Page 4, Portland Observer, October 16, 1906
METROPOLITAN
New Irvington
starts new year
Zig ZZoZx-rt / olhian
Marilyn James
American people protest inequities in South Africa and Central
America, liut will not tie able to change anything until they do something about
the problems of Indian peoples in the United States.
(Photo Richard J Brow n)
Native American forum
Zn Hubert I nthian
In 1477, the I'lined Nations devtg
nated Oct. 12th, also known as Co­
lumbus Das. as the Inlet national Das
ol Solidarity With the Indigenous
Peoples of the Americas
In recognition of this day, the
Northwest Big Mountain ami Butler
Support Groups presented a loruin on
Natisc American issues at the I list
( ongtegational ( hutch downtown on
Sunday
Speakers covered the relocation ol
Navajo and Hopi people (tom their
traditional homeland in the Big Moun­
tain area ol Arizona, the trial ol Dino
and ( i . iis Butler, who aie accused ol
killing a rohhei ol Indian graves,
graverohhmgs and the lass, Columbia
Kiser treaty and fishing rights, and
ui han Indian problems
According Io Ishhcl Butler of the
Butler Support G roup, the govern­
ment continues its prosecution ol
Dino Butler and het husband, funs
Itulle,, without evidence O n co l the
defendants, Robert San Pelt, has
alreads been released lor lack ol esi
deuce She said the group noss has in
lorn,alion that the proscvution and the
I III ate winking together, substantial
tug their charge that the case is pail ot
an I BI vendetta against Indian at
tivists.
According to the Butlers' atlorney,
Brute I llison, ssho seas described as an
expert on government harassment ol
Indian activists, the I BI has been wag
mg a systematic campaign to harass,
"and in some cases to kill" members
and tren d s ot the American Indian
Movement Since the Wounded knee
occupation in 197,, he said, nearly
210 native people have died violently
and mysteriously on the Pine Ridge
Reservation m South Dakota
He described the Bullets as "prison
ers ol w ar.” "D ino and Gars Butler
pled not guilts and they will stand by
that until the pirs reaches a verdict
and this case is over," he said
lolin Sullivan, a volunteer with the
Bie Mountain Delense I ominiltee in
I lagstall, Arizona, said that about
Xrid native families have been relo­
cated under the provisions ol a 1974
federal law I he law was allegedly
(sussed to settle a land dispute between
the Navajo and H opi It calls lor
I4,,l,lil Navajo and over ItMl Hopi to
move Irom a I X million acre Joint I se
Area by Inly, 19X6
I he tubal councils support the relo­
cation, but mans other native people
on the reservations see it as a thinly
veiled plan Io allow milling ol mail
nun and other minerals by corpora
lions like Peabods ( 0.1I I o
"Several hundred have said they tust
aren't going to go," Sullivan said I lie
families alreadv displaced are sutler
mg, he continued " I hev lived prob
ably the most tiadttion.il lives ot anv
native people in the I tilled Stales \
lot ol them don't even speak I nglish."
I aide, the provisions ol the relocation
act, he s.ud, they aren't allowed to
make impiovcinents to then homes
and they had to sell their sheet' " I he
sheep are their wav ol hie Il’s their
wool, it leeds them," he said
"Psychologically, they are all
dying" in the new urban cultuie they
have been moved to. “ Hiev'te out on
the street, now they're wellare cases "
Many are the victims ol housing swin­
dles, real estate liaud, loan sharks,
and they have sutlered Irom alcohol
ism, poverty and ni.ibliiv to cope with
bills, deeds and laves, he said
Sullivan said Indian police unde, the
direction ot the Bureau ol Indian \l
lairs and the tribal councils are pie­
paring a military solution to, those
who elect to slav " T h a t’s what we
ate Irving Io avert,” he said
Marilvn lames, a spokeswoman lor
Big M ountain Support Northwest
Iron, the Colville Reservation ill
I astern W ashington, said a nation
wide network is being organized to
provide support loi the Big Mountain
people A massive inlluv ol "w it
nesses" loi Julv, 19X6 mav be 01
ganized. she added
lames said a similar struggle to,
mmetals is hap|vcnmg on the Colville
Reservaton " f o u shouldn’t sit in
Itonl ol the While I rain unless vou arc
also prepared to sit in front ol the
bulldozers," she said
Gloria Gostncll avoids public atten­
tion. preferring instead to do good
work quietly behind the scenes But as
the new principal at Irvington Sthtxil,
publicity goes with the job
Parents, school administrators and
the entire community are watching Ir­
vington to see how it responds Io the
challenge of transition Irom last year's
problems.
