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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2021)
Chairman’s Report As the New Year arrives, we will look back on the difficult year we all have expe- rienced and are still experiencing today. We will sadly miss all the Tribal members we have lost but remember all the fun and memorable times of the past. Many of you have been shut in trying to stay safe from the COVID-19 virus; it does make the days seem very long. Hope- fully we will be able to enjoy each other’s company once again in the coming year with pow-wows, Run to the Rogue and other Tribal events and gatherings. The good news is that the Tribe has received its first shipment of the COVID- 19 vaccines. Our clinic staff will be the first to receive the vaccinations; our Tribal elders will be the next group. We are lucky to have received the vaccine along with the State of Oregon. The order and way the vaccine will be given will be determined by the Siletz Clinic. As of this writing there is legislation pending that will assist with the increased costs experienced by everyone as we try to get through the pandemic. The Tribal Council and staff have worked very hard to address the needs of the membership. Many of our staff have worked long hours in their regular jobs and other job assignments. I am grateful to them for their commitment. The Tribal Council continues to hold all council and workshop meetings virtu- ally. I expect this will continue into the New Year. May you all have a Happy and safe New Year! Harjo receives appointment to third term as U.S. poet laureate Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has announced the appointment of U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo to a third term, making Harjo the second laureate to receive this extension since terms for the position were established in 1943. Harjo’s third term, to begin in Septem- ber 2021, will offer her the opportunity to complete projects and programs with timelines that continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including her signature project that was launched in November in celebration of Native Ameri- can Heritage Month. “Throughout the pandemic, Joy Harjo has shown how poetry can help steady us and nurture us. I am thankful she is will- ing to continue this work on behalf of the country,” said Hayden. “A third term will give Joy the opportunity to develop and extend her signature project.” For her third term, Harjo will focus on her signature project, Living Nations, Living Words, available at loc.gov/pro- grams/poetry-and-literature/poet-laureate/ poet-laureate-projects/living-nations- living-words/. This digital project features an inter- active ArcGIS Story Map, developed with the library’s Geography and Map Division, which maps 47 contemporary Native American poets across the country – including Harjo, Louise Erdrich, Natalie Diaz, Ray Young Bear, Craig Santos Perez, Sherwin Bitsui and Layli Long Soldier. The map connects to a new online audio collection developed by Harjo and housed in the library’s American Folklife Center, which features the participating poets read- ing and discussing an original poem. Each chose their poems based on the theme of place and displacement, and with four focal points in mind: visibility, persistence, resistance and acknowledgment. “This has been a challenging year for the country, for our earth. Poetry has provided doorways for joy, grief and understanding in the midst of turmoil Siletz News is free to enrolled Siletz Tribal members. For all others, a $12 annual subscription fee applies. Please make checks payable to CTSI and mail to Siletz News. and pandemic,” Harjo said. “I welcome the opportunity of a third term to acti- vate my project and visit communities to share Native poetry. The story of America begins with Native presence, thoughts and words. Poetry is made of word threads that weave and connect us.” During her laureateship, which began in June 2019, Harjo opened her term as the nation’s first American Indian poet laureate with a poetry reading and con- cert in the library’s Coolidge Auditorium accompanied by a three-piece band. Her first-term closing event was canceled after the pandemic forced the closure of the library’s public buildings, and she started her second term in September 2020. Harjo has adapted to the virtual world by participating in programs such as the 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival – in a video recorded especially for the event and by appearing in the fes- tival’s accompanying broadcast special on PBS – as well as in The Poetry of Home, Delores Pigsley a virtual series developed with The Wash- ington Post. About Joy Harjo Joy Harjo was born in Tulsa, Okla., on May 9, 1951, and is the author of nine books of poetry, including her most recent collection, An American Sunrise, as well as Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings; The Woman Who Fell From the Sky, which received the Oklahoma Book Arts Award; and In Mad Love and War, which received an American Book Award and the Delmore Schwartz Memorial Award. Harjo has also written a memoir, Crazy Brave, which won the 2013 PEN Center USA literary prize for creative nonfiction, as well as a children’s book, The Good Luck Cat, and a young adult book, For a Girl Becoming. We’re Going Remote in 2021! Online Application Available Soon - Visit www.collegehorizons.org.apply Name: _______________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________ Phone: _______________________________________________________ Change of address: Tribal members – contact the Enrollment Department at 541-444-8258; 800-922-1399, ext. 1258; or enrollment@ctsi.nsn.us. All oth- ers – call the newspaper office. Deadline for the February issue is Jan. 11. Send information to: Submission of articles and photos is encouraged. Siletz News P.O. Box 549 Siletz, OR 97380-0549 Please see the Passages Policy on page 20 when submit- ting items for Passages. 541-444-8291 or 800-922-1399, ext. 1291 Pre-College Workshop for American Indian, Alaska Native, & Native Hawaiian High School Students College Horizons 2021 is a FREE, remote “crash course” in preparing for the college application process. Students learn about a variety of colleges and universities and establish personal relationships with college admission representatives as well as college counselors. Approximately 200 students from across the nation will work remotely with over 70 college professionals to: • • • • • • • • How to navigate college admission process during COVID-19 How to apply for financial aid and complete FAFSA Select 10 suitable colleges to apply to Write memorable essays and create a resume Complete winning applications using the Common Application Receive ACT/SAT test taking strategies and resources Navigate the financial aid and scholarship process Attend a remote college fair with over 50 colleges 2021 College Horizons: Remote Program* (Dates TBA) *200 students will still be served through our remote programming. Our program alumni also gain access to unique opportunities, including: • Eligibility to apply to an all-expenses paid College Horizons Scholars summer bridge program, which helps prepare first-year students transition from high school to college • Eligibility to apply to the Davis Scholarship for New Mexico students (restrictions apply) • Scholarship & Fly-In opportunities to select partner colleges/universities Apply: Visit www.collegehorizons.org/apply for instructions on how to apply. Deadline: To be announced. Eligibility: Applicants must be American Indian (enrolled), Alaska Native (proof of status) or Native Hawaiian (proof of heritage); maintain a 3.00 GPA, and be in 10th or 11th grade in high school. Cost of Program: There will be no cost or tuition fees for the 2021 remote program. Fax: 541-444-2307 Email: pias@ctsi.nsn.us 2 • Siletz News • January 2021 Member of the Native American Journalists Association PO Box 1262 | Pena Blanca, NM 87041 | 505.401.3854 | info@collegehorizons.org | www.collegehorizons.org
