2005 Top Ten Stories withinaboutaround Native America

1
2005 Top Ten Storieswithin/about/aroundNative
America

• Presenters
• Tai Benally (Dine)
• Mike Young Bear Cling (Dine/Chippewa-Cree/Oglala
  Lakota)
• Lani Tsinajinjinnie (Dine)
• May 04, 2006
• Professor
• Dr. Beverly Singer (Santa Carla Pueblo/Dine)
• NAS 300
• Research Methods in Native American Contexts

2
Purpose

• We are conducting this research in order to
  identify the top ten stories in/about/from Native
  Americans of 2005. This research is a part of a
  group project for the Native American Studies
  Research Methods in Native American Contexts
  class at the University of New Mexico.
• To identify and research the methodologies of the
  top ten stories about/with or around Native
  America
• To acquire Native American resources and
  investigate what makes a story stand out.

3
10Piestewa/ War in Iraq

• Sources
• Indianz.com. U.S. military casualties in Iraq
  reach 2,000. Indianz.com, 26 October 2005. 4
  May 2006 http//www.indianz.com/News/2005/010969.a
  sp
• Indianz.com. Piestewa episode of Extreme
  Makeover to air. Indianz.com, 20 May 2005. 4
  May 2006 http//www.indianz.com/News/2005/008297.a
  sp

4
9Cecilia Fire Thunder

• 1st Oglala Lakota Woman to be voted President for
  the Oglala Lakota Tribe in 2004
• In 2005 accusations by tribal members and the
  violations of treaty rights
• Sovereignty is not to be played with, these are
  our people.

Source Indian Country/Lakota Times Picture
Personal Mike Young Bear Cling
5
8 NCAA Bans Native American Mascots
Source Ted Warren A/P
Source Associated Press. NCAA rejects Bradley
nickname appeal. Indian Country Today, 1
November 2005. 4 May 2006 http//www.indiancountr
y.com/content.cfm?id1096411822
6
7Cobell vs. Norton Lawsuit

• SourceTalhelm, Jennifer. Plaintiff in Indian
  trust case vows to fight on. Casper Star
  Tribune, 21 November 2005. 4 May 2006
  http//www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2005/11/
  21/news/wyoming/ed36e7228ef0b8f9872570bf00269986.t
  xt

7
6Bush Administration cuts Federal Indian
Programs

• In 2005 Bush Administration Proposed cuts about 5
  Percent.
• 107 million Cut for the Native American Housing
  Block Grants Program
• 46 million from the Indian Housing Loan
  Guarantee Fund
• 64 million for Indian health services
• 85 million from the budget for building new
  health care facilities.
• "The federal government spends 1,914 per capita
  administering health care to Native Americans,".
  "That's half of what is spent on federal
  prisoners each year."
• "I believe that is a disgrace.
• (Jeff Sen. Jeff Bingman, D. of NM)

Source www.indianz.com http//www.indiancountryn
ews.com/fullstory.cfm?ID246
8
5Methamphetamine Problem Throughout Indian
Reservations

• Noticeable problem since late 90s.
• 64-0 vote in Navajo Legislation to outlaw Meth on
  the Navajo Reservation
• Meth and Murder in Hogback, New Mexico

Effects people on all walks of life.
Source http//www.navajos.org/ March Press
Release
Source Wagner, Dennis. Meth lays siege to
Indian Country. USA Today, 30 March 2006. 4
May 2006 http//www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-
03-30-meth_x.htm
9
4Petroglyphs Controversy

• Source Weahkee, Laurie. The Petroglyph Fight
  and Albuquerques Future. SAGE Council, 14
  November 2005. 4 May 2006. http//www.sagecounci
  l.org/A20PetroNews/LAW20Op27ed.htm

10
Sacred Peaks Defiled by Wastewater in The Name of
Tourism
3

• Thats our cathedral, thats our church, thats
  who we are
• -Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley

Picture By Cy Wagner http//www.savethepeaks.org/

Source Indianz.com. Navajo president testifies
in sacred site trial. Indianz.com, 3 November
2005. 4 May 2005 lthttp//www.indianz.com/News?200
5/011110.asp
11
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Bill
2
Legislation proposed in 2005 for funding and
permission to drill oil on ANWR In December 2005,
Senate Removes ANWR Bill from Defense Bill
Picture of Evon Peter and Gwichin Committee at
Washington, DC. Picture AP Photo
12
1Red Lake High School Shootings
"darkest day in the history of this tribe."
Chairman of Red Lake Nation Floyd Jourdain

• Troubled Teen Kills 9 and kills himself on the
  Band of Red Lake Nation of the Chippewa Nation in
  Northern Minnesota.
• Media frenzy builds up on the reservation and
  aired on various news resources such as NBC, ABC,
  CNN, etc.
• Red Lake Nation becomes the biggest highlight
  since the Columbine High School shootings. Red
  Lake community is shocked and becomes the
  spotlight and highlight in every homes.

