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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2006)
NOTICES Apply for NCAI Youth Ambassador Program At the 2006 Mid-Year Conference in Sauli Ste. Marie, Mich.. NCAI lead ership announced the creation ot the National Congress of American Indi ans Youth Commission Ambassador Leadership Program (ALP). The ALP is a scholarship program open to males and females aged 17-25. The ambassadors, one male and one female, will serve a two-year term lead ing the NCAI Youth Commission in its meetings and functions, and will rep resent NCAI youth when their presence is requested. Ambassadors will be chosen at the 2006 Annual Convention in Sacra mento, Calif., on Oct. 3, 2006. Appli cants are required to be at the Annual Con vention for the entire week (Oct. 1-6). Applicants must complete the full application by Sept. 30, 2006; must be a member of a federally recognized tribe; have support from their Tribal Council; and must be a full-time stu dent at the high school, college, or graduate level. Each ambassador will receive a $2,500 scholarship to be paid directly to their academic institution. The alter nates will serve as under-ambassadors to the NCAI Youth Commission and carry out duties in the absence ot the ambassador. Under-ambassadors will not receive any scholarship funding. The application is available on our Web site at www.ncai.org. For more information, please con tact Jennifer Rackliff al 202-466-7767 or jrackliff@ncai.org. Support OYA Pow-Wow at MacLaren All dancers of the Oregon tribes and other tribes are invited to attend the l()lh annual Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) Pow-Wow on Sept. 9 at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, 2630 N. Pacific Highway in Woodburn. Ore. Steve Llanes, OYA Native Ameri can service coordinator, has offered an open invitation to the event to support the facility's youth. “Although they have made nega tive choices in the past, we will not give up on them,” Llanes said. The pow-wow will start at 10 a.m. with check-in and set-up, followed by the Grand Entry at noon, and close at 4 p.m. Featured performers include Native American Rehabilitation Association's All Nation Drum as host drum, and MacLaren's Drum, Sacred Spirit. Philip Archambault, spiritual and cultural advisor for Portland's NW Re habilitation Center, will emcee the fes tivities. Also, a salmon feast will be of fered at the pow-wow by Lonnie Leno and family from the Grand Ronde Tribe. Llanes added, “Come and show (the youth) that the Native community cares - don't be the tribe that doesn't show up.” For more information, contact Steve Llanes at 503-981-2501 or send an e-mail to him at Steve.Llanes@ oya.state.or.us. Sixth Annual Buffett Award for Indigenous Leadership Honors Guujaaw Finalists from Oregon, Alaska, and Canada Also Honored PORTLAND, Ore. - Ecotrust pre sented the 2006 Buffett Award for In digenous Leadership to Guujaaw at a ceremony here on July 19. It also honored four other finalists for their achievements: Harold Gatensby (Dahka T’lingit), Carcross, Yukon Territory, Canada; liarion (Larry) Merculieff (Aleut), Anchorage, Alaska; Tawna Sanchez (Shoshone- Bannock/Ute), Portland. Ore.; and Chief Judith Sayers (Nuu-chah-nulth), Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada. Supported by the families of Howard and Peter Buffett, the Buffett Award recognizes indigenous leader ship that improves social, economic, political, or environmental conditions. This year, the $25,000 Buffett Award for Indigenous Leadership went to Guujaaw (Haida) of Skidegate, Brit ish Columbia, Canada (Haida Gwaii). The four other finalists each received a $2,500 cash award. The Buffett Award was established in 2001 to provide resources for the development and transfer of knowl edge in indigenous communities. First Nation. Alaska Native, or tribal mem bers over age 35 who exhibit extraor dinary community leadership within the Salmon Nation region from Alaska to California are eligible for nomination. Guujaaw is the honored recipient for his work as a political leader, carver, traditional medicine practitio ner, singer and negotiator. He has worked with great dedication and pur pose for more than three decades to advance the political, cultural, and en vironmental interests of the Haida Na tion, located on the Haida Gwaii archi pelago off the coast of British Columbia. “Guujaaw is a warrior. We like that,” said Spencer B. Beebe, president of Ecotrust, on behalf of the Final Jury 16 • Siletz News • Guujaaw Panel. “Haida Nation is at the forefront of Canadian Aboriginal Rights and Title. Guujaaw is one of the premier strategists; his leadership personifies wise traditional relationships and genuine responsibility for the Haida Nation’s home.” In various capacities, Guujaaw has fought for protection of the land, eco nomic sustainability, and Haida Rights and Title over Haida territory. He is currently the president of the Haida Nation. He was the lead Council of the Haida Nation (CHN) negotiator on the Gwaii Haanas Agreement and has been a member of the Archipelago Manage ment Board. At the community level, Guujaaw was involved in the establishment of the Gwaii Trust. He also is a talented carver with monumental works in such distant places as Indonesia and Japan. He has represented the Haida Nation at national and international confer ences as well as on Canadian, British, and American television specials. August 2006 The First International Forum of United Indigenous Peoples in Pau, France, recently spotlighted Guujaaw and the Haida people. Harold Gatensby is an honored 2006 Buffett Award finalist for his ad vocacy efforts to protect the Yukon River Watershed and his work within the justice system for better treatment of Native people. He is a co-founder of the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council and currently serves on its Executive Committee. Gatensby has also worked as a community-based justice training facilitator with individuals, profession als, community groups and justice organizations. Ilarion (Larry) Merculieff is an hon ored 2006 Buffett Award finalist for his many contributions to increased in volvement of Native organizations in scientific research and political efforts to protect Alaska’s environment and the Bering Sea. Merculieff is currently the Deputy Director of the Alaska Native Science Commission. He is a co-founder of the Alaska Forum on the Environment, International Bering Sea Forum and The Alaska Indigenous Peoples’ Coun cil for Marine Mammals. Tawna Sanchez is an honored 2006 Buffett Award finalist for her steadfast commitment and work to help Native women and children lead lives free of violence and abuse. Sanchez is cur rently the Family Services Director at the Native American Youth and Fam ily Center in Portland, Oregon. She has also worked on peace and social justice issues on a regional and international level. Sanchez has served on the Board of Directors of the Peace Development Fund, the International Indian Treaty Council and the Anpo Spiritual Camp. Chief Judith Sayers is an honored 2006 Buffett Award finalist for her con tributions to aboriginal rights, treaty settlements, a sustainable future and equal rights for First Nation women. Elected in 1995, Chief Sayers has successfully worked to improve the economic, cultural, environmental and social conditions of the Hupacasath First Nation and helped move regional issues to the national stage. She has also served as the Chief Negotiator for the Hupacasath First Nation since 1993 in the British Columbia treaty process. About Ecotrust and its Native Programs In addition to the Buffett Award for Indigenous Leadership, Ecotrust pro vides a variety of other projects and services through its Native Programs including land repatriation, native youth leadership, wild salmon market ing, and support of the Elakha Alliance. In collaboration with Renewing America's Food Traditions Consortium (RAFT), Ecotrust published Renewing Salmon Nation's Food Traditions, ed ited by Gary Nabhan. Ecotrust also published Klamath Heartlands: A Guide to the Klamath Reservation For est Plan in collaboration with the Kla math Tribes. Ecotrust is a non-profit organiza tion founded in 1991 committed to strengthening communities and the environment from Alaska to California. For more information about Ecotrust and the Buffett Award honorees, see www.ecotrust.org/buffettaward. Infor mation on Ecotrust Canada can be found at www.ecotrustcan.org.
