Two Cherokee tribes seeking state recognition

By Chelyen Davis, http://news.fredericksburg.com

RICHMOND—On Friday, the Senate Rules Committee approved resolutions to grant state recognition to two different bands of Cherokee Indians in Virginia.

But no one on the committee, including the resolutions’ sponsors, could really explain how the two bands are different and distinct. No one spoke up to avow that the tribes met all the stringent criteria that used to be required for state recognition.

No one knew those things, in part, because there is no longer a Virginia Council on Indians to vet  tribes’ applications for state recognition. That’s why the two Cherokee tribes are going through the General Assembly for recognition.
A resolution from Sen. Steve Newman, R–Lynchburg,  grants state recognition to the United Cherokee Indian Tribe of

Virginia, known more commonly—according to his resolution—as the Buffalo Ridge Band of Cherokee.
Now based around Amherst, that tribe traces their roots back to Northumberland County on the Northern Neck. A House version of Newman’s bill was also approved by a committee on Thursday.

The other resolution comes from Sens. Jill Vogel, R–Winchester, and Kenny Alexander, D–Norfolk. It would grant state recognition to the Appalachian Cherokee Nation of Virginia—a tribe long based in the mountains of western and Southwest Virginia.

While the resolutions provide an outline of each tribe’s claims to state recognition, neither resolution could contain all the background documentation the council used to require. And both resolutions are careful to state that the “Commonwealth, by this resolution, does not address the question of whether the tribe has been continuously in existence since 1776,” which once was one of the many requirements for state recognition through the council.
The council had been responsible for vetting other tribes’ recognition efforts since 1983, when the General Assembly granted state recognition to eight tribes—a status that can offer tribes access to grants or standing to protest when, for example, their burial grounds are threatened.
The state then assigned to those tribes, through the Virginia Council on Indians, the task of vetting other tribes that wanted state recognition. Since then, just two tribes have won recognition through the council—the last in 1989.
Three years ago, aided by the star power of singer Wayne Newton, the General Assembly granted state recognition to the Stafford-based Patawomeck Indian Tribe as well as two others. All three tribes had applied to the council for recognition, only to be turned down for not meeting the strict criteria.
Tribes had to prove that their tribe existed in Virginia at the time Europeans made contact; that it has existed in some form ever since; and that it is a distinct group, among other requirements.
Such proof can be difficult for a tribe to gather, in part because racist state policies regarding Indians in the early 20th century led some to hide their heritage. For years, Indians could not identify themselves as such on vital records, like birth certificates—the state required them to declare themselves white or “colored.”
The Patawomecks had applied to the council for state recognition and been denied. Frustrated at what they felt was stonewalling, they turned to their  delegate, House Speaker Bill Howell, R–Stafford, who filed a bill in 2010 to grant them state recognition.
In General Assembly hearings that year, the already-recognized tribes protested, saying a rigorous vetting process for state recognition of tribes was necessary.
But lawmakers were frustrated by the council’s reluctance to accept new tribes, and passed the resolutions anyway.
At the time, lawmakers warned the council that it needed to revamp its vetting process for new tribes.
Instead, the VCI essentially went defunct. Minutes from meetings after that year show that over and over, no business was done because there weren’t enough tribe representatives there.
Finally, the state disbanded the council entirely.
“They weren’t a functioning commission, so we eliminated them,” said Sen. Steve Newman, R–Lynchburg, who has proposed one of the Cherokee resolutions.
Newman said the council was too tied to preserving the status quo, protecting the tribes it liked and refusing to consider others.
“They would be dismissive of the people who would come before them,” he said.
But the council’s dissolution leaves Virginia with nobody in charge of determining how tribes can qualify for state recognition.
Some senators on the Senate Rules committee expressed   concern with how the two Cherokee bands are different. Newman promised to get that question resolved before the resolution—now combining both Cherokee groups—gets to the full Senate next week.
Newman said he is satisfied with the Buffalo Ridge Cherokees’ claim. “I saw a lot of documentation” going back to the 1500s, he said.
But Newman also said that granting state recognition simply through legislative action is “not the best way to do it.”
He said the state needs to develop a policy and a set of rules for recognition.
If he and Vogel and Alexander can’t sort out the differences between the two Cherokee groups seeking recognition, their resolution may turn into a requirement for a more standardized policy to be developed over the next year.
“These things are so emotional. These people are very passionate about their history,” Newman said. “But no legislator has the time to delve into this.”

