Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2009)
NOTICES New Group is Formed to Sponsor Native Arts Wellbriety Journey for Forgiveness Chemawa Indian High School Salem, Oregon • May 16, 2009 by Robin Pogrebin Published April 21, 2009, online at www.nytimes.com Even as arts groups around the country are cutting back because of declining en dowments and donations, a new foundation to support the work of American Indian, Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native artists is being established with an initial $10 million from the Ford Foundation. Called the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, the organization, formally opened on Tuesday, says it will be the first permanently endowed national foundation of its kind. We needed our own endowment for native arts and culture in this country in the coming century, said Elizabeth Theobald Richards, the program officer at Ford who has overseen the project and is a Cherokee. “The indigenous peoples of this country have an incredible wealth of cultural heritage and cultural expression that very few people know about. And it’s also incredibly underfunded.” The foundation has been in the works since 2007, when it obtained incorporation papers and established charity status. Only now has the organization hired a president and staff and begun the grant-making process. Don Coyhis The new foundation will provide direct grants to artists and arts organizations, support native arts leadership and team up with other native-led efforts to increase financial support for indigenous arts and cultures. “Arts and culture and traditional languages and religions have been the glue that held Native Americans together - often in the face of great adversity,” said Walter Echo-Hawk, chairman and creator of the foundation, in a telephone interview. “For many years the government policy was to assimilate native people into main stream society and essentially stamp out attributes of native culture,” he added. “It’s a testament to the tenacity of our people that we have any native cultures or religions left in the United States. We are seeing a remarkable cultural renaissance in the tribal communities. But the support of the arts has been almost nil. It’s been very difficult for Indian tribes to also support their own arts and cultures.” The organization is to be based in Portland, Ore., and recently selected Tara Lu- lani Arquette, a Native Hawaiian, as its president and chief executive. With 20 years of experience leading organizations and advocating on behalf of native groups, Ms. Arquette has served for the last four years as chief executive and executive director of the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association, a private, nonprofit organization that works with the tourism industry. In a sense, it s part of our quest for self-determination and restoring our sover eignty,” Ms. Arquette said in an telephone interview. She acknowledged the challenge of starting a new foundation in the current eco The Oregon Telephone Assistance nomic downturn. The mission of the foundation can’t be accomplished in one year or even five years,” Ms. Arquette said. “But there is a sense of urgency. Our elders - our Program (OTAP) can help you with your phone bill. If you have telephone service wisdom keepers — are passing away in large numbers.” and receive one of the following qualify ing The foundation, which will start with an annual operating budget of $500,000 benefits, you may receive the current reduc and a staff of four, hopes to provide about $4 million in grants and program services tion of up to $13.50 off your phone bill: over the next five years. In establishing the new organization, the Ford Foundation reached out across the • Food Stamps Native American world. • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) A leadership circle was made up of four advisers from different tribes — Mr. • Temporary Aid to Needy Families Echo-Hawk (Pawnee), Joy Harjo (Mvskoke/Creek), Jayne Fawcett (Mohegan) and (TANF) Elizabeth Woody (Navajo/Warm Springs/Wasco/Yakama). All five members of the • Certain State Medical Programs or foundation’s board of directors are Native Americans. Medicaid The Ford Foundation made an initial $5 million contribution to endow the new foundation permanently, with an additional $5 million promised if new partners brought The following is a list of residential $3 million more to the table. The Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians, based near Sacra phone companies ; that participate in mento, then made a grant of $ 1.5 million, while announcing a challenge to other tribal OTAP: nations to match its gift. Once the challenge is met, Rumsey has promised an additional $1.5 million, which would bring the tribes’ contribution to $4.5 million. Asotin Monroe The Ford Foundation has supported similar efforts to bolster native arts and culture Beaver Creek Mt. Angel in the past. “The community has the need,” Ms. Richards said. “But I really feel the Canby Co-op Nehalem country has the need.” Century! el North State W. Richard West Jr., the founding director emeritus of the Smithsonian’s American Citizens/Frontier Oregon Tel. Corp. Indian Museum and a Ford trustee, said: “There need to be agencies and institutions Clear Creek Oregon/Idaho that support native contemporary art and artists. For the most part, those agencies and Colton People’s institutions don’t exist.” ComSpan Pine Phone Co. We never separate art and life," added Mr. West, a member of the Cheyenne and Eagle Pioneer Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. “Art is part of our everyday life.” Embarq/United Qwest The foundation hopes to begin making grants at the end of this year or early next Gervais Reliance Connects year, Mr. Echo-Hawk said. Helix Roome Tel Com The foundation’s goal is to establish a permanent endowment of about $20 million Home/TDS Scio Mutual over the next five years or so, he said, and to increase that figure over time. Malheur Bell St. Paul “Culture, even though it is central to our identity, is the last to be nurtured,” Mr. Midvale Tel. Ex. Stayton Co. Echo-Hawk said. “There is a need to inject resources into the perpetuation of these Molalla Trans Cascade profound and beautiful art forms.” Monitor Verizon The Wellbriety Journey for Forgiveness began at Chemawa on May 16 and will end June 24 at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, after visiting 23 boarding school sites. Audience members paid close attention (below) as a local panel of speakers shared their experiences at Indian boarding schools in the United States, including their memories, stories, trauma and grief, and the impact of Chemawa Indian High School on the local community. Don Coyhis (Mohican Nation), founder and president of White Bison Inc., said, “We are doing this for the healing we need to do ourselves. When you give voice to something, you let it go and give it to Creator.” 3 O o Oregon Telephone Assistance Program (OTAP) Available 18 * Siletz News * June 2009 Participating wireless phone compa nies’ include: AT&T Wireless Snake River PCS US Cellular ‘Wireless companies do not offer OTAP in all coverage areas. Please call the PUC at 800-848-4442 to find out if OTAP is offered in your coverage area. Online OTAP applications: To com plete an online application or to print an application, please visit www.rspf.org For more information, contact OTAP: Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday Telephone: 800-848-4442 or 503-373-7171 TTY: 800-648-3458 or 503-378-6962 Fax: 877-567-1977 or 503-378-6047 Videophone: 866-948-1216 or 971 -239-5845 E-mail: puc.otap@state.or.us Street Address: Oregon Public Utility Commission 550 Capitol St. NE, Suite 215 Salem OR 97301-2551 Mailing Address: Oregon Public Utility Commission P.O. Box 2148 Salem OR 97308-2148
