American Indian mascots

Posted on December 10, 2008 by comm5775

by RITA TOTTEN

The use of American Indian tribal names as mascots and team names is widespread across the sports world. From high school to college to professional athletics, the names and images of American Indians have, in some cases, been exploited for novelty use.

The Atlanta Braves, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians are just a few of the well-known sports teams that use American Indian tribe names and stereotypes.

The National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media has been working for years to combat the trend of using tribal names and stereotypical names for mascots. The Coalition believes that not only are these names offensive, they also are harmful to native and non-native children. Images that represent Indians as savages and warriors teach youth that people are less than human.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association released a statement that stated it is the right of the university to choose whatever mascot it wants to represent its school. However, if that mascot is deemed hostile or abusive regarding race or national origin, the association will not allow that particular mascot to be visible at national championships. The ban of racially insensitive mascots went into effect Feb. 1, 2006. The decision to exclude offensive mascots from NCAA championships was made after the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee meet and redefined the boundaries.

Over the past 30 years about 30 schools were asked to reevaluate their use of American Indian imagery and name for mascot purposes. The schools then submitted a report to the NCAA. Those wishing to continue the use of the Indian name are now subject to the new NCAA policy that forbids their mascot’s presences at NCAA championships. The University of Utah is among the schools subject to that policy.

But there is support for the use of American Indian names and symbols. Fred Esplin, vice president of Institutional Advancement at the University of Utah, said the use of the Ute name was consented to by members of the Ute Indian Tribe. Tribal leaders agreed to have their name associated with the university as long as no imagery was used along with it, such as cartoon Indians and headdresses.

However, the road to this agreement was not simple. Until about the 1950s or 1960s, the university had used the name Running Redskins for its sports teams. Costumes and headdresses worn by cheerleaders accompanied this name. Conversations began with tribal leaders concerning the use of the Indian image, during which the tribe formally agreed to let their name be used, Esplin said.

Even with formal consent tension from the tribe relating to the insensitive way the Ute name was being portrayed continued, Esplin recalls. In 1984, he said an attempt was made to honor the Tribe in a seemingly sensitive way. A student, who was assumed to be of Ute Indian descent, was selected to don war paint and a headdress and ride bare-chested on a horse from one end of the football stadium to the other carrying a spear. This feeble attempt at honoring the Tribe was abandoned after one season, Esplin said.

The U was in need of a mascot that would be culturally sensitive and appeal to the masses. In 1986 the U formally adopted Swoop, the red tailed hawk, as its mascot. However, the Ute Tribe agreed to allow the use of the Ute name to continue. This agreement included that the U would not use any American Indian imagery, except for the drum and feathers logo, which Esplin said is slowly being phased out.

Since his involvement with the Ute tribe began in 1999, Esplin said he has met with tribal leaders many times about the use of the name. “The Ute Tribe has a sense of pride about being connected to the university through their name,” he said.

He acknowledges that not everyone on campus agrees with the use of the name, but says the decision was made by tribal leaders. If at anytime they are dissatisfied with how the name is portrayed, they have the right to ask the university to discontinue using the name.

Before coming to the U for graduate school, Debra Yazzie, a member of the Navajo Nation, hadn’t been concerned with the use of tribal names as mascots. Her attention was only drawn to it after a photo was published in the sports section of the Daily Utah Chronicle that depicted a racial remark made at a woman’s volleyball game.

In fall 2007, Brigham Young University and the University of Utah met to face off in a women’s volleyball game. Students on the BYU campus are allowed to bring dry-erase boards to games and write messages on them. At this particular match a female student wrote on her whiteboard an offensive phrase that resonated with Yazzie. A photographer from the Chronicle captured one of the offensive images in a photo that later ran in the sports section of the newspaper.

Yazzie said this is an example of why using the Ute name is a bad idea. People misrepresent the Utes and it leaves the Tribe open to cruel comments. But Esplin maintains that it is the right of the Ute Tribe to dictate how and when its name is used.

“It seems to me that other tribes may have a problem with the use of the Ute name, but the Utes themselves have approved it,” Esplin said.

More recently, students at the U sold T-shirts that depicted an American Indian roasting a horned frog over a fire. The image was of a cartoon character of a Ute and the horned frog, the mascot of Texas Christian University, a rival school. The shirts were sold on campus days leading up to football game on Nov. 6, 2008.

Amie Hammond, a U student and a member of the Ute Tribe, saw students on campus selling shirts on her way to class. She called Yazzie and other American Indian students, who asked the vendors to stop selling the shirts. The Indian students then explained to the vendors that the imagery was offensive and that in their culture the horned frog or toad was considered representative of their ancestors.

