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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2000)
NOTICES “Homeland” Features Families from Pine Ridge Can You Talk and Drive Safely at the Same Time? If you are driving, car phones can divert your attention from the road. If the car in front of you stops suddenly while you are on the phone, you may react slower than normal, which could be the difference between a crash and a “close call.” “With 77 million cell phones in use in the United States alone, motorists should think about how to use them safely. A recently released study by the New England Journal of Medicine says that drivers using cell phones increase their risk of having a crash four-fold and using a hands-free phone did not appear to improve the crash risk,” says Krista K. Fischer, AAI, CPIW, executive director for the Insurance Information Service of Oregon & Idaho (IISOI). The National Highway Safety x- -i- <■ ik ♦ Administration confirms earlier findings that, driver inattention is a primary factor in about 50 percent of all crashes in the U.S. According to Fischer, you should make or take certain sensitive calls only in a car safely parked at the side of the road or in a parking lot. “Don’t stop on a highway shoulder unless you face an emergency because that can also be hazardous,” she warns. Car phones today are no longer the status symbol they used to be when cellular service first started. As costs have dropped, these phones have become popular because they save time and improve service. Your insurance companies through the IISOI offer the following tips for safe driving and telephoning: • • • • 28 Xvoid using your cellular phone while driving. If you must make a call, pull off of the highway into a designated parking area. Do not attempt to take notes while driving. Avoid giving out credit card numbers, company or private information on a car phone. Others could pick up radio transmissions. Remove any external antennas when parking the car. The antenna makes it easier for thieves to spot cars with phones. National airdate on Nov. 16 at 10 p.m. on PBS stations A legacy of broken treaties, cultural genocide, and government neglect has created harsh realities on American Indian reservations nationwide. “Homeland” takes an intimate look at four remarkable families from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota who, despite the odds, continue to strive for a better future for themselves and especially their children. “Homeland” follows the lives and families of spiritual leader Michael Little Boy, loving grandmother Doris Eagle, self-taught artist Thurman Horse, and dedicated activist Marian White Mouse as they try to strike a balance between two worlds - the modern and the traditional. Visit the Web site at http://www.itvs.org/homeland/ to: Learn more about the families with updates on what has happened to each since the filming of the program was completed. Send e-mail to the families. Get their responses and connect with people you may never have been able to meet in your lifetime. Enjoy the rich arts and heritage of Native American culture. Marvel in the artistry of Thurman Horse’s paintings, try Doris Eagle’s mouth-watering fry bread recipe, watch stunning video of wild horses and buffalo, and listen to the rhythms of Native drumming and songs. key ¡ssues> past and present, with a comprehensive timeline of Native American-U.S. government relations, including tribal sovereignty, cultural genocide, the health care crisis, casinos, and environmental pollution on reservation land. Discover the Pine Ridge Reservation, site of the 1890 U.S. government massacre at Wounded Knee Creek. The poorest region in the United States, residents of Pine Ridge are subject to poverty, joblessness, substandard living conditions, alcoholism, and welfare. But assistance programs also are in place. Find out how you can help. Coming from fast-paced Los Angeles, the filmmakers learned to “take cues from the families” and “honor the reservation tempo - the full and unhurried observation of life.” Learn more about the story behind the making of the film. Want to know more? Explore the numerous links to Web sites about the Lakota and other American Indian nations. Sites include information on language, history, treaties, legal concerns, non-profit and political groups, schools, art, dance, and astronomy. Check out suggestions for further reading and research, information and links to non profit groups that advance Native American causes. Educators can access a high school classroom curriculum available in downloaded PDF and printer-friendly formats for easy accessibility for libraries and schools. • Remember that if you are using a cell phone and cause a crash, you could receive a citation. For free brochures on auto insurance basics, how to file a claim, shopping for a safer car and more, contact Insurance Information Service of Oregon & Idaho (IISOI), 11855 SW Ridgecrest Drive, Suite 107, Beaverton, OR 97008; telephone 503-643-6355 or 1-800-457-8713; e-mail - iisoi@teleport.com or visit our Web site at www.insuranceoregon.org.
