Tribal College Forum VIII

SAVE THE DATE!

nativeview

NativeView, Inc. is pleased to announce Tribal College Forum VIII (TCF VIII), August 18-20, 2009, in Bellingham, WA. Hosted by Northwest Indian College (NWIC), this year’s forum has the theme of “Sacred Lands, Sacred Trust: Geo-Spatial and Spiritual Perspectives.” 

The purpose of this forum is to engage Tribal colleges, Tribal communities, and the geospatial science and technology community in cooperatively developing opportunities for supporting Indigenous people as they fulfill their sacred responsibility to manage, preserve, and protect their lands.  Complementing traditional ecological knowledge with technology at this forum will nurture Native students and enhance Tribal self-governing capabilities

Participants will engage with Tribal leaders, TCU Presidents, students, Federal agencies and private industry professionals. By developing relationships with colleagues from around the country, they will share successful experiences and develop a deeper understanding of NativeView, Inc. and its vision for strengthening tribal education and employment.

For more information, contact Steve Pavlik, TCF VIII Chair, Northwest Indian College (360) 392-4307, spavlik@nwic.edu; or Carrie Jucht, SGT, contractor to the USGS/EROS (605) 594-6800 or cjucht@usgs.gov.

Costs, registration, and TCF VIII information will be released soon!

 

TCF VIII

August 18-20, 2009 “Sacred Lands, Sacred Trust: Geo-Spatial and Spiritual Perspectives.”                           

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Vine Deloria, Jr. Indigenous Studies Symposium

The Fourth Annual Vine Deloria, Jr. Indigenous Studies Symposium will be held at Northwest Indian College on July 9-11, 2009.

Vine Deloria, Jr. Indigenous Studies Symposium Flyer

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Macho B Died for Your Sins: Western vs. Indigenous Perspectives on the Killing of the Last Borderlands Jaguar

macho-b

On March 2, 2009, Macho B, quite possibly the last wild free-roaming jaguar in the United States died at the hands of man.  He was not killed by a trophy hunter desiring another wall mount, or a beautiful spotted pelt as a floor rug;  nor was he killed by a rancher seeking to protect his livestock investment from this most powerful of American predators.  Instead, Macho B’s death was directly brought about by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (hereafter AZGFD) with the full blessing and support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – the very two governmental agencies charged to protect this animal and to insure his safety and well-being under the Endangered Species Act.

The killing of Macho B offers a classic case study as to how western society and its stepchild, western science, view and exploit the natural world and other living entities.  It is a story of arrogance and dominance, of reckless and self-centered behavior, of misrepresentation and denial, and now it is also a story of a federal criminal investigation.   But most importantly, the Macho B tragedy tells us we must change our fundamental views about the natural world and our place in it.  The time has come for us to reexamine our current values and belief system, and to rewrite our policies and procedures to incorporate another more respectful and appropriate view of our fellow non-human beings with who we share the Earth. The alternative world view I am proposing is one that goes back to time immemorial, that of traditional Native America.

This essay hopes to accomplish two purposes: First, to provide a critical philosophical and factual analysis of the events which led to the death of Macho B, and secondly to provide a contrasting Indigenous views of the natural world and these relate to the Macho B story.

Download the Full Essay

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Native America Calling Broadcast: Of Nature and Natives

On April 17, 2009,  Dan Wildcat and I were invited to be studio guests on the radio talk show Native America Calling in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The topic of this program: “Of Nature and Natives.”

For those unfamiliar with Native America Calling, it is a live call-in program that links public radio stations and the internet with listeners in a thought provoking national conversation about issues specific to Native communities. Native America Calling has now been around for about 15 years and is broadcast over 52 stations throughout the United States and Canada.  Approximately 500,000 people listen in each week.

I would like to thank Tara Gatewood, Associate Producer of Native America Calling , for extending the invitation, and our host, my old friend Harlan McKosato, for the great job he did in handling the broadcast.  I encourage everyone to listen future Native America Calling programs and check out their website – www.nativeamericacalling.com – for an extensive archive collection of a wide range of programs covering topics of interest to Indian Country.

Enjoy “Of Nature and Natives!”

Download Native America Calling – “Of Nature and Natives!”

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Q’orianka Kilcher’s Presentation at Northwest Indian College

Q'Orianka Kilcher

Presentation at NWIC by Q’orianka Kilcher.

On Wednesday, March 4, 2009, Q’orianka Kilcher, a 19 year old Native American actress and Indigenous rights and environmental activist spoke to my PHILS 140 class at Northwest Indian College.

Miss Kilcher – perhaps best known for her widely acclaimed role as Pocahontas in the movie The New World – is of Quechuan-Huachiperi descent.  Her first name means “Golden Eagle” in the Quechuan language.  Q’orianka has used her celebritystatus to peak out against the exploitation of Native people in the Amazon by corporate interests, especially Occidental Petroleum.  In this capacity she has participated in fact finding tours in the Amazon, addressed the United Nations, and has been appointed as youth ambassador for both Amazon Watch and Anesty International.  She is also a spokesperson for Thursday’s Child, an international charity for at-risk children.  Most recently she has gained recognition for her advocacy of Hydrogen Fuel Cell powered automobiles.

Q’orianka’s latest film is the soon to be realeased Princess Kaiulani in which she plays the title role as heir to the throne of the Indigenous Kingdom of Hawaii.

http://online.nwic.edu/media/nesc-lectures/kilcher-3-4-09.flv

 

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