The students selling the shirts apologized to Yazzie and the rest of the Indian students but moved their operation to the tailgate lot located across campus. There, they were again confronted by a group of angry Indian students who requested that they be more sensitive and refrain from selling the shirts. Hammond said she wanted disciplinary action taken against the students for the misrepresentation of her people.

Esplin said that the students involved have been notified of their offensive behavior and have issued a sincere apology. He said he believes they honestly didn’t know they would offend anyone. Incidences like these are few and far between, he said. But when they do occur the university takes immediate action to correct the problems.

Esplin reiterated how proud the U is to be associated with the Tribe. “They have an honorable, rich tradition and we recognize that,” Esplin said.

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American Indians are undervalued because of miseducation

Posted on December 10, 2008 by comm5775

by BRYNN TOLMAN

  • Meet Nola Lodge and Forrest S. Cuch (slideshow best viewed in full-screen mode)

Many American Indians today say their culture and history have been lost. They are now fighting to restore truth to the curriculum.

For years, elementary school students have been taught that Columbus discovered a new land, America — a land of promise, a land of riches, a land of hope. But many American Indians do not find that promise, those riches or that hope. Instead, they reflect on the stories of their childhood education and cringe with feelings of hopelessness, confusion and displacement.

“The truth isn’t out there, you have to dig for it. … American Indians were always portrayed as in the way,” says Nola Lodge, professor of multicultural education at the University of Utah and a member of the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin.

And marginalization for some creates privileges for others.

An article by Ruth Anne Olson titled, “White Privilege in Schools,” explains how today’s culture provides specific privileges to certain students. Olson lists many of these privileges, including, “My children take for granted that the color of any crayons, bandages, or other supplies in their classroom labeled ‘flesh’ will be similar to their own.” After listing several more of these privileges she writes, “My family never asked for these privileges; principals and teachers didn’t purposely create them for us; and, frankly neither they nor we have been consciously aware these privileges exist.” If the privileged students didn’t ask for the privileges, and the principals and teachers didn’t create them on purpose, and if no one has been consciously aware of the privileges, then why do they exist?

Lodge teaches classes on diversity so she is very aware of issues of privilege related to skin tone. She firmly believes that when children are taught early what difference is, their perceptions of who is valued changes. In addition, prejudice and stereotypes carry on into adulthood. She still experiences them today as a successful woman.

Lodge is helping to prepare many American Indian students begin their careers in education. It is not only important to get the truth about history out there, but to also get a variety of people teaching that history to help students understand difference at a young age, she says. When white students go to school they understand they can succeed. They see people just like themselves succeeding. The teachers know how to teach white students, they can relate. What about the other students? Children from different backgrounds learn differently and when they relate personally to their teacher, they succeed at a must faster rate.

“It should be K-12 students who should … accept that there is diversity. Difference is not change. This is why we need to change the curriculum,” Lodge says. She continues to tell a story from the Civil War, a subject commonly covered in history classes. When students learn about General Ulysses S. Grant they seldom learn that Ely Parker, his adjunct, his right-hand man, was a chief’s son and like Grant, an alumnus of West Point. They were equals in education. Their histories were equally important because they were both fighting for their country, for their land and for their beliefs. These small yet significant details are the ones left out of history books. These details are the ones that could give American Indian students, those fighting for recognition and truth, someone to emulate as they strive for success.

Forrest S. Cuch, executive director of the Utah Division of Indian Affairs, is very concerned about the education of children. Cuch, a member of the Ute Tribe, wants them to understand the truth about American Indians, but knows they often hear very little about Indians in school. In a recent interview he quoted Thomas Jefferson as saying, “Our democracy hinges upon an educated public.” Cuch explained that children are the future of the country. They are tomorrow’s leaders and when part of the history of their own country is omitted from history books, lessons and much needed education is left behind as well. He believes this knowledge is part of the identity of each student and without it some are getting lost.

“Without an education there is no identity, no foundation. If I am ashamed of my history or my people, if I am not part of my own culture, I am lost. If I am part of nothing then I lose that identity,” Cuch says. He believes that this identity is being taken away from all students today.

Lodge has also thought about her own identity and how the knowledge of the truth plays a part in it. She takes a different stand, however, saying, “[The truth] informs you about that identity. It doesn’t give you an identity.” Lodge understands that life and one’s own culture build who you are, and the knowledge acquired along the way adds to it.

The most important thing Lodge has learned through teaching multicultural education and American Indian education “is how much still needs to be done.” She knows there are ways to improve what is being taught in schools; she knows that with effort, the truth will get out there.

