History Revealed
Chief ranger tells
story o f local
Buffalo Soldiers
R a is in g Y o u n g M e n
Local poet, educator
and single mom sorts
out the issues
See Metro section, inside
‘City of Roses'
Volume XXXVI, Number 32
Sheehan Kicks Off Protest
A nti-w aractivist
C indy Sheehan
c o n tin u e d h e r I
p r o te s t
near |
President Bush’s
ra n c h
in
for
I Crawford, Texas.
W h a J* On Tuesday, she
released 18 bal­
loons with post­
cards saying she
w anted to meet with the presi­
dent. S ee sto ry , page A2.
-.c
* ° o t.
Bush Adviser Guilty
A
fo rm e r |
W hite House
a d v i s e r |
pleaded guilty
to th e ft F ri­
d a y , b rie fly
breaking into
te a r s as he |
tried toexplain
why he m ade phony returns at
discount departm ent stores while
earning $160,(XX) a year as a top
aide to President Bush. See sto ry , |
p ageA 2.
Interest Rate Stays Put
W iththeeconom y losingm om en- J
turn, the Federal Reserve halted
the longest unbroken stretch o f
interest rate increases in recent
history T uesday - a reprieve for |
U.S. Tries to Stop Killing
A s e rie s o f b o m b in g s an d
shootings in Iraq killed at least 33
p eo p le T u esd a y , m ost in the
Baghdad area, as more A merican
soldiers patrolled the streets o f |
the capital in a m ake-or-break bid
to quell sectarian violence. See
sto ry , page A2.
Established in 1970
www.portlandobserver.com
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Wednesday • August 9. 2006
Self Enhancement Turns 25
e Review
m illions o f borrow ers after more
than tw o years o f rate pain.
See .Metro section, inside
Celebration
Sunday at
Unthank Park
Self Enhancem ent, Inc. will host
a “25 Years o f Soul” celebration
Sunday, Aug. 13, at the SEI center
and adjoining Unthank Park, 3920
N. Kerby Ave. Local neighbors and
the greater Portland com m unity is
invited to share in the free festivi­
ties from 1 p .m .to b p .m .
T he 25,h anniversary event will
feature activities for kids, a catered
barbecue cookout provided by NW
Natural, contests hosted by Jam m in’
95.5, and giveaw ays and free hair­
cuts provided by Terrell B randon's
B arber Shop.
The main stage will feature live
entertainm ent by Portland’s lead­
ing soul singer, Liv W arfield, the
popular 10-piece band Soul V acci­
nation and perform ances by the
SEI drum line and choir.
As part o f the silver anniversary
cam paign, SEI has constructed a
photo journal by local photogra­
pher Julie Keefe, highlighting 25
program alumni sharing their com ­
pelling success stories and posi­
tive results from their participation
in SEI. The photo project will be
featured at the alumni booth, and
SEI alumni will enjoy a special hos­
pitality area on the balcony o ver­
looking U nthank Park.
From aone-week basketbal I camp
in 1981,SEI h asev o lv ed in to a full-
s e rv ic e o r g a n iz a tio n , g u id in g
underserved youth, especially A f­
rican A merican and m inority chil­
dren, in realizingtheir full potential.
W orking with schools, fam ilies
and partner com m unity organiza-
photo by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
L ifelong P ortland r e s id e n t Tony H o p so n m e n to r s local yo u th a t S e l f E n h a n c e m e n t. Inc., th e year-round e d u c a tio n a n d so c ia l se rvic e
program h e fo u n d e d 2 5 y e a rs ago. SEI will h o n o r its silver a n n iversa ry o n S u n d a y with a ‘2 5 Y ears o f S o u l' ce leb ra tio n a t its north
P ortland c e n te r a n d a d jo in in g U nthank Park.
tions, SEI provides support, guid-
ance and opportunities for children
and young adults ages eight to 25.
SEI provides num erous year-
round services at the center, and
has successfully evolved to offer:
a charter m iddle school (SEI Acad-
em y); in-school services (academ ic
m entoring and tutoring) in 11 Port-
continued
on p age A 6
Israeli Threat Grows
Israel shut dow n south Lebanon
with a threat to blast any moving
vehicles, as ground fighting in­
tensified near the Israeli border,
airstrikes killed at leas, 19 civil­
ians and Arab governm ents called
for a full Israeli w ithdraw al as a
condition o f any ceasefire.
