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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1992)
Page 7 January, 1992 Smoke Signals Dr. Cornel Pewewardy Named 1991 National Indian Educator of the Year Omaha, NE - The Board of directors of the National Indian Education Association named Dr. Cornel Pewewardy as the 1991 National Indian Educator of the Year at their 23rd Annual Conference hosted by the Nebraska Indian Education Association in Omaha, Nebraska on Oct. 26-30, 1991. The NIEA presents this annual award to an American IndianNative Alaskan teacher, administrator or counselor who, by his or her leadership, vision, creativ ity, and commitment has contributed substantially to improving the quality of and opportunities for education among Native people. This year's conference theme was "NIEA: Building Educational Excellence Into the 21st Century." Dr. Cornel Pewewardy, 39, is the Principal of the newly established American Indian Magnet School Program and World Cultures and Languages Magnet School Program, St. Paul Minnesota Public Schools. Together, both magnet programs are located in Mounds Park All Nalions Magnet School. Prior to coming to St. Paul, Dr. Pewewardy completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the Center for Research on Minority Education at the University of Oklahoma. Moreover, he was recently appointed to the editorial board of the Journal of American Indian Education, A rizona State University and is a Founding Member of the National Association for Multicultural Education. On June 14, 1991 De. Pewewardy was selected to statewide recognition by the Minnesota Administrators' Academy to educational administrators at all levels who exemplify one or more qualities of Transformational Leadership; those coura geous leaders who continue to lead Minnesota's educa tional excellence. Cornel received his D.Ed. (Doctor of Education) degree in Educational Administration from the Pennsyl vania State University in 1989; Ed.S. in Educational Administration from the University of New Mexico in 19S6; MA. in Educational Management and Develop ment from New Mexico State University in 1980; M.Ed. in Guidance and Counseling form Northeastern State University in 1976. His dissertation consisted of qualita tive study of American Indian high school students attending public schools. The spectrum of professional experiences that Dr. Pewewardy encompasses includes: kindergarten teacher, supervisory guidance counselor, elementary principal, department head-vocational technical institute and instructor for gifted and talented Indian high school students (weekend program). Cornel's work in education has been a life-long process, both on Reservations and in off-Reservation schools. Dr. Pcwewardy's service to the educational community is not limited to academia. He has served on tribal advisory councils, state textbook review committees, and national special interest groups in multicultural educa tion. He has been called upon for competent consulta tion, presentations, workshops, and leadership in Indian education as well as multicultural education. Cornel has membership in numerous professional educational associations, many of which organizations and publica tions have sought his advise and guidance. Besides his great interest in the field of education, Cornel is a performing artist who continues to promote and perpetuate the songs and dances of the Southern Plains' tribes. His exposure.to singing and playing the American Indian flute has grown from small, local benefit performances and pow wows to large gatherings in the United States and Canada. Cornel taught Native American song and dance at the University of New Mexico and Navajo Community College. Cornel is a full-blood Comanche-Kiowa from Lawton, Oklahoma and an enrolled member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma. He is the Kwahida (Antelope) band of Comanche and a descendent of Chief Wild Horse. Native Americans May be Historical circumstance, and the resultant evolution of tribal social structures, place Native Americans at particu lar risk for AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases'. This concept was recently proposed to Linkages by Phil Tingley, Director of the American Indian AIDS Institute in San Francisco. Prior to white contact, Tingley explained, Native American tribes had not experienced any sexually transmitted diseases. As a result, Tingley said, there was no necessity for tribes to develop stringent prohibitions concerning sexual behavior. "Puritanical views just weren't necessary." Most tribes, Tingley said, had sexual attitudes that were "positive, tolerant and healthy." These attitudes allowed behavior which the colonial society later labeled, from its andor representatives of social institutes like clans or societies." Two things happened, however, when the Indian and non-Indian societies came together. First, sexual disease was introduced. Secondly, Indian social systems, under attack, began to disintegrate. With this disintegration, tribal systems did not have a chance to respond to the introduction of disease. Tribal sexual attitudes, which had once been appro priately healthy for their circumstances, could not handle the onslaught of disease. Tribal social systems, fighting on many fronts, could not adjust their sexual codes to meet changing conditions; and the sexual morality which the conquering culture attempted to overlay on Native Americans did not fit. The result, according to Tingley, placed Native Americans at high-risk for the transmission of sexual diseases. The rate of syphilis, gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted diseases is high among Native Americans. There is concern that Native Americans may similarly be at high-risk for AIDS. The American Indian AIDS Institute in San Francisco is working with the urban Indian community there to warn Native Americans about sexually transmitted diseases, particularly AIDS. Recently, the Institute has developed two pamphlets which are available for $.65 each. One is entitled "The Choice is Yours." This pam phlet talks about AIDS as one of a "whole lot of diseases that were not among us before 1492." It tells how AIDS is transmitted and speaks of the need for Native Americans to "protect themselves" focusing atParticular Risk For AIDS point of view, "free and permissive." In the changing social environment which accompa nied the coming together of the Western and Native cultures, this labeling of Native sexual attitudes sometimes became inter preted as implying that Native societies did not have a strong social structure concerning sexuality. "This is simply inaccurate," Tingley said. "In face, tribes had strong, well-functioning social systems which provided stable sanc tions and an environment in which sexuality could be ex