
communities.
I became interested
in this project because it
uniquely combines goal
setting, cultural pride,
musical
development,
Karletta Chief
and educational success.
In addition, the project focuses on a student population
which I am familiar with because I graduated from Page
High School. I believe in the potential of our Native
youth despite the obstacles and circumstances they face.
I was once a young teenager who aspired to be a successful person, and through the mentorship and guidance
of my high school counselor, I was able to pursue and
succeed in my educational endeavors. Likewise, these
students can achieve their goals through encouragement
and positive role models.
I had the opportunity to visit my old high school and
meet the teachers and students involved with CCGP. I
provided a motivational presentation relating my own
experiences as a high school student and emphasized the
importance of cultural pride, pursuing higher education,
setting goals, and working hard. In particular, I shared
the Navajo philosophy of “áhóh áíjtéego,” which emphasizes the importance of individual responsibility and citizenship. I believe the generation of Navajo youth is in a
turning point because not only are the influenced by the
modern culture but the generation of our elders is passing
by, taking our stories and language with them when they
go. For this reason, I believe it is important that Native
youth be proud of who they are, learn all they can about
The generation of today has the opportunity to take hold of the educational
opportunities and technological advances, so they can be successful.
34
Giving Back—Completing the Circle
their culture, and use their native language so it can be
passed on to future generations. At the same time, the
generation of today has the opportunity to take hold of
the educational opportunities and technological advances,
so they can be successful. With both worlds at their fingertips, and the sound foundation of their heritage, they
can bring their expertise back to the tribal nations so the
Native America of tomorrow will be strong and successful. In Navajo, we say, “nihi diné’é éí bidáá níjídáá,” which
means “one who returns back to the people with obtained
knowledge.” In a sense, life has turned a full circle and
balance is attained. I believe John Rainer was an excellent
example of an individual who took pride in his culture
and language and used his education to progress Native
America. I truly hope that more and more Native Americans will follow in the footsteps of John Rainer, who was a
role model for many. ✦
Karletta Chief can be reached at [email protected]. For
more information about CCGP, please contact CCGP Producer and
Director, Cherylee Francis at [email protected].
‘The lands of the planet call to humankind for redemption….each river valley, the rugged mountains, the placid
lakes – all call for relief from the constant burden of exploitation.
Who will find peace with the lands? The future of
humankind lies waiting for those who will come to understand their lives and take up their responsibilities to all living things. Who will listen to the trees, the animals and
birds, the voices of the places of the land? As the long-forgotten peoples of the respective continents rise and begin to
reclaim their ancient heritage, they will discover the meaning of the lands of their ancestors. That is when the invaders
of the North American continent will finally discover that,
for this land, God is red. (God is Red, p.292).
Indeed, God is red. Vine wants those who understand our ancestral relationship to the land and all life
to, once again, become responsible stewards of Earth
and to be at peace with the lands. Just as he was committed to protecting the Earth, he had a lasting belief in
the power of our stories. He convened several gatherings
focusing on: Star Knowledge; Relationship to Animals;
Giants and Little People and, finally, Volcanoes.
Participants sometimes strayed from the topic, but
they willingly participated in discussion, sharing their
knowledge over coffee and food. Commenting upon
“Indian knowledge” in Power and Place, Vine says:
“There are many instances in the oral traditions of the
tribe in which, after reviewing everything that is known
about a certain thing, the storyteller simply states that what
he or she has said was passed down by elders or that he or
she marveled at the phenomenon and was unable to explain
it further. It is permissible, within the Indian context, to
admit that something mysterious remains, after all is said
and done.” (Power and Place, p. 127).
Yes, life is a mysterious journey. I call Vine’s gatherings a “Traditional Indian Think Tank”, but they were
more. It was like going into ceremony to sit in sacred
space, among traditional knowledge keepers, and being
taken back to the source. The expected result was renewal and a greater understanding of the Indian world.
Or, maybe it was briefly touching The World We Used
to Live In, the title of the last book that Vine wrote. In
it, he is Remembering the Powers of the Medicine Men and
catalogs their ‘amazing spiritual powers’. It is a documentary of eyewitness accounts of the ancient and powerful
ways of the people, which can be a source of strength and
direction for tomorrow. Huston Smith proclaims it to be
the best book Vine has ever written, a fitting tribute to
the historian and scholar.
Vine was a man among men. His ‘uniform’ was
simple. It was a white shirt, levis and tweed jacket. If he
suddenly turned up missing at a meeting, one could go
outside to find him taking a tobacco break, usually making a joke about some politician or another. He was a
shrewd observer of life.
He touched the lives and spirits of many, as he
walked this world. I truly believe he was a ‘contrary’, who
filled our spirits, but who sometimes danced out of step,
to make us laugh, and to show us there was another way
of seeing the world. For this, I thank him. I also thank
his wife and family for sharing their husband, father
and grandfather with us. Vine was our blessing and he
showed us, in the way he lived, that we can walk in balance in two worlds. ✦
35
The Life and Work of Vine Deloria, Jr.
