NOTICES
WOTE Developing Turtle Island
Storytellers Network
The Turtle Island Storytellers Net
work, the online speaker’s bureau for
talented Native American historians,
storytellers, and song carriers in your
area, currently is under development by
Wisdom of the Elders, Inc. (WOTE), a
Native American non-profit corporation
• located in Portland, Ore.
The purpose of the Turtle Island
Storytellers Network is to create speak
ing and consulting opportunities for
gifted Native American oral historians
during the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial
and beyond.
When we launch our Web site in
December 2004, it will include up to
80 individual Web pages of talented
indigenous speakers from tribes in
Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana,
North and South Dakota, Oklahoma,
Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri,
Ohio, and Indiana. Each Web page will
include a summary of the speaker’s
background and tribal heritage, an audio
file, historic and contemporary photo
graphs, relevant Web links, and the
individual’s contact information.
Starting in the fall of 2004, WOTE
will send notices by e-mail announcing
the Turtle Island Storytellers Network,
share speakers’ Web portfolios, and
communicate their special skills and
talents to area agencies, organizations,
and institutions. Our project is being
funded by the National Endowment for
the Arts, as well as the Lewis and Clark
National Historic Trail at the National
Park Service.
WOTE records and preserves tra
ditional cultural values, oral history,
prophesy, and other messages of guid
ance from exemplary indigenous elders
in order to regenerate the greatness of
cultural values among today’s and future
generations of Native Americans. We
especially target the growing number
of younger generations.
WOTE was founded in 1992 by
the late Martin High Bear, Lakota medi
cine man and spiritual leader, and Rose
High Bear, Deg Hit’an Dine, Alaskan
Athabascan.
WOTE also acknowledges the need
for reconciliation between Indian and
non-Indian. As part of its race recon
ciliation and education mission, WOTE
strives to share these rich teachings with
all peoples, using public radio and docu
mentary production, book publishing
and other educational venues in collabo
ration with diverse cultural organizations
and educational institutions.
WOTE’s projects include the pub
lic radio program, Wisdom of the Elders,
the upcoming biography, The Seven
Commandments of the White Buffalo
Calf Maiden: Martin High Bear (1919-
1995), and The Respect and Honor
Documentary Project.
For more information, contact Rose
High Bear, Wisdom of the Elders, Inc.
5518 SE Flavel Drive, Portland, OR
97206, or e-mail rose@wisdomofthe
elders.org. Our radio Web site is at
www.wisdomoftheelders.org.
Back to School, Back to SMART
for Oregonians
STATEWIDE, Ore. - Oregon chil
dren aren’t the only ones gearing up for
school this fall. Longtime SMART vol
unteer Stephanie Oliver also is looking
forward to heading back to the kinder
garten classroom.
As a volunteer with SMART (Start
Making A Reader Today) for the past
fiver years at Beach and King elemen
tary schools in Portland, Oliver is one
of thousands of Oregonians planning to
do her part to make sure children
throughout Oregon have the help they
need to learn how to read.
SMART volunteers like Oliver give
an hour of their time each week at a
local school to help young children
improve their reading skills as part of
Oregon’s most innovative, volunteer-
driven reading program. Since 1992,
SMART volunteers have provided
nearly 1.8 million hours of service to
more that 77,000 Oregon children and
have given away nearly 1.2 million books.
With the state’s limited budget, more
help than ever is needed. This school
year, SMART will serve nearly 12,000
students in 261 schools in 29 Oregon
counties. SMART is seeking volunteers
statewide to help local schools and chil
dren in their communities.
SMART also is working to raise
awareness about ways local families
can encourage children to read at home.
Program officials suggest ideas for what
parents can do at home to help children
improve reading skills and help foster
a lifelong love of books.
Important Dates for 2004 Elections
from oregonvotes.org/dates04.htm
Oct. 12
Voter registration deadline
for Nov. 2 general election
Oct. 13 Last day to mail Voters
Pamphlet for Nov. 2 general
election
Oct 15-19 Ballots mailed for Nov 2.
general election
Nov. 2
Dec. 2
Dec. 20
Election Day: statewide
general election
Last day for secretary of state
to declare election of general
candidates and governor to
declare passage of general
measures
Electors of president and
vice president convene at the
Capitol
Register to vote by Oct. 12!
www. sos.state.or.ua/elections/votreg/vreg.htm
14
• ’ Siletz News ' •
October 2004
In an effort to improve voter
education, voter turnout and the dis
semination of elections information -
particularly details about when, where,
and how to vote and how to obtain a
replacement ballot - Secretary of State
Bill Bradbury has developed a toll-free
voter information line and Web site.
The voter information resources are:
Call: 1-866-ORE-VOTES
(1-866-673-8683), se habla espanol
TTY: 1-866-350-0596 (for the hearing
impaired)
Visit: www.OregonVotes.org
To learn more about SMART,
call 1-800-355-3999 or visit
www.getsmartoregon.org.
SMART Tips for Encouraging
Children to Read
• Allow the child to choose an ap
propriate book. Children are more
likely to develop an interest in books
and reading when they can choose
books and develop preferences.
•
•
•
•
Talk about the book you share
with your child. Children’s read
ing comprehension improves sig
nificantly when they have the time
and opportunity to discuss a book
and understand its meaning.
Re-read a favorite book. Children
benefit from repetition both in hear
ing stories and reading them. Re
reading reinforces the concepts and
vocabulary of first reading.
Create a comfortable environment
for the child to try “cracking the
code.” Youngsters build confidence
in approaching new words when
they feel secure puzzling out a word
with a caring adult. Using a variety
of strategies to decipher unknown
words gives developing readers the
chance to learn how to work out
words the way good readers do.
Overlook a mistake. Consider skip
ping a minor mistake that doesn’t
interrupt the flow of the story. Keep
the child’s frustration level low and
help him or her feel successful in
the reading experience.
Voting Web
Sites of Interest
www.nativevote.org
www.nationalvoice.org
http://www.
navajonationcouncil.org/
GetOutVote.htm
http://www.
rockthenativevote.com/
http://www.nwnativeinfo.com/
index.htm