Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2014)
UO seminar examines Curtis photos of Indians in western North America The University of Oregon Librar- ies Special Collections and University Archives will offer an inside look at the photographic work of Edward Curtis in a half-day UO Insight Seminar entitled Native American Photographs: The Art of Edward Curtis. The seminar is scheduled for May 3 from 9:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Knight Library Browsing Room, 1501 Kincaid St. The registration fee for the noncredit, ungraded public seminar is $45. The seminar will be taught by James Fox, head of Special Collections and University Archives, and Jennifer O’Neal, university historian and archivist. Learn more and register online at https://library. uoregon.edu/administration/insight.html. The rare, original photographs cov- ered in the seminar are a treasure from the UO Libraries Special Collections. From the mid-1890s to the late 1920s, Curtis roamed throughout western North America documenting what he perceived to be the “vanishing” lifeways of Indians. More than 2,000 of Curtis’ images appear in his monumental The North American Indians (1907-1930), which comprises 20 volumes of large photogra- vures and 20 corresponding volumes of photogravures and text. The seminar will examine Curtis’ own copy of this stunning work, discuss its aesthetic value and evaluate it from a Native perspective. No textbook is needed for the seminar. The full volumes and images, however, can be accessed through the American Memory project at memory.loc.gov/ ammem/award98/ienhtml/curthome.html. In addition, the new book Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis by Timothy Egan (timothy- eganbooks.com/books-2/short-nights-of- the-shadow-catcher/) will be referenced in the seminar. UO Insight Seminars provide an opportunity for the general public to re- engage with the liberal arts and experi- ence the intellectual fulfillment that is the hallmark of a university education. The seminars focus on the humanities, particularly on “meaning of life” topics of keen interest to adults. They are aimed at people eager to return to real college-level reading and study. Led by UO faculty members who are experts on the topics, the seminars require careful reading of both primary and secondary materials. Full details and information can be found at library.uoregon.edu/node/4150. First Nations receives AARP grant to address hunger, food security of elders LONGMONT, Colo. – First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) announced earlier this year that it has received a $250,000 grant from AARP Foundation to fund a project to address hunger, nutrition and food insecurity among Native American Tribal Elders. The new grant expands work that began in 2012 when AARP Foundation provided First Nations with a $187,660 grant under First Nations’ Native Ameri- can Food Security project. Under the first grant, First Nations awarded funding to four projects that have been successfully completed and evaluated. They were to the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, the Pueblo of Nambe and Santo Domingo Pueblo in New Mexico and Sipaulovi Development Corporation (Hopi) in Arizona. Under the new grant, First Nations will award funding to additional Ameri- can Indian projects. A proposal process is now under way for those grants. The Native American Food Security project assists American Indian Tribes or organizations working to eliminate food insecurity among senior populations. National statistics show that Ameri- can Indians continue to experience high rates of poverty, contributing to food insecurity in many Native communities. According to the most recent Ameri- can Community Survey, about 26 percent of American Indians live at or below the poverty line. The same survey indicates that roughly 12 percent of all American Indians living in poverty are age 55 and older. Other studies conducted by the National Resource Center on Native American Aging note that Native seniors suffer from higher rates of obesity, diabetes and other negative health indicators when compared to other senior groups in the U.S. “Our grant from AARP Foundation bore significantly positive results during the first round and we are excited and very thankful that the foundation has pro- vided additional funding for this effort,” said First Nations President Michael E. Roberts. “With a combination of direct grants and technical assistance and train- ing made possible by the new funding, we will grow this project to increase the quantity and healthful quality of food for Tribal Elders while documenting the best models for broader dissemination throughout Indian Country.” “AARP Foundation’s $250,000 grant to First Nations helps bolster the contin- ued efforts of both of our organizations in the fight against older adult hunger,” said AARP Foundation President Lisa Marsh Ryerson. “By aligning with an organiza- tion that has a proven record in hunger relief, we are pleased to be able do it again and we are looking forward to watching the new programs grow further and fight hunger for Native American Elders.” AARP Foundation is working to win back opportunity for struggling Ameri- cans 50 + by being a force for change on the most serious issues they face today – housing, hunger, income and isolation. By coordinating responses to these issues on all four fronts at once and sup- porting them with legal advocacy, the foun- dation serves the needs of those 50 + while working with local organizations nation- wide to reach more people, work more efficiently and make resources go further. AARP Foundation is a charitable affiliate of AARP. Learn more at aarp- foundation.org. For 34 years, using a three-pronged strategy of educating grassroots practi- tioners, advocating for systemic change and capitalizing Indian communities, First Nations has been working to restore American Indian control and culturally compatible stewardship of the assets they own – be they land, human potential, cul- tural heritage or natural resources – and to establish new assets for ensuring the long- term vitality of American Indian commu- nities throughout the United States. For more information about First Nations, visit firstnations.org. Become an American Indian credit counselor or financial coach You are invited to join Rural Dynam- ics’ (RDI) ever-growing group of financial coaches and credit counselors across the nation who provide culturally competent financial counseling and education to clients who have set lifelong goals such as buying a home, starting a small business, building their credit or just repaying their debt. RDI’s Native American Credit Coun- seling Program is focused on identifying attainable dreams/goals; evaluating one’s financial situation; creating a workable, realistic budget; setting next steps; and pro- viding mentoring throughout the process. A key component to financial inde- pendence and self-sufficiency is having the tools and resources to get there. Sitting down for a one-on-one financial counsel- ing session helps clients organize and determine what is going to work best for their family’s situation. 14 • Siletz News • May 2014 The course consists of 10 weekly web-based conferences, which are fol- lowed by a week of in-person intensive review (not mandatory) and the final exam (in Great Falls, Mont.). The next session is scheduled to begin May 8. The cost of the complete course is $1,899 and includes course registration, study materials, webinars, examination and technical assistance. Successful participants become accredited credit counselors with the AFCPE (Association for Financial Coun- seling and Planning Education). A discounted option also is available for those who want to provide more of a financial coaching piece, not necessarily the full-fledged certified credit counselor piece. This option is just $250 plus books. For more details or to enroll, visit naccprogram.weebly.com.
