Two VisionMaker films selected for this month’s United Nations film festival
Choctaw Code Talkers
and River of Renewal
will be featured
LINCOLN, Neb. - Native American
Public Telecommunications, Inc. (NAPT)
is proud to announce that two films -
Choctaw Code Talkers and River of
Renewal, which received major funding
from the Corporation for Public Broad
casting through NAPT’s Public Television
Program Fund - are official selections for
the 14lh United Nations Association Film
Festival (UNAFF).
Held Oct. 21-30 in Palo Alto, Stan
ford University, East Palo Alto and San
Francisco, the festival was originally
conceived to celebrate the 50th anniversary
of the signing of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights.
From producers Valerie Red-Horse
(Cherokee) and Gale Anne Hurd, Choc
taw Code Talkers takes you into the
warfare trenches of 1918, when Choctaw
members of the American Expeditionary
Forces - who were not yet U.S. citizens
- were asked by the U.S. government to
use their Native language as a powerful
tool against the German forces in World
War I. These brave Choctaw soldiers set a
precedent for code talking as an effective
military weapon that established them as
America’s Original Code Talkers.
“This is an important story of heroic
men whose wartime contributions helped
to change the course of world history. Their
code was created while the men risked their
lives fighting in Northern France during
the fiercest and bloodiest battles of World
War I. The Choctaw American Indian sol
diers outwitted their German opponents,
turning the tide of the war and ensuring
the Allied victory,” said Hurd.
From producers Jack Kohler (Karuk/
Yurok/Hoopa) and Stephen Most, River of
Renewal traces the tumultuous back story
of the Klamath River Basin in Northern
California and Southeastern Oregon. The
basin is home to ranchers, farmers, com
mercial fishermen and the Yurok, Karuk
and Hoopa Tribes, all of whom have vied
for the rights to the Klamath River and
its tributaries.
The river is a vital spawning habitat
for wild Pacific salmon. Hydroelectric
dams have impeded the salmon’s ability
to migrate between the ocean and their
breeding grounds, which has culminated
in low river levels resulting from agri
cultural use leading to the mass death of
migrating fish.
“The dams were built in a time when
jobs were needed and sources of energy
were scarce. Now we realize the mistakes
that were made,” stated Kohler.
The UNAFF Festival theme this year
is Education is a Human Right. NAPT
strives to be the curator of Native voices
in the media, the home and most impor
tantly, the classroom.
To download free educational
resources for Choctaw Code Talkers and
River of Renewal, visit nativetelecom,
org/education.
“NAPT is thrilled to have not just
one, but two of our titles selected for this
prestigious film festival,” said Shirley
K. Sneve, NAPT’s executive director.
“With over 600 submissions received
by UNAFF, NAPT and VisionMaker are
honored to have such great authentic,
Native documentary work represented at
this high-profile event.”
To find out more about Choctaw
Code Talkers and River of Renewal,
visit us online at shopvisionmaker.org or
nativetelecom.org. Follow us on the web
at facebook.com/nativemedia and twitter,
com/nativemedia.
Interested in helping to share Native
stories with the world? Become a Friend
of NAPT by visiting friendsofnapt.org.
About UNAFF
UNAFF is an independent project
of UNA-USA, a nonprofit organization.
By making a tax-deductible donation
to UNAFF, donors directly give tens of
thousands of people a chance to see these
important films that bring people together
as a diverse community.
About NAPT
Native American Public Telecom
munications, Inc. (NAPT), a nonprofit
501(c)(3) that receives major fund
ing from the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting, shares Native stories
with the world through support of the
creation, promotion and distribution of
Native media.
Founded in 1977, NAPT brings
awareness of Indian and Alaska Native
issues through various media - public
television, public radio and the Internet.
NAPT operates AIROS Audio, offer
ing downloadable podcasts with Native
filmmakers, musicians and Tribal leaders.