pressed and enjoyed. Sex was considered a healthy act between two people, it was also considered sacred." "If socially unacceptable sexual expression did occur, it could be swiftly dealt with by the tribal social system which re sponded effectively through family elders, religious leaders, particularly on the role that substance abuse plays in lowering an individual's inhibitions and thus increasing the rate of risky behavior. The other pamphlet is entitled "American Indian Women and AIDS." This pamphlet answers questions which were formulated by urban Indian women who worked with (he Institute's staff in identifying the information they felt they wanted concerning AIDS. These questions include: What is AIDS? Can American Indian women get AIDS? Will the pill stop it? What if my partner doesn't want to use condoms? What about drugs and sex? Are my children at risk for AIDS? How do you use a condom? What other diseases are there? The American Indian AIDS Institute may be contacted at 333 Valencia Street 200, San Francisco, CA. 94103. Telephone: (415) 626-7639. The American Indian AIDS Institute offers some statistics concerning Native American women and AIDS. Of the Indian women who now have AIDS: 58 were infected by sharing IV drugs; 32 had unprotected sex with infected men; 10 were infected by blood transfusions between 1978-1985. Ages of those Infected: 10 under five years of age; 5 13-19 yean old; 14 20-29 years old; 51 30-39 years old; 5 40-49 years old; 5 50-59 years old; 10 60 or over. -Courtesy of The Seminole Tribune 500 YEARS SINCE COLUMBUS Commemorations on the 500th anniverasary of Christopher Columbus' arrival to this continent will be held in the upcoming year. Once looked upon as a heroic and visionary figure by most people, Columbus is now being assessed as an opportunist whose actions marked the beginning of the demise for many of this continent's indegenous people. Hero or villain? Discoverer or invader? Explorer or destroyer? Columbus has still many supporters, while an increasing number of Americans readily vilify his exploits. No other people have been more affected by Colum bus "encounter" than Native Americans. From the first European footprints on this country's beaches, Native Americans have had to respond to the encroachments of foreign settlers. Still, to simply blame Columbus for all the woes would be far too simplistic. The impact of divergent values, language, customs, methods of governance, agriculture, medicine, science, etc., between the European and Native populations, have created a country that still reels from the impact's affects. Five hundred years after Columbus' escapades, only one thing can be certainly said to help commemo rate the event: this quincentenary in 1992 is as good a time as any for social introspection. The Falmouth Institute, a leading training and technical assistance organization for American Indian groups, would like to elicit from members within the Native American communities their views on the upcoming quincentennial of Columbus' arrival to this continent. Falmouth is requesting from American Indian individuals, from all walks of life, to share their American Indian ScienceEngineering Societylncrease Interest The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) is a private non-profit organization founded in 1977 which seeks to increase interest and the number of American Indian Scientists and Engineers in the nation and to develop technologically informed leaders within the Indian community. AISES maintains a comprehensive communication network among American Indian tribes and leaders, schools, colleges, agencies, organizations, and educa tional professionals: both American Indian and non American Indian. Though pre-college preparation, interaction with American Indian role models in science, engineering and mathematics related professions and programs which increase career awareness and enable each student to develop a stronger identity as an American Indian learner. Pre-College objective of AISES: -Stimulate interest in mathematics, sciences and engineering both academically and professionally; -Help the students assess their potential skills and abilities in the math and science; -Increase the students knowledge and performance skills in mathematics and science; -Enhance the student's confidence in their abilities and opportunities in mathematics and the sciences, both in school and in the job market; -Acquaint students with applications in their abilities and opportunities in mathematics and the sciences, in thoughts through an introspective review of what the last 500 years have meant to the original inhabitants of this country. A selected group of educators, tribal administrators, students, attorneys, social workers, business owners, etc., will all be asked to compose an individual essay on this issue. A series of selected essays will be published in The Falmouth Institute's American Indian Report: one of the most widely read monthly newsletters on Native American issues. Copies of these essays, when requested, will be distributed to schools, organizations, tribal offfices, etc. The Falmouth Institute will like your thoughts, through a short, (not to exceed 500 words) essay format, on the following topic: "Once begun, the tide of change, precipitated by Columbus' arrival, has forever impacted the Native people of this country." Native American history, since Columbus, is laden with acts of destruction, displacement and deprivation, Despite these oppres sions, American Indian peoples have continued to endure and are experiencing a social and cultural resurgence which itself should be celebrated. Geographically, politically, economically, and ecologically, this country has continually changed in the last 500 years. Your thoughts and feelings on the good and the bad that this clash of cultures has caused in the last 500 years, would be much appreci ated. Please send your essay by February 28th 1992, to: "500 Years Since Columbus" The Falmouth Institute, Inc. 3918 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 302 Fairfax, VA 22031 the "real" world; -Prepare students for cultural challenges away from their traditional environment; -Encourage parents of the participation students to support the academic pursuits of their children; -Influence the indian community toward higher academic expectations for their young people. Students and parents interested in having a chaplcr in this area or more information, please contact Shawn Hostler at the tribal offices in the Education Department: 879-5211. RESOURCES FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL HOTLINES Alcohol or Drug Problems 1-800-621-1646 Food Addiction Hotline 1-800-USA-0088 Child AbuseChild Help USA 1-800-4-A-CHILD National Runaway Hotline 1-800-231-6946 National AIDS Hotline 1-800-342-AIDS 1