By W. Richard West, Jr.
Director, National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution
I
confess to being completely intimidated, a concept
that does not readily cross my mind normally, by the
request to celebrate, in these brief remarks, the life
and place of the late Vine Deloria, Jr. For me, the task is
akin to trying to define God and God’s accomplishments
in a few minutes at a podium – although I suspect Vine
would find my comparisons to the Divine to be, ab initio,
ludicrous, if not a sacrilege. But, in one way or another,
this remarkable lawyer, historian, intellectual and, most
importantly, human being, touched and shaped the life
and work of every person he met, Native or non-Native.
And, for the next few minutes, I wish, with humility, to
describe my own personal views of why.
I would like to do so in the following two ways –
First, I want to focus on those characteristics of mind and
spirit that made Vine Deloria, Jr. such a compelling and
commanding personality. Second, I would like to discuss,
as I have seen so clearly from my seat as the Director of
the National Museum of the American Indian, what Vine
believed that had such seminal, abiding and enduring
impact on the very assumptions and constructs of American history regarding Native people and cultures.
So, let me turn to Vine the personality first, if I may
– and, oh, how much personality this man did have, and
I want to mention two aspects specifically. I remember
almost 40 years ago now, seeing Vine for the first time
at a meeting convened at Princeton University and called
“The Convocation of American Indian Scholars”.
I was surprised at even being there. Notwithstanding
my own firm contrary views on the subject, I had never
previously witnessed the attachment of that noun, “scholars”, to any gathering of American Indians. And, frankly,
as a second-year law student at Stanford, all of age 25, I
could not figure out why and how I had been invited,
even if the rest of the group was entirely legitimate.
But the times were heady and I loved the intellectual surround, which was powerful. Scott Momaday had
just won his Pulitzer Prize and all of us Native intellectual novitiates sat, rapt at his feet, as he gave a reading
of House Made of Dawn. Another of the convocation
organizers, Alfonso Ortiz, a then young and promising anthropologist trained at the University of Chicago,
36
actually was a professor at Princeton
University. And then,
during the meeting,
I finally heard Vine,
the then younger lion,
speak and I received
a dose of inspiration
that has never left me.
I probably listened to
him for no more than
five minutes before I
concluded to myself, Vine Deloria, Jr.
“This man is not only
the smartest damned Indian I have ever heard; he is the
smartest person I have ever listened to” – a viewpoint to
which I have happily adhered without interruption for
some 40 years.
Vine also surrounded that intellectual magnetism,
inspiration and charisma with a transformational sense
of humor that could be both immensely charming and
thoroughly skewering to good ends at once. I believe a
resounding sense of humor was truly a “cultural thing”
for him, because he saw it as central to the Native experience and to our survival instincts and capacities. As he
explained in Custer Died for Your Sins:
‘Humor, all Indians will agree, is the cement by which
the coming Indian movement is held together. When a people can laugh at themselves and laugh at others and hold all
aspects of life together without letting anybody drive them to
extremes, then it seems to me that the people can survive.’
But do not misunderstand me. Vine Deloria, Jr. was
not some jolly Indian telling jokes and humoring folks.
The humor may have been the scabbard, but it contained
an intellectual blade of tempered steel that could cut to
truth with startling and telling efficiency and – as many,
including me, discovered through the years, you had best
better never be on the receiving end of it.
I now want to turn, however, to the second part
of my remarks, if I may – namely, what Vine said and
argued, over the years, which had such power and
authority, in changing forever the place of Native peoples
in American history. During his all too brief lifetime,
Vine said so much that is important, it is hard to know
where to begin – but three critical points stand out for
me, in knowing Vine Deloria, Jr. and his work.
First, he had a powerful commitment to the idea
of an American Indian present and he rang the death
knell of contemporary Native invisibility. As he wrote in
Custer Died for Your Sins:
‘The deep impression made upon American minds by
the Indian struggle against the white man in the last century has made the contemporary Indian somewhat invisible
compared with his ancestors. Today Indians are not conspicuous by their absence from view. Yet they should be.’
For Vine, Native peoples were not some ethnographic remnant, some lingering, tragic cultural residuum,
waiting to fall inevitably off the stage of history.
To the contrary, Vine issued to contemporary Native
communities a loud and clear call to cultural arms. It
was time to assert diligently, consistently and always
explicable the continuing presence in history and American heritage of Native peoples and communities. And we
should touch and, more importantly, move those centers
of political and cultural power, whether they were the
Congress of the United States or the halls of academia,
to alter their views and take action accordingly – as Vine
argued so eloquently and elegantly from his position as
Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians, as well as from his own immense scholarly
output over almost half a century.
Second, as anyone involved in the field knows, Vine
believed that one of the specific winners in the room was
the academic discipline of anthropology. As he mused in
Custer Died for Your Sins, again with withering humor:
‘Into each life, it is said, some rain must fall. Some people have bad horoscopes, others take tips on the stock market.
McNamara created the TFX and the Edsel. Churches possess the real world. But, Indians have been cursed above all
other people in history. Indians have anthropologists.’