American Indians have a past that teaches all who are willing to learn. They hold the stories and the truths that history books have omitted. Cuch says his “original culture is hanging on, barely. But it is covered with layers and layers of scars.” Like Lodge, he knows that when the truth of American Indians is in the school curricula in Utah, those scars will fade and the culture that is slipping away will return and become stronger. “I am not hopeless,” Cuch says.

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Preserving the Navajo language

Posted on December 10, 2008 by comm5775

  • Hear from the teacher of a Navajo-language class and her students (audio slideshow best viewed in full-screen mode)

According to the 2004 United States Census, 381,000 people age 5 or older speak a North American native language. Navajo is the most common with 178,014 speakers. The Census also reported that 28 percent of Native Americans and Alaska Natives speak a language other than English at home, but the percentage is dropping in some areas. This means that the number of Native American languages spoken at home is dropping and some languages are in danger of extinction.

Alex Griffin and Geoff Sink, two students in the intermediate Navajo-language class at the University of Utah, participated in a program offered by the Lowell Bennion Community Service Center that sends Navajo-language students to a reservation during spring break to stay with a Navajo family. Both Griffin and Sink went to Navajo Mountain, Utah, a small town on the border of Utah and Arizona. 

They noticed differences among age groups when it came to speaking the language..

“A lot of people who are old enough to be my grandparents only spoke Navajo, or if they spoke English it was very limited,” Griffin said. “The people who were old enough to be my parents spoke both equally well, although some were more comfortable with Navajo. Anyone my age and younger was kind of a mixed bag. There were some kids who spoke Navajo pretty well, but there were a lot who didn’t or they understood it but they couldn’t speak it.”

One woman Griffin met while on the reservation felt it important for her 3-year-old son to start learning Navajo. She decided to leave him with his grandmother before going to work so that he would have more exposure to the language.

Sharee Varela, a graduate student in the U’s Department of Languages and Literature who teaches Navajo, feels the reasons the language is not being passed on to the younger generations is because they go to live in the city where Navajo is not spoken. And on the reservation, most schools do not teach it at early ages.

“There are some bilingual schools that will teach children both English and Navajo,” she said.

One project that does this is the Puente de Hózhǭ revitalization project in Flagstaff, Ariz. This project focuses on teaching children both English and Navajo or Spanish and English, depending on the student. Varela said she also knows of other schools that do the same in Fort Defiance and Windowrock, Ariz., as well as in Shiprock, N.M.

However, Varela said some Navajos believe that schools shouldn’t waste their time teaching Navajo.

“My father is old-school and he believes that Navajo language should not be taught in school,” she said. “He believes that parents should be responsible for teaching their children the Navajo language.”

But she asks her father, “What about the other kids that want to learn? What if the parents speak Navajo but don’t really know how to read or write it? Then who teaches them [the children]?”

Varela believes the reason the Navajo language is possibly becoming endangered is a combination of these two ideas: parents not teaching it to their children and most teachers not teaching it in schools. She also blamed governmental actions. Both California and Arizona have English-only initiatives banning bilingual education for virtually all children learning English as a second language. Even students whose English is limited are prohibited from learning in any language other than English. Nevertheless, Varela said some schools in rural areas of Arizona continue using bilingual programs.

Hotki Miles, the former Miss Utah Navajo, also participates in the Navajo language class at the U. She decided to take the class to better connect with her culture and to communicate more easily with her grandparents and other relatives who speak Navajo. Miles’ mother is Navajo but her father is not. Her mother does not speak the language very well, so Miles never learned it growing up. While participating in Navajo cultural events such as Miss Utah Navajo, she was sometimes disappointed that she could not communicate with those who spoke only Navajo. She is excited to be able to understand and speak some Navajo with her relatives.

“My relatives don’t look at me anymore as a stupid kid that doesn’t know Navajo,” she said.

Because of the effort Miles has put into learning the language and her culture, she said the older generations are more accepting and respectful of her. Many times after speaking or performing at an event, some of the older Navajo women came up to her, congratulated her and call her “shideezhi,” which means little sister.

Varela has had other Navajo students, like Miles, who have taken her classes to learn Navajo in hopes of connecting with relatives and understanding their culture. Varela said older Navajos are always very happy when her students come to them and try speaking the language. Even if the students say something the wrong way or with the wrong accent, it still makes them happy that students are learning their native language. 

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Many campus, community services available to American Indians

Posted on December 10, 2008 by comm5775

by RITA TOTTEN

American Indians and anyone interested in learning more about Indian culture can visit the many centers in Salt Lake City and at the University of Utah campus.

Transitioning from high school to college or from one college to another can be a difficult process. Assisting in that transition is the American Indian Resource Center at the U. Becky McKean, an administrative assistant at AIRC, said staff work with different offices on campus to establish partnerships.