VisionMaker is the premier source for
quality Native American educational and
home videos.
All aspects of these programs encour
age the involvement of young people to
learn more about careers in the media - to
be the next generation of storytellers.
NAPT is located at the University of
Nebraska - Lincoln. NAPT offers student
employment, internships and fellowships.
Help Tribal youth by volunteering for Prevention Program
If you are interested in volunteering with the Prevention Program, basic
guidelines include a criminal background check, an orientation with Prevention
staff and participation in a prevention video/DVD.
For more information, contact Jenifer Metcalf, Prevention coordinator, at
jeniferm@ctsi.nsn.us or 800-600-5599 or 541-444-9618.
6th Annual
Northwest Indian Storytelling Festival
Native Harvest
Thursday-Sunday. October 13-16
Portland State I nisersiiy. Native American
Student and Community Center
710 SW Jackson Si.. Portland. OR. 97201
The 6th Annual Northwest Indian Storytelling
Festival will feature many of the region s finest
traditional and contemporary tribal storytellers
with a focus on indigenous harvest and food
gathering stones.
Workshops for emerging tribal story tellers of all
ages will be held on Friday and Saturday morning
culminating in an emerging storytellers matinee on
Sunday
Courtesy photo
Audrey Casper and (Tribal Elder) Cap’n John Roe of Portland, Ore., who is eating
some shortcake and loving it!
The Festival is open io the public with entrance on
a sliding scale between $5-520 for each evening of
performances. A Silent Chanty Auction will be
held at each performance to benefit the Northwest
Indian Storytellers Association Items will include i
SVFOL booth at Siletz pow-wow is
outstanding fundraising success
Pendleton Woolen MiUs blankets A clothing, arts
& crafts, getaways. & other items
NISA is currently seeking master tribal
storytellers to mentor two emerging tribal
story tellers during a nine-month mentorship
from September 2011 though May 2012. Teams
will be awarded free transportation, lodging, and
attendance at both the October festival and
N ISA's March 2012 Retreat
NISA was farmed in October 2005 to encourage,
preserve and strengthen traditional storvtelling
among tribes in Oregon W ashington and Idaho
and to share tribal oral cultural am with the re
gional community
Registration fix Emerging Tribal Storyteller
Workshops is S 3O and includes free access
to evening events and 5 free meals <3 on
Saturday. 2 on Sunday!
For more informal ion on the NISA Festival, mentorship
opportunity, and emerging storyteller workshops visit our
website at wisdotnoflbceldeis org. or contact
F m Blackhorn-De Iph at (503) 775-4014
Wisdom of the F.lders
or by e-mail at fox@wisdomoftheelden org
Sponsored by Northwest Indian Storytellers AMociaun.
Indigenous Nation» Mudies at PSI', and Wisdom of the Elders, Ine
22
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Siletz News
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October 2011
irn rutti t runa»!
By Audrey Casper, Board Member
The Siletz Valley Friends of the Library had a successful booth at the Nesika Illahee
Pow-Wow in Siletz in August. The Friends sold strawberry shortcake, brownies and
coffee donated by the Old River Coffee Roaster Company, the best coffee roaster in
the Lincoln County area. Of course, we are all good customers of this coffee company!
Lots of interesting people stopped by the booth for the good shortcakes, brownies,
coffee and the ongoing chat with all of SVFOL’s wonderful volunteers.
Our own Donald Carlson donated his signature cherry blown-glass art. These
pieces of art can be seen at places like The Real Mother Goose in Portland, Ore. The
lucky winners of the two 12-inch tall cherries were Sunshine Keck of Siletz and Jackie
Anderson of Seal Rock, Ore.
The money earned by this fundraiser will go toward the cost of staining the outside
of the library building. This was a good start on the expenses that will accrue for the
re-staining of the facility.
Thanks to all the good citizens who purchased our sweet treats for a successful
booth at the pow-wow. We couldn’t have this success without your help.