In the same book, he also declared the magnitude of
this threat in starkly comparative terms:
‘Anthropologists came into Indian country only after
the tribes had agreed to live on reservations and had given
up their warlike ways. Had the tribes been given a choice of
fighting the cavalry or the anthropologists, there is little doubt
as to who they would have chosen. In a crisis situation, men
always attack the biggest threat to their existence. A warrior killed in battle could always go to the Happy Hunting
Grounds. But where does an Indian laid low by an anthro
go? To the library?
Vine called it as he saw it and it is important to
understand why he said what he did about anthropol-
Rick West and John Belindo
ogy. Whatever anthropology has done to deconstruct
itself in the past generation, and let me be clear it has
done much, the cold and undeniable reality is that this
system of knowledge was, for almost a century, a further
instrument of colonialism in Indian country. Its dehumanization of Native peoples was profound in its cultural destruction – they became no different from the
beautiful ceramics and baskets they made, all of them
objects to be studied, categorized and classified. And
Vine rejected all of it, in sometimes incendiary terms,
but always powerfully, incisively – and correctly.
My third point, regarding Vine’s thinking and positioning about Native peoples and experience, is actually
the converse of my second. He had a deep and abiding
confidence and belief in the value and authenticity of
Native knowledge and tradition. Even more specifically, Vine, bless him, remained, in the best sense of the
term, a “PK”, a “preacher’s kid”, devoted his entire life
to importance and centrality of Native spiritual and religious practice.
In Custer Died for Your Sins, he explained himself
this way:
‘That is why I believe that Indian religion will be the
salvation of the Indian people. In Indian religions, regardless
of the tribe, death is a Natural occurrence and not a special
punishment from an arbitrary God. Indian people do not
try to reason themselves out of their grief. Nor do they try to
make a natural, but sad, event an occasion for probing the
rationale of whatever reality exists beyond themselves.’
In a statement of moving poignancy, now that Vine
has crossed over from this mortal coil to another place
– and which I pray brought him comfort at that time, he
also added these reflections in God is Red:
37
and how things were going for me. Another Board member,
Vice President Elizabeth Rodke Washburn, joined our conversation, as she knew my sister as well. All the while, there
were people trying to pull them both on to some urgent
engagement but Shenan and Elizabeth demonstrated that,
despite how busy we might be, we must always take time to
honor the value of family and friendships. I was fortunate
to sit next to Kate Shanley, another AIGC Board member,
during dinner one night, and came to fully realize that
Native American literary figures are truly the spoken and
written passion of our past, present and future. Shenan,
Elizabeth and Kate, as well as all the AIGC staff and members of the Board, are the type of people we look up to in
our leadership.
The conference agenda was filled with session after
session of knowledge and wisdom, and it was difficult to
choose which one to attend. One session I attended was
presented by Michael Vendiola, from Western Washington University, and excellently entitled, “Dancing in
Two Worlds.” We didn’t do too much dancing, but we
all had the greatest time laughing and being profoundly
influenced by Michael’s deep insights into how we, as
Native people, can negotiate the complexities of living in
contemporary society while retaining our ancestral heritage. I had a chance to steal…. uh…. I mean ‘borrow’ a
couple of Michael’s outstanding presentation techniques
to use in my own work.
The session tracks offered a beautiful range of topics
covering professional development, Native issues, graduate education and undergraduate education. However,
the most appreciated sessions were those offered by our
graduate students. Gary Padgett, Michelle Covington,
A. Noelle Phillips, Desirae Bear Eagle, Michelle Johnson-Jennings, Derek Jennings, Theresa Milk, and Sandy
Lucas showed all of us that we, as Native people, have
much to offer right now and long into tomorrow. I heard
a lot of compliments about the quality of presentations,
the professionalism of the presenters and insights offered
from these exceptional graduate students.
One evening was dedicated to honoring the past
Council of 100 Co-Chairs, Vine Deloria and Wilma
Mankiller. It was so meaningful on so many levels
when time was spent to remember Vine: intellectually,
spiritually and emotionally—to name a few. Notable
speaker after notable speaker rose to give honor to a man
that continues to live with us in spirit. It was touching
when Floyd ‘Red Crow’ Westerman shared his songs
and stories, then unexpectedly gave the microphone to
a youngNative woman, Coral Bernal, who is attending
38
the Institute of American Indian Arts, to share several
of her poems expressing her views of our life and times.
She did an incredible job. Her poems were like sunshine
glistening atop clear water, the music of wind sweeping
through old growth forest and the laughter of Native
children playing while elders watched. It was wonderful
as we all know that Vine so loved the fact that his work
was to inspire the Native youth as much as transform
our academies and society. Later, we all celebrated the
incoming Council of 100 Co-Chairs, Henrietta Man
and D.J. Vanas. Henri and D.J. gave moving acceptance
speeches that exuded a thoughtful sense of appreciation
for being entrusted with the high honor of being CoChairs of a Council of 100 that will be the spiritual and
intellectual voice for the coming generations.