“We draw from each other,” McKean said.

Some of the groups working with the AIRC are academic, such as the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. Others, like the Inter Tribal Student Association, focus on student life. The Center for Ethnic Student Affairs has within its office a Native American coordinator who advises students and helps with scholarships, McKean said.

She said this year, AIRC Director Beverly Fenton was able to get the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in-state tuition for its students.

“The Ute Mountain Utes are located in Colorado, but since they are part of the Ute Tribe they were granted in-state tuition thanks to Beverly’s work,” McKean said.

AIRC is located near the dorms in a house donated by Fort Douglas. McKean said that when the Fort downsized 15 years ago, the house was given to the American Indians.

AIRC encourages students to use the building as a meeting place for groups and activities and strengthens connections with the community. It also helps students get involved with internships and work-study programs.

McKean said they are trying to be active in bringing people into the center. Twice a week a writing tutor comes to the AIRC to assist students with papers and homework assignments and to help improve their writing, McKean said. The AIRC also has a computer lab available for students and McKean hopes to get a grant to purchase more computers.

“The goal of the Center is to act as a liaison between the U and tribal communities,” McKean said. The Center is currently working on developing a brochure and a Web site to advertise the available services throughout the community. McKean said she hopes to bring the community into the center. This fall, while visiting the U, tribal leaders from across Utah and neighboring states were welcomed into the Center. A potluck was also hosted which brought a sizeable crowd of students and faculty to the Center.

Other on-campus resources include the American West Center, which is working with the Utah Division of Indian Affairs to develop teaching guides for grade school children to inform and educate them on current issues and history of Utah’s American Indians. Also, the Center for American Indian Languages focuses on the study of indigenous languages.

The state of Utah gets its name from the Ute Tribe. Support for members of the Tribe and other American Indian tribes come from a variety of places.

A local resource available to tribal members is the Indian Walk-In Center.

Brenda Chambers, an employee and health specialist for the center, said in an e-mail that the purpose of the Walk-In Center is to support and provide wellness services to people with respect to values and heritage of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

The Walk-In Center sees members from tribes all over Utah, including the Utes, Paiutes, Goshute, Shoshone and Navajo. Chambers said the Walk-In Center serves as a meeting place. In addition, anyone who wants to learn more about American Indians can gather at the Center and take advantage of the services and information available.

Chambers said the Center offers services in many different areas, including health services, counseling, community outreach, events and general assistance. Within each area different services are available to the community. For example, people seeking housing can take advantage of housing referral services. Children visiting the center can take part in the literacy project and attend leadership meetings.

A major issue for American Indians is health-related problems such as diabetes. The Walk-In Center offers nutrition information and presentations as well as screenings for diabetes. Health promotion and prevention is a big part of what the Walk-In Center does.

Supporting all aspects of native life is important, but it’s also important to inform non-native people as well. McKean said she hopes the resources available on and off campus will “help educate the community and bring us closer together.”

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Salt Lake Community College welcomes refugees with open arms, minds

Posted on December 10, 2008 by comm5775

by REED NELSON

The South City campus of Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) is teeming with students, some ambitious, some reluctantly present, some looking to further their education, some looking to quiet nagging parents. Then there are those who come from far away, one group to whom this confusion seems mundane. With all the diverse qualities that envelope the students at SLCC, there is one group that shares a mutual bond far deeper than the institution could provide on its own. They are the refugee population.

The refugees are not all from the same place, the same region even, but they do share the same difficult past that brought them to Salt Lake. Now that they are here, however, their opportunities will not be hindered.

One of the main reasons refugees have found so much success in Salt Lake City is because of the opportunity to receive encouragement and development at SLCC. The school has made a point of welcoming the students with open arms, even with the language barrier.

“We have only had a little trouble incorporating the refugee students into a normal student life,” said Cindy Clark, an early-enrollment advisor who is also in charge of the Sudanese Student Association at SLCC. “But that is made easier by the wearing down of the language barrier. That is why our ESL [English as a Second Language] Program is so essential.”

Clark said English is one of the biggest issues that an incoming refugee student will face at school. Other issues usually are individualized. This could mean culture shock for one student or finances for another. This is why she has to remain close with the students.

“A lot of these kids are used to never having anywhere to turn, never having someone to ask how to handle a tough situation,” Clark said. “My job with them is to make sure that they don’t slip off the grid due to simple neglect. I never want to lose one that could have been avoided.”

SLCC has even included space on its application to denote refugee status, which might include long-standing documented refugees to people who have lived here for 24 months or less. This can allow someone like Clark to identify who requires more attention in the beginning.

Refugees come from an extremely adverse political, religious, environmental, or social situation. This makes it very difficult from the outset to proceed with what is considered a traditional Western education.

