Reach The Rez Campaign

[Wetzelbill]

I know many of you are big supporters of indigenous causes, I interviewed Tanaya Winder of the Reach The Rez Campaign not that long ago. She has a great idea to help empower American Indian youth through art. But anyway, they are in the final hours of their campaign, so if any of you are interested I'll post the link, so you can check it out. http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/reach-the-rez-campaign It really is a great cause.

But besides that, this is a topic that hits close to me. I grew up playing sports and doing things that most native kids do, but I was really just a bookworm. I hid it to some extent. It's more important in that culture to be an athlete etc. I didn't start to seriously cultivate my creative side until I was in my mid-twenties and tired of coaching and trying to still play sports and just being mired in reservation life. I wish I would have had something like this available to me when I was younger, but it simply seemed so far off to me. I never realized there were successful native journals, and native writers in abundance. I knew the famous ones, but those kind of people always seem larger than life. Now that I am older and I run my own indigenous reading series and am a board member of one of the most prestigious, long running, poetry festivals in the country, I realize that if I would have known how much support was out there, I could have been inspired at a much younger age and been doing the things I am doing now, much earlier in life. I am lucky that things have worked out like this, I am not hugely successful, but I do lead a fulfilling life and I get to do something that makes me happy. I hope that I can help promote good ideas, like the Reach The Rez campaign, and it helps young native kids, like I used to be, as much as possible.

If you want to check out my interview with Tanaya here it is: http://www.opednews.com/articles/5-Questions-with-Tanaya-Wi-by-Bill-Wetzel-Feminism_Indigenous_Indigenous-Cultures_Indigenous-Peoples-140107-285.html

[2naSalit]

1. This is

very hopeful news. I live between Fort Hall, Wind River, Crow Agency and Flathead and know folks from about a dozen reservations... the situation for youth in those communities has been bleak for some time. If I had any money, I'd be donating, and if I had $3K to spare, it would all go there.

Thanks for posting, at least there's one good news story today.

[Wetzelbill]

2. thank you!

I am Blackfeet and Flathead, I grew up just outside of Cut Bank, MT, on the Blackfeet reservation. No worries, just getting the word out on positive developments is help all in itself.

[2naSalit]

3. Exposure really helps

in these stories that don't make headlines in any large publications. I'm glad you brought it to light. I care a great deal about my brothers and sisters. (I'm not a "member&quot but am treated like family by many and my spiritual views are very much in lne with those whom I know and love.

I'm down by the ID border and have most of my acquaintance with Shoshoni and Nez Perce but I know a couple Northern Cheyenne and some from farther away.

I like it when I hear good things going on for this group of folks, it's not often enough, sadly.

[Wetzelbill]

4. no definitely not enough

But there are some good things going on, it's just a matter of accentuating the positive and working towards those goals. You'll always have the bad stuff, to an extent, but hopefully we can move past all of that soon enough.

[2naSalit]

5. I'm totally with you on that!

[2naSalit]

6. And... K&R

[Wetzelbill]

7. thanks again!

[pamela]

8. I have a dream that is related to this. See what you think of it.

I use to be an adjunct Professor at a community college in rural Maryland. Occasionally, I would be assigned to teach a college course at a high school way out in the boonies. It was an actual college course for full credit, it was just offered at the school so seniors in remote areas could get a head start on their college careers.

Now, I am a fulltime RVer. My husband and I live and travel in a motorhome and spend most of our time in the southwest. One of my favorite places is Monument Valley. I'm actually not a very friendly, talkative traveler but I once spent hours talking to a Monument Valley resident about their attempts to balance progress and opportunities with tradition. It's one of my favorite travel memories.

There are lots of fulltime RVers who would love to spend a season or two in Monument Valley but there aren't very good options for RVers to park there long term. There are also lots of RVers who are former educators or who have other qualifications for teaching college courses. I thought it would be cool to find a college in Az, NM or Co who would partner with RVers to offer college courses at Monument Valley High School. It wouldn't take much to develop a full hook-up site near the school that the adjunct could use as part of their pay while they were teaching. I swear, if something like this were offered, people would apply for these positions in droves.

This way, the students would have an opportunity to get some college credits and experience under their belts without having to drive hours to the nearest college. When I would teach these courses in rural Maryland, I always had a few older students sign up for the classes, too. They were listed in the regular college catalog and open to everyone so people who lived out that way could save some driving time. I thought it was really cool of this college to do this and it was greatly appreciated by the people of these remote areas.

Anyway...sorry this was so long and I'm not sure I explained it all that well. I may actually pursue this dream if I can figure out where to start. I thought there might even be grants available for something like this.

[Wetzelbill]

9. That is an awesome idea!

Stay in touch with me, if I get any idea maybe we can brainstorm on something like that. I am on FB https://www.facebook.com/billthebutcher or if you prefer, my email is: [e-mail]

[pamela]

10. Thanks!

I'll definitely keep your info and bookmark this page. I always try to stay up on things that are happening in the reservation communities. I supposedly have Native American ancestry on both sides of my family but I've never been able to prove it. In fact, my genealogy research always hits a brick wall at the ancestors who were supposedly Native American. I've heard that can be a sign that it's true so I might get DNA tested.

I read the other day that the area where Monument Valley is located just got a grant for WiFi. That will open up opportunities for online classes but I think actual classes are still invaluable. One of the biggest benefits (and challenges) to the classes I taught was helping the students transition from the high school mentality to the college mentality. For example, I would have parents calling me to get homework assignments and I put a stop to that. I felt it was very important to treat these classes the same as my other classes. I gave them more freedom, but more responsibility, than they were use to. I thought that was as important as the subject (Psychology) that I was teaching.

Thanks again! Didn't mean to hijack your thread. I've never shared this idea with anyone other than my husband and it kind of came pouring out.

[pamela]

11. I just followed your Facebook page. n/t