 

Allocation is not Conservation

Billy Frank
Billy Frank

“Being Frank” By Billy Frank, Jr., Chairman, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

OLYMPIA – Allocation is being confused with conservation as the states of Oregon and Washington move to restrict non-Indian commercial gillnet fisheries on the lower Columbia River.

The states’ plan to move gillnetters off the main stem and prioritize sport fishing by reallocating  their wild chinook salmon harvest impacts to anglers. Of course the states can allocate their share of the salmon resource however they like, but true conservation doesn’t happen just by reallocating salmon harvest between commercial and sport fisheries.

The decline of salmon across our region has nothing to do with how we catch them, whether with a net or rod and reel. Salmon are in trouble because of lost and damaged habitat. The key to recovery is to restore and protect that habitat, combined with conservative harvest and careful use of hatcheries.

All types of fishing – including mark-selective sport fisheries targeting fin-clipped hatchery salmon – kill non-targeted  fish . Harvest is managed on the basis of fishery impacts from all fishing methods, both sport and commercial. Reallocating these impacts from commercial to sport fisheries does nothing to rebuild the resource.

Allocation is not conservation. Conservation must come first. We need to focus on restoring salmon populations to abundance – mostly by restoring and protecting their habitat – instead of fighting battles over who gets to catch how many fish. Imagine if all of that time, energy and money was spent on true salmon conservation instead.

Whether sport or commercial, most fishermen are conservationists at heart. Neither group is more conservation-minded than the other, and neither wants to catch the last salmon.

The debate between sport and commercial fisheries allocation on the lower Columbia now appears to be headed to the courts, and that’s too bad, because this fight distracts us from the real work at hand – restoring salmon populations to abundant levels. In the end, these allocation battles are self-defeating because they undermine the broad-based cooperation that we need to recover salmon.

After decades of hard work, cooperative salmon restoration efforts in the Columbia basin have started to make a difference. Spring and fall chinook, sockeye and coho populations are growing. That kind of success doesn’t happen on its own. It comes from a shared willingness of many people to work together with common interest toward a shared goal of conserving, protecting and restoring salmon populations on the Columbia and throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Note: A more comprehensive history of the Coastal Conservation Association is available at: http://go.nwifc.org/history  

 

USDA Proposes Standards to Provide Healthy Food Options in Schools

Release No. 0019.13
Contact:
Office of Communications (202) 720-4623

  New “Smart Snacks in School” proposal to ensure vending machines, snack bars include healthy choices

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2013 – USDA today announced the public comment period has opened on proposed new standards to ensure that children have access to healthy food options in school.

“Parents and teachers work hard to instill healthy eating habits in our kids, and these efforts should be supported when kids walk through the schoolhouse door,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Good nutrition lays the groundwork for good health and academic success. Providing healthy options throughout school cafeterias, vending machines, and snack bars will complement the gains made with the new, healthy standards for school breakfast and lunch so the healthy choice is the easy choice for our kids.”

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 requires USDA to establish nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools — beyond the federally-supported school meals programs. The “Smart Snacks in School” proposed rule, to be published soon in the Federal Register, is the first step in the process to create national standards. The new proposed standards draw on recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, existing voluntary standards already implemented by thousands of schools around the country, and healthy food and beverage offerings already available in the marketplace.

Highlights of USDA’s proposal include:

  • More of the foods we should encourage. Promoting availability of healthy snack foods with whole grains, low fat dairy, fruits, vegetables or protein foods as their main ingredients.
  • Less of the foods we should avoid. Ensuring that snack food items are lower in fat, sugar, and sodium and provide more of the nutrients kids need.
  • Targeted standards. Allowing variation by age group for factors such as beverage portion size and caffeine content.
  • Flexibility for important traditions. Preserving the ability for parents to send in bagged lunches of their choosing or treats for activities such as birthday parties, holidays, and other celebrations; and allowing schools to continue traditions like occasional fundraisers and bake sales.
  • Reasonable limitations on when and where the standards apply. Ensuring that standards only affect foods that are sold on school campus during the school day. Foods sold at an afterschool sporting event or other activity will not be subject to these requirements.
  • Flexibility for state and local communities. Allowing significant local and regional autonomy by only establishing minimum requirements for schools. States and schools that have stronger standards than what is being proposed will be able to maintain their own policies.
  • Significant transition period for schools and industry. The standards will not go into effect until at least one full school year after public comment is considered and an implementing rule is published to ensure that schools and vendors have adequate time to adapt.