A war-torn state can produce an exponential amount of refugees, depending on the group being persecuted. When these refugees are exiled, it is a long road before they are granted the chance to start over.

This process can often take years to sort out, depending on the gravity of the situation, and can frequently lead to disheartening times.

“I was only 5 years old when we were told to leave our home,” said George Artsistas, a student at the University of Utah. Artsistas was born to Greek parents in Croatia in 1989, two years before the war broke out. By 1994, his parents were being forced out of the country and were made to stay in camps. Because of some work by his father, George ended up in Marin County, Calif., in 1996.

“I was introduced to a life in which formal schooling was nonexistent,” Artsistas said. “It was the polar opposite to what I had been told, and I lost a few key years in my schooling. When we came in, I had to play catch up, but thanks to my parents, that wasn’t too difficult.”

Now these students are in an environment that is conducive to learning and interacting, rather than destructive. Artsistas is working to become a film major at the University of Utah after a brief stint at SLCC.

“I have the opportunity that I would have never been afforded, and my parents are beyond excited,” Artsistas said. “They never thought in a million years that they would see their son go to college.”

The genuine thirst for an education is not uncommon among refugee students, and it is this attribute that could serve them well, especially now that they are making life decisions.

“I was told everything that I was allowed to do my whole life,” said Sean Keranovic of Prijedor, Bosnia. “When I went, it was the first time that I was told that I could do something that I wanted to do.”

Keranovic is about to graduate and has found work through connections he made while at SLCC. He met a speaker in a business class, and through frequent contact eventually landed a job with POWDR Corp., a holding company, based in Park City, that operates eight winter resorts.

“Sean has showed a phenomenal work ethic, a yes-man through and through, you can tell this job means a lot to him,” said Rick DesVaux, the former CFO of POWDR, and the man who hired Keranovic. “We have him in a type of quasi-internship, one that allows him the flexibility to continue school, if he chooses to, but also become competent in the work place. He has really shown that he cares not only about his job, but his future as well.”

Keranovic is only putting together presentations, in which he often will construct the display pieces, but he enjoys the responsibility. “I didn’t learn that I could go to college until I heard about Salt Lake Community College’s refugee program,” Keranovic said. “I mean I come from Bosnia, Clinton’s only political blemish,” he said, laughing.

Keranovic is one of a handful of SLCC graduates who have found work in the corporate world.

Another successful graduate is Simon Kuay, 33, a Sudanese “Lost Boy” who owns K&K African Market. The store doubles as a hangout for other Sudanese refugees. He has managed to fuse old and new traditions.

“This started as a business for me,” Kuay said. “Who would have thought it would become some sort of center for us.”

And while K&K might be one social and cultural center for the Sudanese, the, like other refugees, are happy to settle on SLCC as a rallying point.

“That is what we try to do here,” Clark said. “We embrace them with open arms. They receive no special academic treatment while they are here, mind you, but as far as everything else goes, we are here for them 100 percent. They are always worth it.”

So the bustle around the SLCC campus continues, stretching all across the valley, from campus to campus, classroom to classroom. Now, however, that bustle includes those who feel fortunate to have access to education.

“Granted I was very young, but my family came over here under refugee circumstances, which immediately put us at a disadvantage,” Keranovic said. “But now, I go to school and have a job where I have to wear a tie. That is a pretty cool change.” 

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Preparation now can pay off later

Posted on December 9, 2008 by comm5775

by BRYNN TOLMAN

Many people in the world today worry about what tomorrow will bring. Will I be prepared? Will my family be safe? How will we survive if this economy doesn’t turn around?

Preparation is key to finding answers to these and many other questions.

Althea Sam, a student at the University of Utah and an American Indian, said these questions are constantly on her mind. She worries because with her current school load she only works part-time and no longer lives at home with her parents.

“There isn’t usually a lot of extra cash at the end of the day,” she said. However, Sam recognizes the importance of being ready. “It is always necessary. Even students can be prepared,” she said.

Sam explained in a recent interview that the best option for this is going back to the old ways of canning food, saving and being smart about spending.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one organization that encourages setting aside essentials for a rainy day. The Church has compiled many resources and tools to help families and individuals around the world get started on something that can be intimidating: food storage and preparation.

Church officials say people need to be ready for adversity in every aspect of life. The three most important elements to being prepared for the future are education, employment and food. A good education will be the base for a solid future. This base leads to a good job that will make it possible to meet the basic needs in life including the final element, food.

Jeff Newey, an employee of the LDS Church, was part of a team that put together several pamphlets to distribute to people worldwide. This collection is called “All Is Safely Gathered In.”

