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
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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:
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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.
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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.