The public is encouraged to review the proposal and to provide comments and information for consideration by USDA. The text of the proposed rule is available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cga/020113-snacks.pdf . Once the rule is published in the Federal Register, which is expected next week, the public will be able to provide feedback through http://www.regulations.gov/. USDA will seek public comment on the proposal for 60 days.

Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report that analyzed state policies for food and beverages served outside the school lunch line which noted that 39 states already have a state law, regulation or policy in place related to the sale or availability of snack foods and beverages in schools. In many cases, local level (district and school) policies and practices exceeded state requirements or recommendations. USDA’s proposal would establish a national baseline of these standards, with the overall goal of improving the health and nutrition of our kids.

These proposed standards are part of a bi-partisan package of changes passed by Congress in 2010 designed to ensure that students have healthy options in school. Other parts of that package include updated nutrition standards for federally-subsidized school meals that provide children more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; additional funding for schools to support improved meals; and guidance on stronger local wellness policies.

Collectively these policies will help combat child hunger and obesity and improve the health and nutrition of the nation’s children; a top priority for the Obama Administration. The proposed rule announced today is an important component of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to combat the challenge of childhood obesity.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers America’s nutrition assistance programs including the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs, the Summer Food Service Program, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Together these programs make up the federal nutrition safety net.

For more information on the proposed rule, visit: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cga/020113-qas.pdf

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

Bison bill draws support from ranchers, opposition from tribes

Posted: Feb 1, 2013 10:20 AM by Marnee Banks – MTN News

HELENA – The Montana Senate Fish and Game committee is considering a comprehensive bison management bill.

Senator John Brenden’s (R-Scobey) Senate Bill 143 would establish a year round bison hunting season and prohibit any translocation of the species. He says he is bringing his bill in response to farmers and ranchers.

Bill Hoppe is an outfitter and rancher in Gardiner who says the bison come out of Yellowstone National Park and cause havoc on private land.

“Bison are very destructive, Hoppe testified. “While on our land they destroy trees, shrubbery, landscaping, then tear down huge amounts of fence.”

American Indian tribes testified against the bill, saying the bison is a spiritual animal and if the Legislature passes the bill it could face litigation.

Other opponents to the bill are calling it “radical” and say the bison should not be managed as a pest but instead as wildlife.

Greater Yellowstone Coalition Executive Director Mike Clark said there are three main reasons he opposes the bill.

“First it will completely disrupt the relationship between the federal government, the state and the tribe. Secondly, it will polarize people throughout this country over how the bison will be slaughtered. Thirdly, it will prevent the movement of healthy bison to the tribes,” Clark said.

The Senate Fish and Game committee will vote on the bill at a later date.

Source:

http://www.kxlf.com/news/bison-bill-draws-support-from-ranchers-opposition-from-tribes/

Sateshon Rian Conway

Sateshon Conway“Mr. Cliffhanger”

Sateshon Rian Conway, 8, was born July 17, 2004, and went to be with the Lord, in the arms of our ancestors on January 29, 2013. He was raised on the Tulalip Reservation, attending both Tulalip and Quil Ceda Elementary to third grade, where he was just named Star Student of the week. He belonged to the Tulalip Tribe and the Kiowa Nation from Oklahoma.
Sateshon’s love for his family, friends and community was shared through his motivation for playing basketball, baseball, and all sports, as well as time spent at school and at the Boys and Girls club; play time at home with neighbor boys; participation and support for his family’s cultural, spiritual, and religion. His battle with Asthma became a limitation at times but his “little man” strength persevered. Sateshon was a confident young man. He was always there to lend a helping hand. Some say he was born with an old soul. He was a diehard OKC fan. He was a master chef, known for his microwave egg sandwiches with tons of ketchup.
He is survived by his loving parents, Shawn and Jesse Conway, and Johanna “JK” Tsoodle and Chuckie Jones; his grandparents, George and Vickie Tsoodle, Lori Conway, Pete, and Ken Conway; his siblings, Roxanne, Jakeb, Yvonne Ancheta, Dora, Berta Conway, Dalilah Tsoodle-Jones, Zack Jones, Mauricio Vegia-Simpson, Sylus and Zekial Edwards and Isaiah Bagley, George Tsoodle II, Isreal Basingier, Jayson Fryberg, Jessica Tsoodle, Joann and Issaya Ancheta, Candace Reeves, Aarron Miller, Kolby Evins; and nieces and nephews Glabriaz Tsoodle-Myers and Louise Topaum; aunties, Paula and Durthea Tsoodle;, Mel Ancheta, Carrie and Jesse Picard and Rosie, Grover Topaum Jr.
A visitation was held Sunday, February 3, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at Schaefer-Shipman with an evening service following at the family home at 6:00 p.m. Funeral Services were held Monday at 10:00 a.m. at the Tulalip Tribal Gym with burial following at Mission Beach Cemetery.
Arrangements entrusted to Schaefer-Shipman Funeral Home.