One pamphlet, “Family Finances,” discusses how managing money now can be helpful later in life. The pamphlet advises avoiding debt, using a budget, building a reserve, and teaching family members “financial management, hard work, frugality and saving.” It also includes a budget worksheet.

The second pamphlet, “Family Home Storage,” teaches readers how to gather food and save a little extra money in case of emergency. It discusses the following topics: three-month supply, drinking water, financial reserve and longer-term supply. “Its purpose is to give people hope and to simplify the message,” Newey said.

While the pamphlets don’t detail every necessity, they can help anyone prepare for the unexpected.

“The Navajo tribe [in New Mexico], lost a lot of money on Wall Street,” said Irene Wixom. “Most Navajo people just have to deal with downturns in the economy, they don’t have mortgages, they don’t anticipate these problems.” She explained that while living on the reservation, Navajos have nothing to do with the mess that the economy is in. “They didn’t get caught up in all the loan problems, they didn’t make the mess,” she said.

Wixom, a Navajo, explained that many Navajos have not been preparing for anything drastic to happen.

Her own family, on the other hand, has been saving for years and trying to put a little food away so that in times of need they will be ready. Wixom, her husband and their three children now live in Salt Lake City and worry about their family and friends still on the reservation.

“They don’t have mass transit or even a huge selection of cars. Some of the roads are in pretty bad condition and that limits them. … It’s harder to be careful,” Wixom said.

“We haven’t decided to do anything new,” she said, explaining that it’s the little things that are going to make the difference. The few things the Wixom family have been focusing on are cutting back spending and planning their trips instead of just jumping into the car.

“We budgeted for years to get rid of our mortgage and other debts,” she said. “The only debt we have now is student loans for the kids’ education.” They are still comfortable today because of careful budgeting earlier in life. 

“There are more important things than big houses and big cars; your child’s education for example. Those are the things we worried about,” Wixom said. 

Wixom stressed the importance of being wise. She said the best way to prepare for the downturns in today’s economy is to stay up to date about what is going on in the world.

“People get busy and are uninformed. They didn’t see it coming. When the bubble burst we were ready,” she said. She stressed the fact that this should be common sense.

Many organizations and resources exist to help people get started on preparing for those unexpected turns in life. As Newey said, resources are available to “give people hope and simplify the message.” With all the tips, though, common sense is also important.

“If you can’t afford that cup of coffee from Starbucks don’t drink it,” Sam said. “Everyone loves that cup of coffee, but be responsible.” 

Tips for being prepared (from “All is Safely Gathered In”)

  • Avoid debt: Spending less money than you make is essential to your financial security. Avoid debt, with the exception of buying a modest home or paying for education or other vital needs. Save money to purchase what you need. If you are in debt pay it off as quickly as possible.
  • Have a back-up supply: Build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet. One way to do this is to purchase a few extra items each week to build a one-week supply of food. Then you can gradually increase your supply until it is sufficient for three months. These items should be rotated regularly to avoid spoilage. For longer-term needs, and where permitted, gradually build a supply of food that will last a long time and that you can use to stay alive, such as wheat, white rice and beans.
  • Use a budget: Keep a record of your expenditures. Record and review monthly income and expenses. Determine how to reduce what you spend for nonessentials. Plan how much you will save, and what you will spend for food, housing, utilities, transportation, clothing, insurance and so on. Discipline yourself to stay within your budget plan. A budget worksheet is a useful tool to help you with your plan.
  • Build a reserve: Gradually build a financial reserve and use it for emergencies only. If you save a little money regularly, you will be surprised how much accumulates over time.
  • Drinking water: Store drinking water for circumstances in which the water supply may be polluted or disrupted. If water comes directly from a good, pretreated source, then no additional purification is needed; otherwise, pretreat water before use. Store water in sturdy, leak-proof, breakage-resistant containers. Consider using plastic bottles commonly used for juices and soft drinks. Keep water containers away from heat sources and direct sunlight.

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Educational programs bridge the success gap of American Indian students

Posted on December 4, 2008 by comm5775

Story and photos by AARON K. SCHWENDIMAN

Many students in the United States today don’t graduate and go to college, but with programs and scholarships available there is hope for the future. Today American Indian students are among those who have a graduation rate of less than 60 percent, according to a study by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.

American Indian students are among those who have a graduation rate of less than 60 percent, according to a study by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Photo by Aaron K. Schwendiman

American Indian students are among those who have a graduation rate of less than 60 percent, according to a study by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.

Many American Indian students who attend Grand County High School in southern Utah live between the Navajo Nation Reservation and Moab, Utah, which makes it difficult for these students to stay in school.