Source http//indianz.com/ Pictures (R)
Chairmain of the Tribe and (L) Scene outside of HS
13
Gender/Age Range
14
Other Origins
15
Political Analysis
16
Participatory outcome goals

• Based on literature review
• No top ten list done before for Natives
• Encourage more Native journalism
• Seek out positive less-biased stories
• Positive Feedback from Interviews and the diverse
  background of interviews
• Seek professionalism from educators, editors and
  journalists that are from Indigenous background

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Methodologies

• Look for already existing top ten lists
• Identify top stories from 2005 from internet
  resources/newspapers/journal articles/radio
• Survey/interview people
• Contact editors and journalists
• Determine top ten based on feedback

18
What is the biggest issue that concerns your
community or Nations? From the scale of 1 to 10,
do you think this issue reflects your life or
identity as being affiliated with this tribe?

• Unemployment/Jobs-10
• Drugs/Youth Violence-9
• Loss of Culture/Language-10
• Budget Cuts on Health Care-10
• Language/Cultural Revitalization-10
• Political Leadership Stability-7
• Language/Cultural Perpeturation-10
• Education-10
• Economic Development-7
• Programs Addressing Historical Traumas and
  International Grief-10
• Not interested in tribal polictics-1
• Social Issues/Native Cultural-5

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Do other tribal or Indigenous Nations or Bands
issues concern you? From the scale of 1 to 10,
please rate your concerns or news about other
nations or groups influence you?

• I am concerned about how other tribes fair in
  addressing economic developmentalso about how
  they are dealing with drugsand violence4
  (Navajo Nation, Gallup, NM)
• Other Nations or Bands Issues concern me because
  as Indigenous Groups we share reoccurring common
  themes, although each individual Nation is unique
  we as Indigenous people share fundamental beliefs
  such as a deep reverence for our Mother Earth. 10
  (Mandan/Hidasta/Arikara, New Town, ND)
• 8-Yes Although we are sovereign nations there
  exists a spiritual connectedness between the
  peoples of all our nations. To offer/receive
  strength we must keep in common the concerns and
  issues of our friends and relatives of other
  nations with that of our own. (Creek Nation,
  Seminole, Ok)
• 1-No, Tribal Issues or any other Concerns is that
  on my list. (Navajo Nation, Pleasant Point,
  Maine on Passamaquoddy)
• 10-Although I live in Canada, we all embattle the
  difference between the sovereign issue along with
  our discovery of ancestors. I also ache for
  every embattle issues between us and the United
  States, we all share a common theme. Survival.
  (Star Blanket Cree, Regina Sk, Canada)
• 1-I am only concerned about my native communities
  issues. (Northern Arapahoe, Wyoming)

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More Questions we asked

• Where do you usually get your news sources from?
• What kinds of stories do you usually hear or read
  about?
• What do you think makes a good news story?
• Are there any news sources that you read or
  listen to that are primarily devoted to Native
  American news?
• Do you think that media news sources cover Native
  American news stories well?
• In your view, what are some top stories involving
  or about Native Americans from 2005?

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Conclusion

• Need more time and resources to widen demographic
  range for surveys
• Need more stories from unbiased sources
• Better contact and cooperation with journalists
  and editors
• Stories do not reflect complete Native American
  population
• Results reflect knowledge and concern by Native
  people of issues

22
Acknowledgements

• All the participants of the interviews Navajo
  Nation, Three Affiliated Tribes, San Felipe
  Pueblo, Creek, Oglala Lakota, Sisseton Oyate
  Dakota, Shakopee, Crow, Chippewa-Cree, Northern
  Cheyenne, Cheyenne Arapahoe, Delaware, Mohawk,
  Seneca, Sweetgrass Cree, Starblanket Cree,
  Hobbema Erimskin Cree, Cherokee, Sac Fox,
  Seminole, Choctaw of Mississippi, Objiway,
  Northern Ute, Southern Piaute, Hopi,
  Shoshoni-Bannock, Blackfoot, Yakama, Pawnee/Otoe,
  Winnebago, Nez Perce, Elk Valley, Hoopa Valley
  Sagiwa Chippewa
• Red Lake News Website Staff, Windspeaker Editor
  from Canada, Lakota Times Editor, Indian Country
  Editor, Farmington Daily Times, Navajo Times, and
  Gallup Independent.
• Gathering of Nations Committee for allowing to
  interview.