Calling all Dads to get involved in Watch D.O.G.S.

Please join us in the “2013 Watch D.O.G. Orientation, Recognition and Desert Meeting” February 6th Wednesday, 6 to 6:30pm Totem Library

Overview

WATCH D.O.G.S.® (Dads Of Great S tudents) is an innovative program of the National Center for Fathering focusing on preventing violence in our nation’s schools by using the positive influence of fathers and father-figures. WATCH D.O.G.S.® was founded by Jim Moore and joined with the National Center for Fathering in 2006. It serves to inspire and equip men to be the involved fathers, grandfathers and father-figures their students need. For more information, visit the website at www.fathers.com/watchdogs

Who are WatchDOGS?

WatchDOGS are fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other father-figures who volunteer for at least one day each year at an official WATCH D.O.G.S.® school. During the day, WatchDOGS may read and work on flash cards with students, play at recess, eat lunch with students, watch the school entrances and hallways, assist with traffic flow, mentor students, and any other assigned activities where they actively engage with not only their own students, but other students as well. Their mere presence and assistance is appreciated every day!

Program Recognition

The WATCH D.O.G.S.® program has been recognized by the United States Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and has been involved in the U.S. Department of Education’s P.F.I.E. (Partnership For Family Involvement In Education). The program has been recognized on the floor of Congress as a program that “can be a great tool in our efforts to prevent school violence and the improve student performance because it can increase parental initiative and involvement in their children’s education.  (Congressional Record, February 7, 2000 page S392)

What Totem WatchDOGS Are Saying?

•   90% thought their experiences in the school was rewarding.

•   90% thought the students were excited to see them in the building.

•   Selected comments

o “I participated in one-to-one reading in first grade and liked being with the kids at recess”

o “Seeing my child at school and getting to know her friends.”

o “I gained a new appreciation of what teachers do every day.”

 

Get Involved and be a WatchDOG today!

•    Talk to one of the WatchDOGS at the Dad/Deserts Event. You can also contact Timothy Hall 657-6231 or timothy_hall@msvl.k12.wa.us, Daniel_Natividad@msvl.k12.wa.us

•   Commit to  one day or more at Totem Middle School during the school year

•   Complete the Registration form & Background Check for the district

Bring your calendar and Line Up and Sign Up for your day.

https://sites.google.com/a/msvl.k12.wa.us/totem-middle-school-watchdog/

New Mukilteo ferry terminal needs $38M but work moves on

Photo: Genna Martin / The HeraldThe 3 p.m. Mukilteo ferry heads toward Whidbey Island on Wednesday. A project is in the works to build a new Mukilteo ferry terminal just east of the current dock.
Photo: Genna Martin / The Herald
The 3 p.m. Mukilteo ferry heads toward Whidbey Island on Wednesday. A project is in the works to build a new Mukilteo ferry terminal just east of the current dock.

By Jerry Cornfield, Herald Writer, http://www.heraldnet.com

OLYMPIA — Two hurdles to building a new ferry terminal in Mukilteo should be cleared this spring, but state leaders must deal with a looming lack of money to build it.

After years of efforts, there is a $38 million hole in the budget for a new terminal at the former Air Force tank farm, east of the existing terminal. And there are signs it could grow larger.

Ground won’t be broken until 2015, at the earliest, giving ferry officials time to pull together funds from state and federal sources to cover the $140 million tab.