Grand County High School in Moab has a total student body of about 440 students with about 7.5 percent of those students American Indian. This number of American Indian students fluctuates constantly because many of the students move between the Navajo Reservation and Moab. It is the only high school within the county that American Indian students can attend.  The next closest high school in a separate county is Whitehorse High School in Montezuma Creek, Utah.

Stephen Hren, principal at Grand County High School, has been working in the Grand School District for 20 years, first as a science teacher and now as a principal for two years.

Grand County High School in Moab has received a federal grant through Title VII, which is part of the “No Child Left Behind Act” that focuses on Native American academic improvement.

Grand County High School in Moab has received a federal grant through Title VII, which is part of the “No Child Left Behind Act” that focuses on Native American academic improvement.

“Most of our students are Navajo, so they go back to the Navajo Nation reservation or Montezuma Creek, which is where Whitehorse High School is located,” Hren said in an e-mail interview.

Hren said the graduation rate of the American Indian students at the high school last year was about 66 percent when the students don’t move back to the nearby reservation. This is above the national average of 57 percent.

“If we have our Native American students consistently, those that do not move back and forth to the reservation, we have a better than 57 percent graduation rate,” Hren said. “However, for those that move around, our statistics would be similar to this statistic.”

But students who move to and from the reservation get a very inconsistent educational experience. They have different reasons why they move, Hren said.           

“Sometimes, they are seeking job opportunities, other times they are in trouble within the reservation, so they leave,” Hren said. “They return for ceremonial purposes, or if they get into trouble off the reservation with school attendance and sometimes the students move without their parents and live with aunts, uncles, or siblings.”

To address these issues for American Indian students in Moab, Grand County High School received a federal grant through Title VII, which is part of the “No Child Left Behind Act” that focuses on Native American academic improvement.

Title VII is dedicated to supporting local educational organizations and institutions so that students can meet the same challenging State student academic achievement standards, just like all other students are expected to meet, according to the U.S. Department of Education Web site.

Grand County High School has created a Native American Studies course, which is open to all students, and a club that has been tracking the progress of its American Indian students. The school has seen an almost 30 percent increase in its passing rate, Hren said.

He believes that if more schools create similar programs, graduation rates and academic achievement of American Indian students will improve.

Nola Lodge, clinical instructor at the University of Utah and a member of the Oneida of Wisconsin Tribe, believes that infusing multicultural education in every subject in schools will help increase graduation rates. Lodge is a member of the Indian Advisory Committee to the Utah State Board of Education that is developing an American Indian education plan to address the issue of the success gap.  They have patterned their plans after Washington State and Montana, both of which have implemented successful programs for students.

“We have decided to infuse Indian history education and social studies at all grade levels, K-12,” Lodge said.

Nola Lodge, a clinical instructor at the University of Utah, believes that infusing multicultural education in every subject in schools will help increase graduation rates.

Nola Lodge, a clinical instructor at the University of Utah, believes that infusing multicultural education in every subject in schools will help increase graduation rates.

Improving academic achievement through tutoring and support structures is another way that has helped American Indian students in school.

Ramalda Guzman, community health representative director for the northern Ute Tribe, says there are many socioeconomic factors that play into the reality of low graduation rates throughout Indian country.

“It’s a bleak picture but our communities are doing their best to address it,” said Guzman, a member of the Ute Tribe. “In our community we try to provide different activities during school and after school that promote education and keep students interested.”

Guzman worked as a tutor in public schools in the early 1980s. She said working with American Indian high school students presented many challenges because they did not seem interested in their education or did not take it seriously.

When students are introduced to reading and other subjects early, they seem to be better prepared for school and be more confident in doing schoolwork and communicating with their teachers and peers, Guzman said.

“As a tutor throughout these years I not only worked with students academically but advocated on their behalf when it came to other issues that impacted their lives,” Guzman said. “When students find they can trust you they tend to reveal more of themselves to you.”

Students who do well in high school and want to go on to college may encounter another obstacle: funding. To help American Indian students with college tuition the Northern Ute Tribe provides scholarships.  Individuals must fill out an application and provide required documentation such as an acceptance letter from a college, letters of recommendations, a personal essay, and ACT scores. Each year the tribe sponsors 50 students who will receive approximately $8,000 per year, Guzman said.

She recommended that the Ute Tribe education department provide students with assistance filling out college applications and helping them navigate through the college admission process.

“We are constantly seeking ways to help our students be successful in school,” Guzman said.

Once students enter college, many universities offer programs to help them succeed. The University of Utah has the Center for Ethnic Student Affairs. According to the Web site, CESA is dedicated to providing programs that assist students through the different barriers of society and helping them achieve academic excellence. The center serves the needs of American Indian, African American, Asian American, Latina-Latino, and Pacific Islander students.