There was so much stuff going on: the viewing
of ‘Artic Son’, a moving documentary of a young man
growing into his destiny; an extremely large number of
booths, with row after row of representatives from various
programs, colleges and universities, businesses, and governments and vendors offering affordable art and crafts.
There just wasn’t enough time to do it all and meet all
the Native people you have read or heard about. Whether
it was Ed Edmo’s hilarious storytelling, Shelley Morningsong’s riveting music performance or the always beaming Hawaiian Pride performance. During all the activity,
however, I took time to sit for several quiet moments during the conference to spiritually say thank you to Norbert Hill, especially after the luncheon that honored the
AIGC All American Indian High School Academic Team
supported by the Tommy Hilfiger Foundation. Norbert
(if you already don’t know), is the past Executive Director
of AIGC and is transitioning to another phase in his life
to take care of his love, Mary, and was unable to attend
this year’s conference. He was a vision and voice for the
annual conference and I counted at least 75 times that his
name was brought up by other people, always with a deep
appreciation that honors Norbert as being a positive force
of social justice for Native people.
There is always the next AIGC conference – keep
checking the AIGC web site (www.aigcs.org) and look
forward to one of Indian country’s premier gathering of
Native leaders, scholars, elders and students! ✦
Dr. D. Michael Pavel (CHiXapKaid-Skokomish) is an Associate
Professor at Washington State University’s College of Education and
a member of the American Indian Graduate Center’s Council of 100.
of this year’s conference program was designed around
five concurrent tracks: Professional Development, Native
Issues, Graduate Education, Undergraduate Education
and Graduate Student Presentations. I sat at a banquet
of ideas and methods fit for a king, listening to seasoned
veteran educators and scholars. My favorite track was the
graduate student presentations. It was in this program
track that I grew into a deeper understanding of that old
19th century gospel song I once heard Maya Angelou
sing. It goes something like: “when it looked like the sun
wasn’t gonna shine no more, God put a rainbow in the
clouds, in the worst of times, there’s a possibility of seeing hope.” I heard students incarnate this sense of hope
with their eloquent doctoral dissertation and master thesis research presentations. The term ‘practical visionary’
comes to mind. These presentations were a perfect balance of “flying kites” (the idealism of youth) and “driving nails” (the realism or praxis of adults).
Moreover, I was fortunate to hear Dr. George Blue
Spruce, the first American Indian dentist in the United
States, tell his sacred story of excellence and achievement
with humility, humor and grace. Former U.S. House of
Representative and Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell’s
presentation brought new meaning and significance to
the notion of an American Indian “renaissance man”,
who redefines servant leadership in a cross-cultural context. However, the authentic alchemy of people, program
and participation at this conference was profoundly
apparent during the Friday evening Council of 100 Celebration. In essence, this quickly became a sacred honoring of Vine Deloria’s gift to all of us, his life of service for
a greater good within Indian country. As we all know,
Vine Deloria was “mess you up smart.” All of the presenters spoke about how he touched them personally and
professionally. At times I felt I was in a ceremonial, as
I experienced the emotional roller coaster ride of divine
presence. Laughing and crying at the realization of what
it means to be human i.e., learning to live with the intimacy of having more questions than answers. Saul Alinsky was right when he wrote in Rules for Radicals: “it is
no coincidence that a question mark resembles an inverted plow, like a plow questions are designed to break up
the hard soil of old beliefs and assumptions in hopes of
preparing the soil for new growth and development.”
In Letters to a Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, advises us to “be patient toward all that is unsolved in your
heart and try to love the questions themselves….Do not
seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you
would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live
everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then
gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day
into the answer.”
For me, during this time of equal day and night, I
experienced holding the tension of opposites, loving the
questions and enjoying the rapture of realizing Native
America has a bright future. I was affirmed in the promise and practice that learning to be a good relative is the
purpose of Indian education. Like Deloria said, “Everything is connected to everything else and everything is
alive and responsible to its relationships in every way.”
Yes, there is a utilitarian purpose to education in
terms of vocation and avocation. However, “Walking
in Two Worlds” at the 2006 Annual AIGC Conference
brought together the Light of Traditional Knowledge and
the Darkness of a colonizing western education into a creative wholeness that was highly informative, healing and
restorative. I want to thank the AIGC Board of Directors, the American Indian Professional Association and
the American Indian Graduate Center staff for gifting
me with such an experience. I am also eagerly awaiting
the 2007 Autumnal equinox and the next AIGC Conference. See you there! In the Spirit of Our Ancestors, May
the Blessings Be! ✦
Raymond F. Reyes, Ph.D. is the Associate Mission Vice President for
Intercultural Relations at Gonzaga University.
“Everything is connected to everything else and everything is alive and responsible
to its relationships in every way.”
—Vine Deloria
39
Gates Scholars
those whose performance as interns ranked in the top
ten percent.