“I’m confident. This has been too long in coming,” said Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine. “Everybody knows this project has to be done.”

Rep. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, serves on the House Transportation Committee, which is drafting a new transportation budget. The state has made its commitment clear by paying several million dollars for environmental work thus far, he said.

“My goal is to make sure we keep the project on track, because it’s a critical improvement that needs to be done,” said Liias, a former Mukilteo councilman. “We need all the money identified before we start.”

The Mukilteo ferry terminal is among the busiest in the state’s marine highway system. It has not had significant improvements for almost 30 years and frequent users know well the congestion and conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians with the current layout.

Last May, the state chose as its preferred site at the old fuel depot. Of three alternatives, it is the closest to the transit center and Sound Transit commuter rail station. The other options were to renovate the ferry dock at its current location or build at the far east end of the tank farm.

As proposed, the state will erect four new toll booths and a new building and entryway for walk-on passengers.

The final environmental impact statement on the project is expected to be released in April. Then the Air Force can transfer its land to the Port of Everett, which will then give a slice to the state for the ferry terminal.

Agreements need to be reached with tribes regarding protection of cultural resources and treaty rights for fishing. The goal is to wrap those up this year, ferry officials said.

The terminal project’s estimated $140 million price tag includes a reserve.

Lawmakers and former Gov. Chris Gregoire only socked away $102 million in the current state transportation budget for preliminary engineering and construction through 2019.

The $38 million hole could grow to $58 million because Washington State Ferries wants to use some of those construction dollars now, knowing that the big checks for the Mukilteo terminal won’t need to be written for a couple of years.

David Moseley, assistant secretary of transportation in charge of ferries, said he’s optimistic that federal money can be secured and, maybe, extra state dollars too if a new transportation funding package wins voter approval in the next couple of years.

“I don’t think we’ll have it solved in 2013,” he said

What to grow in your garden and which seeds to order

Local seed companies offer advice to help you plan for a bountiful harvest

Territorial's new cucumber variety, Patio Snacker, grows in a compact bush or can be trained to a trellis. Photo: Territorial Seed Co.
Territorial’s new cucumber variety, Patio Snacker, grows in a compact bush or can be trained to a trellis. Photo: Territorial Seed Co.

By Debra Smith, Special to The Herald, http://www.heraldnet.com

Purple carrots, heirloom tomatoes, fancy European greens: A whole world of succulent, flavorful produce can be grown in your yard or even on a sunny balcony.

Now is the time to get out the seed catalogs and start planning for that bounty.

Representatives from two Pacific Northwest seed companies shared some tips for choosing what to grow, and some of the hot new items in their catalogs. Both companies offer catalogs packed with growing information.

Irish Eyes Garden Seeds, as the name hints, specializes in potatoes. The Ellensburg-based company also offers a variety of heirloom, organic and nongenetically modified vegetable and flower seeds.

Owner Greg Lutovsky suggested trying a potato called Yukon Gem. It’s a private variety bred by a group of growers his nursery belongs to. The potato is late blight resistant — the fungal disease that led to the Irish potato famine — which means it’s incredibly hard to kill.

The potato is also quite tasty, just like one of its parents, Yukon Gold, Lutovsky said.

“You’d find some right now if you went into my kitchen,” he said.

He also recommended a russet-type potato for baking called Defender, and a purple fingerling called Purple Peruvian.

Lutovsky also offered a general piece advice for gardeners in Western Washington. Pay close attention to the “days to maturity” information listed with seeds. Eighty days to maturity is about the maximum gardeners can get away with in this area, and that’s pushing it without starting plants inside a greenhouse or using other season-lengthening techniques.

Plants bred to grow compactly in containers continue to be a popular trend, said Tim Russell, the marketing manager for Territorial Seed Co., based in Cottage Grove, Ore.

“A lot of people want to get into gardening, but they don’t have a big yard,” he said.

This year, Territorial offers a new cucumber called Patio Snacker. The cuke was bred for containers, as it stays in a tight, semi-bush shape and can be trained to grow up a trellis.

Another new plant for containers and small spaces is a cherry tomato called Lizzano. The plant gets about 20 inches tall and wide, Russell said. He suggested it tucking into a basket in a sunny spot. At 65 days to maturity, it produces relatively quickly for a tomato, a necessity in the cool Northwest.

