NOTICES
McWilliams Graduates, Joins
Native Advertising Agency
WOTE Celebrates Nationwide
Launch of New Radio Series
PORTLAND, Ore. - Wisdom of the
Elders - the new public radio program
from Native America - celebrated its
nationwide launch with a special thanks
giving gathering April 18 at Portland
State University’s new Native American
Student and Community Center.
The new program. Wisdom of the
Elders, will air nationwide on NPR
(National Public Radio) and AIROS
(American Indian Radio on Satellite)
stations in May.
Following an opening and blessing
song, the event featured live per
formances of each of the program
segments offered:
Elder Wisdom: Zona LoansArrow,
Lakota elder and WOTE spokes
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person
Health and Healing: Judy Bluehorse
Skelton (Nez Perce/Cherokee)
Tribal Rhythms and Artist
Spotlight: Nico Wind (Assiniboine/
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Ojibway)
Taheebvu Chadi: the late Judy Trejo
(Paiute), storyteller and singer
Turtle Island Storytellers: Rose
High Bear (Deg Hit’an Diné)
Program Host and Commentator:
Arlie Neskahi (Diné/Navajo)
Board members acknowledged the
many people who have inspired and
made this production possible. The
event also served as a benefit for WOTE
so that Series Two - which is currently
in production and features Native
Nations along the Lewis & Clark
Bicentennial Trail System - can be
completed on schedule. Donations were
accepted at the door and at the
conclusion of the program, a Pendleton
Legendary Design blanket and other
is to increase NPR listeners’ knowledge
of and appreciation for Native American
oral history, art, story, and song.
Funding for the series has been
provided by the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting, Lewis & Clark National
Historic Trail at the National Park
Service, and the Spirit Mountain
Community Fund of Grand Ronde, Ore.
Check out the Web siteat www.
wisdomoftheelders.org. The audio and
transcripts, complete with photos and
maps, for Program One: The Sacred
Earth are available to the public. One
new program will be added weekly for
eight weeks from early May through
late June 2004.
WOTE was founded in 1992 by the
late Martin High Bear, Lakota medicine
man and spiritual leader, and Rose High
Bear, Deg Hit’an Dine (Alaskan
Athabascan).
This series is the first of several
series of eight one-hour radio programs
produced by WOTE which, with its
mission of cultural preservation,
education, and race reconciliation,
records and preserves indigenous oral
history and cultural arts from exemplary
indigenous elders, tribal historians,
storytellers, and song carriers. Other
projects of this non-profit organization
include documentary and publishing
projects and cultural arts events.
For more information, contact Rose
High Bear, Wisdom of the Elders, Inc.,
5518 SE Flavel Dr., Portland, OR
97206 or wote@pcez.com; or Anne
Morin, 790 SE Webber St. #304,
Portland, OR 97202, at 503-234-3878,
or rave_n_howl@yahoo.com.
items were raffled off.
The purpose of these programs is
to strengthen traditional cultural values
among current and future generations
of Native Americans.
WOTE also acknowledges the need
for reconciliation between Indian and
non-Indian. A second goal for this series
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Siletz News
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May 2004
I am happy to announce that I,
“Zeke” McWilliams (Modoc), graduated
from the Business Computer Training *
Institute on Dec. 23, 2003, with a
certificate in integrated business
computer applications. I’m currently
employed at FastThunder Media, Inc.,
a TERO-compliant, Native American
owned and operated, full-service
advertising agency in Salem, Ore.
At this time, I’m being trained as a
webmaster using Oracle Secured
DataBase Design. I was hired for this
position through the Siletz (Salem)
Tribal office on the WEX program. I
would like to say that your employees
here in your tribal office are very
friendly and helpful and I thank them
“Zeke ” McWilliams
for their assistance.
You can reach Zeke and FastThunder Media by phone at 503-304-1517, via
e-mail at info@fastthundermedia.com, or through its Web site -
www.fastthundermedia.com.
Nominate Artists for Community
Spirit Award
First People’s Fund invites you to
nominate an artist from your American
Indian community for its fifth annual
Community Sprit Award, recognizing
individuals who have made substantial
contributions to their communities.
Five individuals will be honored with
a $5,000 fellowship and recognized at
a ceremony at the Journey Museum in
Rapid City, S.D., in December 2004.
Community Spirit speaks of the
unselfish generosity and reciprocated
love these artists have for their Indian
community. This process of bringing
spirit back to the community is part of
a sacred honor system that First People's
Fund works to strengthen through
recognition of these artists.
Community Spirit also describes
the teaching of gifts that promote and
sustain indigenous cultures. First People’s
Fund seeks artists who demonstrate
these values we hold strongly:
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Series One CD cover
Deeply rooted and maintain direct
ties to their tribal community
A commitment to building the
strength of Native communities by
sharing their skills and talents with
others in their respective communities
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An artistic practice that passes on
the traditions and the lifeways of
the people
Nominees must be practicing artists
of demonstrated maturity in their field,
continually practicing artists for a mini
mum of 10 years, 25 years or older, and
a documented affiliate of a U.S. tribe.
In addition to visual arts, this year
First People’s Fund is expanding its
recognition of practicing artists to include
contemporary and traditional forms of
performing arts and literary arts.
To nominate someone, send a
postcard to FPF, P.O. Box 2977, Rapid
City, SD 57709-2977. Postcard must
include complete addresses of both
nominee and nominator and must be
postmarked by June 7, 2004.
You also can nominate your candidate
online at www.firstpeoplesfund.org.
Incomplete nominations will not be
considered. In June, FPF will mail an
application for completion by both
nominee and nominator.
For more details, contact Miranne
Walker, administrative assistant, First
People’s Fund, info@firstpeoplesfund.oig
or 605-348-0324.