This past summer, I participated with the WINS
program for a second time, meeting up with a number
of former WINS interns from the summer before. I was
able to intern with the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) Honors Intern Program. My big accomplishments
with WINS this time around included a 20-page, graduate-level paper on the FBI’s involvement within Indian
Country. I was also selected by my peers to deliver a
speech at the FBI Farewell Ceremony.
I have been able to gain great insight into federal
policy of Indian Country through the WINS program.
My experience with the program, in D.C., allowed me to
create numerous relationships with other WINS/GMS
students from across the United States during these past
two summers. Most importantly, WINS has equipped
me with an ambitious vision for Indian Country that
will remain with me wherever my influence reaches. I
would recommend WINS to all American Indian students, as a place were they can meet and share their successes with one another.
So, back to the original question: what brought me
into the west? It is because of GMS and AIGCS that I
have the chance to take time to review career options
as an American Indian college graduate. I am currently
spending time with my relatives in Kingman, Arizona.
My uncle is the general manager for Ft. Mojave Telecommunication Inc. (FMTI) located in the Mojave Valley.
The company provides all telecommunications services
to the Ft. Mojave Indian Reservation. I have been working at FMTI since August, learning all I can about the
telecommunications industry, as well as receiving handson experience in information technology and network
engineering. Recently, I was asked to be an after-school
math tutor for the Ft. Mojave Education Department
and I will probably start in the coming weeks in conjunction with work. As with my previous tutoring stints
in Oklahoma, I have been identified as the only individual suitable for the task in the given area. I take pride
in another opportunity to help educate Native America.
One great honor came last week, when I visited The
American Indian Graduate Center office in Albuquerque,
New Mexico. I was there attending the Arizona-New
Mexico Telecommunications Conference with FMTI. I
was able to drop by the AIGC main office, where I met
the staff. After some discussion, I was asked by AIGCS’s
very own Christa Moya to do some recruiting on behalf
of GMS in the state of Arizona. I couldn’t be more
excited at the chance to contribute to AIGCS and GMS
in this capacity. I happily agreed and now wait to take
part in various high school recruiting events around the
state, where I will give speeches about GMS to Native
students. Without these recruiting events, many eligible
Native students may never get the chance to hear about
GMS. I can’t be grateful enough for all those who made
GMS and AIGCS possible. Of course, there are many
thanks to be given to the founder of GMS, Bill Gates
himself. And what better way to give back to GMS than
to be a spokesman and representative for GMS, the very
organization that changed my life?
In closing, I would like to share what I have planned
for the near future. I have taken a year of deferment from
the GMS program in order to develop some skills in the
workplace. I have the choice to go to graduate school,
through AIGC, in the fall of next year or I could go
straight into the workforce. Whatever I choose to do, I
plan to do great things for Indian Country. I’ve heard it
said, “It doesn’t matter how much you are awarded if you
don’t plan to do great things with it.” May we all succeed
and do great things together for the sake of our people. ✦
Most importantly, WINS has equipped me with an ambitious vision for Indian
Country that will remain with me wherever my influence reaches. I would
recommend WINS to all American Indian students, as a place were they can
meet and share their successes with one another.
40
During the 1960s, the National Council of Churches, Indian Rights Association and the Council on Indian
Affairs were strong allies of NCAI. Vine told me to meet
these guys “because the churches working with Indian
people to support change in Indian affairs. It was a challenging time for us because confrontation politics were
beginning to emerge among Indian people.
As I said, Vine administered the Denver office and,
since I was the liaison for NCAI, I testified on behalf
of HIS and met regularly with HIS liaison personnel. We met with Indian offices at the Office of Economic Opportunity, the Department of Commerce,
Department of Labor and the Department of Health,
Education and Welfare. We met with Robert Bennett,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and the Secretary of
Indian Affairs. We provided information to the Senators and Congressmen at the United States Congress on
important, pending Indian legislation. We fought with
the Senate to repeal Public Law 280 and won. It was a
victory for Indians everywhere. Vine was my preceptor
for one year, before I became Executive Director.
Vine’s father, Vine Deloria, Sr., gave me a Lakota
name. In a letter dated October 3, 1969, he wrote, “I
just finished reading the NCAI Sentinel and find myself
heading for the typewriter to congratulate you again on
another thrilling edition. You have moved me so much I
am going to give you a Lakota name. It is Mahto Waiyasiaia. It means ‘Bear That Catches Them in the Act’–
Senators, Congressmen, Secretaries, etc., no matter how
subtle they try to be. But, do not let a single Wasicu or
many Wasicus ever know the translation. When you are
asked, say it means something about a ‘Smiling Bear’.”
On November 11, 2005, we heard Vine’s death
song. Crazy Horse and our best braves rode with him
to a Greater Destiny. We lament his force among Indian
people. We will never forget him. ✦
The Indian ability to deal with death was a result of
the much larger context in which Indians understood life.
Human beings were an integral part of the natural world
and in death they contributed their bodies to become the
dust that nourished the plants and animals that fed people
during their lifetime. Because people saw the tribal community and the family as a continuing unity, regardless of circumstance, death became simply another transitional event
in a much longer scheme of life.’