Gostncll replaced former principal
John Chadwick, who left alter receiv
mg heavy criticism Irom a vocal group
ol m inority parents. I hey charged
Chadwick with administering disci
pline in a way that had racial over­
tones, and they were upset with lack
ol minority representation on the stall
and shortcomings in Irvington's multi­
cultural curriculum the parents be­
came active m the Irvington ( itizens
Advisors ( omttiitlee, which con
tilines to make recommendations as
the "new Irvington'' begins a new
year
Gostncll knew her job at livinglnn
would not be an easy one, but as
tonne, principal at Glencoe School,
and as curriculum s|X'cialisl at Wood
lawn School, she has helped solve
complicated school problems belore
Ilelping Irvington through its dillicul
ties is the kind ol challenge she
thrives on, said ( lOslnell
( liungcs cliat.icterize the school as
it begins another year, changes that
attempt to deal with last sear's prob
lems and start the school back on an
up cvcle, she said
I or ev,imple. Gostncll and the tt
vani|vcd stall worked tluough the sum
met on the new discipline plan, which
was mailed to parents two weeks ago.
and on additions to the multi cultural
curriculum
As part ol the lallout liom last
sear’s problems, she said, seven while
teaches lelt the school and were re
placed by loin Black and three white
teachers, bringing to seven the numbei
of Black teachers now out ol a total of
22. O f the support sta ff, IJ out of
IX are minority, she added.
According to G ostncll, fourth-
grade teacher Priscilla I enhart origi­
nally suggested the new discipline
plan which replaces Chadwick's con
troversial "tunc out rix»m" with mcdi
alion. “ I was real impressed and we
decided to go ahead with it," Gostnell
said.
All students and stall discussed
what is expected of them arid how to
resolve conflicts before they escalate,
she said In addition, the students
are now selecting a group ol children
to ad as conflict managers who will
mediate disputes and attempt to get
students to talk out then problems.
" These are kids who arc ready re­
spected by their peers who are step­
ping in and saving, 'W e'll be a neu­
tral partv',” Gostnell said "Basically,
it's iust another small wav that we
are trvmg to give the kids tools to re­
solve their own conflicts."
Gostnell said that, in general, the
new discipline approach stresses logical
consequences loi unruly behavior that
will be meted out l.urlv and equitablv
She added that parents will be notified
eailv in the process, and their advice
anil support sought "W e want them
to know what goes on ill their child's
day," ( lOslnell said
\ new position at Irvington this
vear is the community agent, tilled by
I sther Grccnridgc, who will work
with patents and teachers on discipline
and "w hatever people in the com
mumiv leel they want to talk to het
about," said ( lostnell
Another major change is the school
district's mandated mullicultinal cur
riculum being implemented at Irving
ton this veai Gostncll reported that
tcadicis ate attending training ses­
sions on teaching M ro American
historv, art, music and science I hev
arc leading baseline essays in each sub
led area so they can become belter
into,m ed. and they are pulling to
NAACP to hold
public meeting
I lie National Association to, the
\dvaiiccmcnt oi t olored 1’eople
(NAAl l’|, Portland Braiich, an
nounces a public meeting on Moudav.