Territorial began offering a zucchini last year called Patio Star and it proved popular, Russell said. The squash plant stays compact and produces shapely, deep green fruit. Gardeners can maximize space by packing them tightly together or planting among other crops.

The company also is offering plants that have been grafted to different rootstocks to maximize production and improve resistance to disease. Two years ago, the company started offering tomatoes. Last year it was eggplants. This year, gardeners also can try grafted peppers.

Territorial also is now offering seed tape and disks: Seeds, such as radishes and carrots, are embedded into biodegradable paper. The advantage here is gardeners don’t need to thin plants as they grow, and the seeds are perfectly spaced.

The seeds come embedded on long strips of paper intended for row planting. There are also a variety of herbs planted onto paper disks, aimed at gardeners who want to quickly and easily plant a container.

Scholars of the Native American boarding school experience will convene for two-day presentation of research

Press Release, University of California

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Scholars of Native American history will gather at the University of California, Riverside and Sherman Indian High School in Riverside for a two-day symposium, “Sherman Institute: The American Indian Boarding School Experience,” on Feb. 7 and 8, beginning at 9 a.m.

The symposium is free and open to the public. Feb. 7 activities will take place in Costo Library, located on the fourth floor of the Tomás Rivera Library at UCR. Parking is $6. The symposium will move to the Sherman Indian High School auditorium, 9010 Magnolia Ave., Riverside, on Feb. 8.
Scholars will address a variety of topics specific to the experience of Native Americans at Sherman Institute — which became Sherman Indian High School in 1970 — as well as the boarding school experience more generally.
“We want people to understand about the attempted assimilation of American Indian children by taking them out of their homes and putting them in boarding schools,” explained Clifford E. Trafzer, Rupert Costo Chair in American Indian Affairs at UC Riverside and co-editor of the recently published book “The Indian School on Magnolia Avenue: Voices and Images from Sherman Institute.” The book was written and edited by historians connected to UC Riverside and Lorene Sisquoc, curator of the Sherman Indian Museum and a UCR master’s degree site supervisor. “In spite of that, many children used their education and experiences — sometimes positive, sometimes bitter — to help their tribes understand U.S. government, business and culture.”
Presenting research in the UCR portion of the event will be: David Adams of Cleveland State University, “What We Don’t Know about the History of Indian Boarding Schools”; Robert McCoy, Washington State University, “Building to Assimilate: Mission Architecture of Sherman Institute”; Diana Bahr, UCLA, “Robert Kennedy and Sherman Institute, A Promise Fulfilled”; Leleua Loupe, California State University, Fullerton, “A Network of Control: Exploiting Indigenous Labor in the West”; Kevin Whalen, UCR, “Indian School and Company Town: Sherman Student-Laborers at Fontana Farms Company, 1907-1930″; Jason Davis, CSU San Bernardino, “Paradigm Shift: Assimilation to Preservation at Sherman Indian School”; Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert, University of Illinois, “Hopi Runner Harry Chaca and the 1929 Vallejo Pre-Olympic National Marathon”; William O. Medina, Riverside Community College, “Patriotic Indians at Sherman Institute”; Kathleen Bartosh, UCLA, “Domesticity and Defense: The Female Experience at the Sherman Institute, 1930-1960”; Jean Keller, Palomar College, “Before Sherman Institute: The Perris Indian School.” Trafzer and Sisquoc will serve as moderators.
At Sherman Indian High School, current and former students, staff and faculty as well as Sherman scholars and historians will convene for three panel discussions in the morning. The museum will be open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and a visit to the off-site school cemetery is planned from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
The symposium is sponsored by the Sherman Indian School Museum and UCR Costo Chair, California Center for Native Nations, Native American Educational Program, and Native American Student Programs of UC Riverside.

Express yourself at open mic night

Every second Friday of the month, the Northwest Indian College Tulalip site invites community members to take part in an open mic night. It’s an evening of creative poets, singers, and comedians sharing their talents and thoughts. Join in on the fun and express yourself on the mic or just enjoy the show.

The next open mic night will feature the theme “Survivors of Violence” and will take place at the Tulalip Tribes Administration Building, Room 162, on Friday, February 8th from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Admission is free.

The Tulalip Tribes Administration Building is located on 6406 Marine Drive, Tulalip, WA 98271. For more information on NWIC and open mic night, visit http://www.nwic.edu/