So how, in conclusion, does one even begin to sum
up the life and work of Vine Deloria, Jr.? I confess to
having a method to my madness in selecting these specific three previous areas of Vine’s thinking and writing.
They speak to the point that I wish to make most this
afternoon about why he made such a difference and had
such broad and lasting impact.
If you think of the three areas I discussed as examples of the scope of Vine’s thinking and lifelong inquiry
– Native peoples and cultures as contemporary cultural phenomena, Native peoples not as anthropological
objects of study, but as complete and multi-dimensional
human beings, not the “other”, but part of the “we” of
humankind and, finally, Native peoples with a spiritual
center and practice that is vital and enduring – I think
you understand the transcending and unique place of
Vine Deloria, Jr. He had immense intellectual range. His
writing and thinking encompassed all of Native experience, past and present. He defended that cultural territory of Native existence with intellectual integrity and,
indeed, ferocity against all comers. And, in doing so, he
created and preserved cultural space for all of us to be
Native and challenged us to occupy it – a legacy that puts
all who call themselves Native forever in his debt.
But, in the end, notwithstanding my lasting gratitude
for all of these vast intellectual tangibles, it is the intangibles of Vine Deloria, Jr. that create a permanent place
for him in my memory and that endear him to me. In
attempting to summarize those intangibles, I cannot help
recalling the words of Adlai Stevenson, twice a candidate
for the American Presidency, in his eloquent eulogy for
Eleanor Roosevelt, the widow of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and a memorable social activist in her own
right: “She would rather have lit one candle than curse the
darkness.” In his lifetime, Vine’s incandescent candlelight
illuminated cultural paths that many would not have
found otherwise, and those of us who remain now, after
him, must have the courage to follow them – for the sake
of all of those who follow us. ✦
41
In Memorium
A Loss For Indian Country
In Memory of Sotsisowah (John Mohawk, Ph.D.)
By Susan Duran
O
n December 12, 2006, Indian Country and,
indeed, the world in general, lost a wise and
valuable asset, as well as a humorous and compassionate individual known to most of society as John
Mohawk, Ph.D. When 61-year-old John did not appear
for Monday morning meetings at the University, friends
discovered him dead at his home in Buffalo. Although
his health had been declining for the past few years, he
had no indications of acute illness. John was preceded in
death, approximately eighteen months ago, by his beloved
wife and life-partner, Yvonne Dion-Buffalo.
From its founding in 1967 to 1983, Mohawk served
as editor for Akwesasne Notes, a journal published at the
Mohawk reservation of that name straddling the St. Lawrence River, a groundbreaking effort in the emergence
of an independent Native American press. In 1978 he
was contributing editor to A Basic Call to Consciousness,
a germinal document prepared by the Iroquois Confederacy for a conference at Geneva, Switzerland, demanding establishment of international law standards for the
rights of indigenous peoples.
John Mohawk served as a spokesperson and negotiator
in several land conflicts concerning the Iroquois nations,
including Ganienkeh (1975) and Racquette Point (1981)
in upstate New York, and Oka, Quebec (1990). He represented Akwesasne Notes on a fact-finding trip to Iran during the U.S embassy hostage crisis in 1980. He was also
founding board member of the Seventh Generation Fund
and the Indian Law Resource Center.
In addition to being one of the original members
of the American Indian Graduate Center’s Honorary
42
“There is no death, only a
change of worlds.”
—Chief Seattle
Council of 100, John was a longtime professor at
the State University of New York at Buffalo, author,
speaker, singer, historian, storyteller, activist scholar,
revered Seneca elder, peacemaker, mentor to hundreds,
philosopher and strong defender of international human
rights. As an author and orator, John covered a broad
range of indigenous, social, political and global issues
with intellect and humor. He was a humble and wise
man of great honor and integrity, who treated everyone
with great patience and even greater love. He was
also the recipient of the Native American Journalism
Association’s Best Historical Perspective of Indigenous
People Award, in 2000 and 2001.
Chief Seattle, of the Suquamish nation, once said,
“There is no death, only a change of worlds.” While this
world is a little less bright without John, his words, his
works and his example live on in the memory and hearts
of many. ✦
Thank You!
The American Indian Graduate Center would like to take this opportunity to thank
all the participants of the 2006 Annual Conference, “Walking in Two Worlds”.
We are very grateful to our exhibitors, presenters, speakers, the Honorary Council of 100,
members of the AIGC American Indian Professional Association, students – both undergraduate
and graduate, school officials, entertainers and general guests. We are particularly thankful for
our generous sponsors: AIGCS and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Walton Family
Foundation, St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, Morongo Band of Mission Indians, CG Printers, Council
on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO), Exhibit Solutions, Indian Country Today, Los
Alamos National Laboratory Foundation, Peterson’s and the AIGC American Indian Professional
Association Charter Member sponsors: Accenture, American Indian Development Associates,
Holland & Knight, REDW and Wells Fargo Bank.