BP Pipeline Corroded
Shares in oil giant BP dropped
and crude oil prices soared M on­
day as the com pany prepared to |
shut down its
P ru d h o e Bay
o ilf ie ld
in
A la s k a , th e
biggest oilfield
in the United
States, follow ing the discovery o f |
a corroded pipeline.
Fewer Hurricanes
H u rric a n s e a s o n s h o u ld be
slightly less active than originally
predicted, federal forecasters said
Tuesday. T here have been only
three tropical storm s and no hur­
ricanes so far, bu, A ugust through
O ctober are typically the most
active m onths o f the season.
<
Native American Family Center Opens
Whitaker site thought to have
been a historic native village
by S arah B i . oint
T he P ortland O bserver
The dust is settling at a new
fam ily cen terfo rth e Native A m eri­
can Youth A ssociation, as staff
and com m unity settle into the
form er W hitaker- Lakeside M iddle
School in northeast Portland.
T raffic zoom s by the 20,(XX)
square-fee, building that faces a
bleak industrial stretch o f C olum ­
bia Boulevard, but cultures collide
w hen visitors circle the building -
where 20 acres o f wetlands and the
Colum bia River Slough beg to be
explored.
throughout, but NAYA has spent
a busy sum m er painting and trans­
forming the space.
The change com es at an oppor­
tune time for the growing organiza­
tion, even though their relocation
follow ed som e unsettling experi­
ences at its form er headquarters on
North M ississippi Avenue.
T h e M is s is s ip p i n e ig h b o r ­
hood’s new bars, restaurants and
s p e c ia lty sh o p s tr a n s f o r m e d
N A Y A ’s former home intoadistricl
that becam e culturally, if not al­
ready physically, inaccessible to
many in the native com m unity.
Kids have learned that math and
science have nothing to do with
them, hut the reality is our people
have been doing math, science and
technology fo r thousands o f years,
in a different way.
— Nichole Maher, NAYA executive director
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The best part - N A Y A ’s new
M aher said some business ow n ­
site is thought to have once been a ers took an unfriendly stance with
historic M ultnomah Chinook N a­ the non-profit's presence, and rac­
tive A merican village.
ist graffiti was left on the cen ter's
“T he site has historical and c u l­ van las, year. Even so, she said
tural significance to,he native co m ­ they had great relationships on the
munity, and w e'v eal ways incorpo­ avenue and left with no bad feel­
rated w etlands restoration and en ­ ings.
vironm ental sciences into our c u r­
NAYA has received a warm w el­
ricu lu m ," said N ichole M aher, com e from its new Cully neighbor­
NA Y A 's executive director.
hood. an area m idw ay between
Evidence o f the iconic school Interstates 5 and 205. The central
that once served generations of location increases accessibility to
northeast P ortland kids lingers the estim ated 38.IXX) Port land-area
/
photo by S arah B i . ount /T hl P ortland O bserver
John A n d erso n a n d o th e r s u m m e r c a m p p a rticip a n ts clim b in to a N ative A m erica n Youth A s s o c ia ­
tion van a t th e n e w NAYA Family C e n te r in n o r th e a s t Portland, b e fo re h e a d in g for a field trip d a y o f
clim bing n e a r F o rest Grove.
natives, w ho make up the ninth
largest Native American com m u­
nity in United States.
“W h at's great about this loca­
tion is we serve a lot o f people who
live in N ortheast, St. Jo h n 's, outer
Northeast and Southeast, Parkrose
and G resham ," she said.
NAYA formed as a grassroots,
parent and volunteer-run organiza­
tion 32 years ago, and has grown
significantly since 1990. The new th ere's been other native organiza­
center, with a staff o f nearly 50. tions that have expressed an inter­
continues to o ffe r youth and family est in sharing the building.
services, housing and jo b place­
NAY A 's future alternative high
men, and cultural identity and edu­ school will target the country’s most
cation for P ortland's native co m ­ impoverished ethnic group. Half of
munity, and will open a high school Portland's Native American popula­
at the site in the fall o f 2007.
tion lives 2(X) percent below the fed­
The organization has a five-year eral poverty level, and Native youth
lease at the W hitaker site, which
continued
on page AS
they 'd like to make perm anent, and