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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2007)
TRIBAL MEMBER NEWS Siletz Youth Inspires Native Infant-Toddler Play Group Antoinette Washington, also known as “Noni,” was the inspiration for the founding of the Native Intant-Toddler Play Group in the Portland area, loeated at Portland State's Native American Community Center. When Noni was about 3 years old. Tina Baldemero (Nonie’s stepgrandma and guardian) wanted a place where Noni could play with other American Indian young children. Tina gathered together a few people who shared her vision and they all went to work. They recognized that families with infants and toddlers often felt isolated and unsupported, and they wanted a playgroup for children to provide a community that would create a circle of care and opportunity for the multi- generational nurturing of our young Native children. Through the work and efforts of Tina, Chuck Hunt, Susie Kirschner, PSU’s Native Community Center and student group (UISHE), and other com munity volunteers, the playgroup be came a reality. Parents, grandparents, and families began bringing their babies, toddlers and small children once a week to meet in a specially designed developmental and Native cultural play area. The Antoinette "Noni" Washington playgroup meets every Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. In May 2007, the playgroup sponsored its first Children and Family Pow- Wow at PSU’s Native American Community Center. It was an overwhelming success with so many families and children attending. A special moment was taken to honor Noni/Antoinette, since she was the initial inspiration for this wonderful playgroup. You can see Noni (above) decked out in her new regalia in which the Siletz Culture and Heritage Fund provided assistance to purchase the necessary supplies and materials for Tina to make her regalia. (Thank you, Selene Rilatos and Clay Arden, for your help with this.) Thanks to all the wonderful people who through their grassroots efforts have made this playgroup possible. 14 • Siletz News • July 2007 F Salem Stampede Basketball Camp i Coming to Siletz July 7,2007 Siletz Valley School Gyms 10 a.m. - Grades 3-6 Noon - Lunch 1 p.m. - Grades 7-12 3:30 p.m. - Fun Game 5 p.m. - Barbeque I For more information, contact Jen Metcalf at 541-444-8267. <_________________________________________________________ Wisdom Attends NASA Institute by Tiffany Wisdom The NASA Pre-Service Teachers Institute was held at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Dur ing this week of intense learning, I made new friends, developed new cul tural and standard-relevant lesson plans, and toured the space center. Professors from the Aerospace Space Academy, San Jacinto College, and the NASA Education Staff taught us (26 college students) inventive ways to introduce science, math, and tech nology to our students. Teachers today are faced with align ing every lesson with state and national standards and making them fun and interactive. Resources were given, such as http://mathforum.org, www.netlabs.net, www. busy teachers cafe.com, and www.nasa.gov. I came back with new lesson ideas, a free digital camera, jump/flash drive, and memory card. NASA funds the entire trip and awards stipends for all students accepted into the program. Did you know that, “In public schools with high Native American enrollment, only 16 percent of teach ers are Native American?’’* American Indian students all over the country need you as their role model and mentor - the one you never had growing up. The NASA PSTI is looking for fu ture minority teachers. They accept stu dents going into their senior year or who have just graduated from a school of education. If you are going to col lege to become a teacher and are inter ested in attending the NASA PSTI, please contact me at tiffany.wisdom@ yahoo.com or log on to http:// research.nianet.org/psti/index.html. You can go to the NASA site that is closest to you (California, Texas, Virginia, etc.) for the one- to two-week program. If you are in another field of study, NASA also is recruiting for acad emies, fellowships, and internships. NASA also provides opportunities for school-age children. Log on to www.nasa.gov/education for all the information on elementary to pre- doctoral programs with NASA. I would like to thank my profes sors - Lynn Beets, Jackie Boyd, and Tiffany Wisdom at Apollo Mission Control (National Historic Land mark) at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Tiffany Wisdom and Leland D. Melvin, astronaut, at the NASA Johnson Space Center. Mr. Melvin is going into space Dec. 6. 2007 (visit www.nasa.org to see the launch). Dr. Russell Blackbird - for their sup port. Thank you, God. for keeping me safe through all my journeys and praise you for the wonderful people you put in my life. May God bless my family and my friends. Hvm'chi- Tiffany (Stuart) Wisdom Teacher Candidate, c/o 2008 Haskell Indian Nations University (www.haskell.edu) National Indian Education Assoc. Board of Directors member www.niea.org (NIEA Conference 2007 - Honolulu. Oct. 25-28) * Manuelito. Kathryn. 2003. Building a Native Teaching Force: Important Consid erations. Charleston, WV: ERIC Clearing house on Rural Education. ED482324. Quot ing C. Billy, A Personal Story: Race and Educa tion, Tribal College Journal of American In dian Higher Education 11 (Winter 1999): I0-I I.