It takes all of you to make the AIGC conference successful and we just wanted to let you know we
sincerely appreciate the time and effort you committed in sharing our mission: “To build, promote
and honor self-sustaining American Indian and Alaska Native communities through education
and leadership”.
As a non-profit organization, we cannot host the conference without a great deal of help. Your
participation and support are crucial. If you or your organization would like to help sponsor
the next AIGC Annual Conference, please contact our office at (505) 881-4584.
43
Application
Complete one application to be considered for all
Fellowships administered by the American Indian
Graduate Center
T
he American Indian Graduate Center has streamlined the financial aid process for all fellowships and financial assistance programs administered by AIGC. The goal of the new process is to make it easier and seamless to apply for consideration of one or more of the financial aid programs offered by the American Indian
Graduate Center.
Each year, the AIGC fellowship program provides $1,200,000 in fellowships to over 350 Native American
graduate students. Graduate fellowships are monetary awards made to American Indian and Alaska Native graduate or professional degree-seeking students, who meet all eligible criteria. The United States Bureau of Indian
Affairs federally funds most fellowships. The fellowship amount is typically between $1,000 and $5,000 per
academic year, and varies from year to year, depending on the availability of funds and unmet financial need.
Master’s, Professional and Doctoral
Degree Programs
BIA SHEP Fellowships are awarded to eligible applicants that apply by the June 1 deadline. Fellowships are
available for any field of study, at any nationally accredited institution of higher education.
AIGC Loan for Service Program: AIGC is administers a grant from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to provide
financial assistance in the form of loans to eligible American Indian and Alaska Natives seeking graduate and
professional degrees. The goal is to promote opportunities for careers with tribal governments, Bureau of Indian
Affairs and Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded organizations on and off reservations. Loans are paid back at the
rate of one year of service for one year of funding.
AIGC Administered Private and Corporate
Fellowships:
Accenture American Indian Scholarship Fund: AIGC
administers a grant from Accenture LLP. The scholarship fund selects the very brightest American Indian and
Alaska Native students seeking graduate or professional
44
degrees and careers in the high technology and business
fields. The goal of this program is to provide scholarships to graduate students and provide summer internships with Accenture. This award has the potential to be
renewed throughout the course of the degree program.
Elizabeth Furber Fellowship: Graduate fellowship
for women studying the creative fine arts, visual works,
crafts, music, performing, dance, literary arts, creative
writing and poetry.
Dr. George Blue Spruce Fellowship: Dr. Blue Spruce
created the fellowship as a step toward increasing the
very low number of American Indian dentists.
Gerald Peet Fellowship: Priority to medical students or
health- related fields. 2 year work/service pledge
Grace Wall Barreda Memorial Fellowship: Graduate
fellowship for student seeking advanced degrees in environmental studies or public health.
Jeanette Elmer Scholarship - Graduate Fellowship:
AIGC was granted authority to accept administration
of the trust fund monies of the Jeanette Elmer estate.
This fund is designated to provide scholarships to
students that have completed their bachelor’s degree and
are enrolled in a graduate or professional degree program
at an accredited institution and who are members of
Wisconsin, New Mexico or Arizona tribes.
John Rainer Fellowship: The Rainer family created
the fellowship to honor AIGC founder John Rainer and
designated AIGC to administer the fellowship program.
One male and one female student receive a one-time
$1000 award each year.
Katrin Lamon Fund: For Native American graduate
students majoring in literature, journalism and communications or a related field.
Wells Fargo American Indian Scholarship Fund: The
Wells Fargo fellowship builds personal and lasting relationships with the students who will become the future
business leaders in Indian Country and Wells Fargo
leaders in banking and financial service industry. Wells
Fargo may provide paid summer intern opportunities
Two personal recommendations are required: one from
an education professional who is familiar with the student’s academic work, and the second from an individual
having knowledge of the applicant’s leadership and community service activities must accompany the application. This award has the potential to be renewed.
Ruth Muskrat Bronson Fellowship: Priority to nursing
or health-related fields if the nursing pool is non-existent.
One or two graduate students per year.
How to Apply
Applications are available in mid-January, prior to the academic year, and can be requested by
calling AIGC, toll free, at 1-800-628-1920 or by visiting our website at www.aigcs.org.
Eligibility Criteria
1. Be an enrolled member of a United States federally-recognized, American Indian tribe or Alaska Native group, or
possess one-fourth degree Indian blood from a federally-recognized tribe.
2. Be enrolled full-time in a Masters, doctoral or professional degree program, at an accredited college or university,
within the United States.
3. Demonstrate financial need, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA), from the
United States Department of Education and the office of the university you plan to attend.
Required Documentation
1. A completed “AIGC Fellowship Application”, submitted by 5:00 p.m., June 1st or the first business day in June.
2. A 250-word, typed essay, as described in the application packet.
3. A Financial Need Form (FNF), completed by the college or university financial aid office.
4. A Tribal Eligibility Certification (TEC).
Application Deadline June 1
45
Council of 100
The American Indian Graduate Center — Council of 100
Leaders
Traditionals
Herman Agoyo
Al Qoyawayma
Horace Axtell
Joe Abeyta
Alan J. Allery
Ann R. Roberts
Ed Edmo
Sherman Alexie
Marge Anderson
Helen Sanders
Jerry Honawa
Lori Arviso-Alvord
John Belindo
Helen Scheirbeck
Russell Jim
Robin Butterfield
W. Roger Buffalohead
Benny Shendo, Jr.