tk t 21, Iveginning at l o i l l a . m in tiu
Martin I ulhet King School li k, ti cd ai
4XD N I 7th
Recenllv, Ihc Oregon I iquor ( on
tiol ( omiiiission (« H ( ( ) citculaled a
w,itien suivev onlv in the North
Northeast Portland aica liquo, stotcs
requesting customers’ input w het lie,
liquoi Stores should be open on Di
M ailini ulliet King, I, \ birlhdav. a
nevclv designated slatc holutav \n
inlormal survey is bemg circulated in
othei areas ol Portland
State Kepresentalive Margaret I
l ailer (D Dist IKjcluet sporisoi ol
the Mailin I ulhet King liolulav, mm
niented. "Sm h action bv the OI ( (
Gloria Gostnell. principal at Irvington School Looking forward to helping Irving
ton through its difficulties
(P hoto Richard J. B row n)
gether lesson plans and reading lists so
they can transmit the information in,
mediately to students in the classrixnn.
In addition, Gostnell said, a multi
cultural arts program will emphasize
studying objects like masks, for ex
ami'le, that are common to Black, His
panic. Asian. Native American and
I uropean cultures \A it h the curricu
lum changes, said Gostnell. "W e are
trvmg to address the concerns that
some patents had last year "
Irvington has had its ups and downs
ovet tlie vears, and Gostncll feels the
school is slatting back on an upswing
"I tliink it leels really good," she said
She described a committed stall
willing to put in ext,a hours to make it
woik. " I hev are here because they
choose to be and that feels very posi­
tive to me," she said.
“ No one was asked to leave," she
said, referring once again to the stall
changes. "I don’t think it was a very
easy place to teach in last spring There
was a real sense ol crisis lor many
months I think it would be naive to
sav that it didn’t have anything to
do will, them leaving, but I think there
wete (lersoiial and professional reasons
also that made people feel it was time
to move on."
"But I don't want to comment on
that anymore. I feel that it’s been
whipped to death We’re real busy
addressing how to build and I leel
that it takes time awav from that it we
spend a lot of time on the past."
No Need to W onder
Janae's Hairstyles
is Back!
will dismantle and wreck progress
thus lai made toward the importance
ol recognizing Black leaders in our
community "
I lie N A Al P I xecutive ( ommiitec.
along with Representative la tte r ,
otteis other sponsors and supporters
ot this commemorative holiday the
opportunity to oppose the O l l i
lion, proceeding with action that could
demean the importance ol what Di
Martin I uihei King, Ir represented
I he press and public aie invited
,<s>
So come in and let Terry
Et Sharon take care of you.
" lw, Zi/ic that m / i Z i /Z v hum an per
\im ahl\ rv futil Ir,i la» that tie
vratlc\ human per\qnaht\ « un/iel \ll
\CKrenalitm statutes are u n ju \l he
cause senrevattnn ihstnrts the cor,/ anil
tlamavcs the pcrsonahls "
Janae's Hairstyles
I ), M a rtin 1 u l tier K in g , li
1314 N.E. Dekum
2864893
Sixth Annual Black Colleges Conference
Black Colleges: Achievement Against the Odds"
O ctober 19 1986 A ll Day Red Lion Inn, Jantzen Beach
Portland. Oregon
R s |ie e ia lly IT>r
Students,
P a re n ts ,
T e a c h e r s . C c x in s e lo r s
Featuring:
•, Samuel I). P n x t o r . P a s tu r . A b is s in ia n B a p tis t Church,
H arlun, New Y> >rk
;uid
Mr. 'H i,m is D o rtc h , J r . , Ih’e s id e n t , C ouncil ol N a tio n a l Alumni A s s o c ia tio n s
13 Col le g e s U n i v e r s i t i e s tiep resen trx l
W, irksh< >ps
D is p la y s
S tudents. $9 75
A d u lts $13 50
(Includes luncheon & materials)
Pre-registration of October 10 encouraged)
W.«v "Famous Amos was m Portland Fndav ig’ttxxj to know
Portlanders and introducing them to bis famous cookies
A nx» spnnt time at each of Portland's tw o Famous Amos
Cookie stores donating the money made during those
times to Oregon Literacy. Inc Amos is an advocate for
Literacy Volunteers of America
(Photo Richard J Brown)
BLACK COLLEGES COMMITTEE. INC.
Corvallis
3666
Portland 287 9669