Franklin Kahn
George Blue Spruce
Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Oren R. Lyons
James L. Davis
Joann Chase
Ray Tracy
Henrietta Mann
De La Torre, Joely
Floyd Correa
Webster Two Hawk
A. Paul Ortega
Lloyd M. Elm
Nedra Darling
Mark Van Norman
James W. Ransom (Chief)
Billy Frank
John E. Echohawk
D.J. Vanas
Caleen Sisk-Franco
Iris Heavy Runner – Pretty Paint
Lucille A. Echohawk
Rick West
Art Skenandore
John Herrington
Sam English
Floyd Westerman
Albert White Hat, Sr.
Charlotte Heth
Dwight A. Gourneau
Jeanne Whiteing
Kathleen Shaye Hill
Kevin Gover
Randall L. Willis
Jim Larimore
Trudy Griffin-Pierce
Martha B. Yallup
Maxine Lewis-Raymond
Carol Hampton
Peterson Zah
Lehua Lopez-Mau
E. Kelly Haney (Chief)
Leslie Marmon Silko
Suzan Shown Harjo
Joe Martin
La Donna Harris
Joe McDonald
Charlie Hill
N. Scott Momaday
Rick Hill
Gerald “Carty” Monette
Tom Holm
Michael Pavel
Donna E. House
Howard Ranier
Brenda Itta-Lee
Mary Ross
Valorie Johnson
Rick St. Germaine
Julie Kidd
Jim Shanley
Clara Sue Kidwell
Gloria E. Sly
A. David Lester
Clayton Small
Ronnie Lupe
Lois Steele
Wilma Mankiller
Charles E. Trimble
Phillip Martin
Della C. Warrior
Billy Mills
Robert Warrior
Carlos Nakai
Daniel R. Wildcat
Barney Old Coyote
Robert K. Whitman
Sandra Osawa
Ed Parisian
Jamie Pinkham
46
Scholars
Board of Directors
Meet the American Indian
Graduate Center Board of Directors
henan Atcitty (Diné)
S
President of the Board
Shenan is serving her eighth (8th) and final year on
the Board of AIGC. Shenan is an attorney, practicing
Corporate Law at Holland & Knight, LLP.
Elizabeth Rodke Washburn (Chickasaw)
Vice President
Formerly Legislative Counsel to a U.S. Senate Committee Chairman, Libby is currently raising two
young sons at her home in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
She has served on the AIGC Board since 2002.
Joann Sebastian Morris (Cayuga/Sault Ste. Marie
Ojibwe) • Secretary
Joann has been on the AIGC Board since 2001 and
is currently working for the U.S. Department of the
Interior. Joann makes her home in Hawaii.
David Mahooty (Pueblo of Zuni)
Board Treasurer
AIGC Board of Directors (Front, l. to r.: Melanie Fritzsche, Shenan
Atcitty, Joann Sebastian Morris Center, l. to r.: Dee Ann DeRoin,
David Mahooty, Kate Shanley Back, l. to r.: Grayson Noley, Libby
Washburn, David Powless)
David, who is not only an asset to the Commercial Lending component of Wells Fargo Bank, but to AIGC as
well, joined the Board of the American Indian Graduate
Center in 2003. David and his wife make their home in
Albuquerque.
Dee Ann DeRoin (Ioway Tribe of Kansas)
Dr. DeRoin joined the AIGC Board in 2005 for the second time. Originally recruited by John Rainer, Dee Ann
served as a graduate student Board representative from
1974 – 1978. Dee Ann lives in Lawrence, Kansas and,
after practicing family medicine for twenty years, is currently a community health consultant.
David Powless (Oneida)
David Powless is another Board member who will be
leaving us this year, after completing eight (8) years
on the Board. David, however, will remain active as an
AIGC committee member. David and his family make
their home in Corrales, New Mexico.
Kathryn Shanley (Nakota/Assiniboine)
Kate is the Chair and Associate Professor of the Native
American Studies Department at the University of Montana and has served on the AIGC Board since 2001.
Kate and her family reside in Missoula, Montana.
Melanie P. Fritzsche (Pueblo of Laguna)
Melanie is one of two new members, who joined the
Board in the fall of 2006. Melanie recently transitioned
from a career in law to becoming a business owner. She
and her family live in Albuquerque.
Grayson B. Noley (Choctaw)
Dr. Noley is Chair and Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in the College of
Education, University of Oklahoma. Grayson joined the
Board in the fall of 2006 and resides in Norman, OK.
47
Winds of Change
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The American Indian Graduate Center
4520 Montgomery Blvd., NE
Suite 1-B
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Non-Profit
Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit NO 8
Topeka, KS

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