The U’s Lena Judee is the American Indian program coordinator and Inter Tribal Student Association advisor for CESA. Judee’s specific focus as an advisor is to assist American Indian students complete their studies at the U.

Lodge said the main goal behind these programs for American Indian students is to support them through their educational experience so that they don’t feel alone in a large community.

Filed under: American Indian, Education | Leave a comment »

The Ute and Ouray Indian Reservation

Posted on December 4, 2008 by comm5775

by AARON K. SCHWENDIMAN

Winding roads and narrow passageways of mountains and trees lead you through the countryside and into the northeastern region of Utah. More than 150 miles east of Salt Lake City is the town of Fort Duchesne, Utah.

Fort Duchesne is the central headquarters for the Ute Indian Tribe. Surrounding Fort Duchesne is the Ute and Ouray reservation, which is located within a three-county area known as the Uintah Basin. The reservation spans more than 4.5 million acres, making it the second-largest Indian Reservation in the United States. Enrolled membership is approximately 3,000 with more than half of its members living on the reservation, according to the Ute Tribe’s Web site.

“Our reservation has a variety of altitudes from 11,000 feet to just below 4,000 feet, from pine and aspen forests to the arid deserts of oil fields,” said Mariah Cuch, director and editor of the Ute Bulletin. “There is a wild range of wildlife from bear, moose, elk, deer, eagles and all the little critters in between.”

The land of the Uintah Basin plays a large part in where the Ute Tribe receives some of its revenue. The basin is home to many forms of hydrocarbons that have been trapped beneath the surface for millions of years, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs website.

Ute Energy, one of the largest businesses within the reservation, takes advantage of the many natural resources available to the Tribe. The majority of the company’s ownership is held by the Ute Tribe. According to the company Web site, Ute Energy was formed to enable the Tribe to become an active participant in the development of its energy estate.

Large businesses like Ute Energy establish tribal ownership over the land of the reservation. Smaller Ute-owned businesses on the reservation provide a local marketplace for people.

The Ute Plaza Supermarket and the Ute Petroleum Convenience Store are two businesses in Fort Duchesne that are owned by Ute tribe members.

“The supermarket has been here for years,” said a Ute Tribe member, who preferred not to give his name. “I like to support the locally owned and Ute owned businesses in the area, it makes me feel I am giving back to my tribe.”

Also located in Fort Duchesne is the Ute Bulletin. The newspaper is funded by the Tribe and is published bi-weekly. It provides the Ute Tribe in Fort Duchesne and its surrounding communities with news and upcoming events about the tribe and the reservation.

Cuch, the managing editor, has worked at the paper for eight years. She said about half of the Ute Tribe membership live off the reservation so she always has to think about what they want know.

“I try to look into functions and activities that are going on, always keeping in mind the historic value of today,” Cuch said. “I also try to highlight our youth and their accomplishments.”

Along with business, education on the reservation plays a large part in the Ute culture. The Tribe provides an education program called Head Start that introduces education to children and families early on in life.

“It is many things, it is an early childhood development program for at-risk children 3 and 4 years old,” Tom Morgan, director of Ute Indian Tribe Head Start program, said in a phone interview. “It covers their education, health needs, mental health needs and if there is any disability, it helps with that.”

Children who become accustomed early to the educational experience gain the skills they need to move ahead in their schooling, Morgan said. For the people at Head Start, their job is to reach the young students early so they will want to go to school in the future.

“We know we need to start really early with kids and at Head Start it does exactly what it stands for, it gives kids a head start,” Morgan said. “Especially on the reservation, kids need early exposure to learning and also the exposure their parents can get to help their children so they are more educationally minded.”

For people living off the reservation, asking questions and understanding tribal culture within the reservation will create awareness of the people and local events, Cuch said.

“We are a modern and functioning part of our area,” Cuch said. “On a cultural side our powwows are open to the public and would encourage people, if they’re curious, to come out to the reservation during those times and ask questions to come to an understanding [of the culture].”

Filed under: American Indian, Education, Environment, Media | Leave a comment »

SLC charter school helps refugee students become ‘citizens’

Posted on December 4, 2008 by comm5775

Story and photos by BRADY LEAVITT

Each school day the uniformed elementary and middle school students of American Preparatory Academy in Draper, Utah, stand at their desks to face the American flag. They recite in unison “The Pledge of Allegiance” and sing “The Star Spangled Banner.” Dressed in matching white shirts, navy vests and sweaters, plaid skirts and khaki slacks, it is difficult to discern that these charter school students come from all sorts of social, economic and cultural backgrounds. But next year, if Director Carolyn Sharette has her way, APA will have an even more diverse student body.

American Preparatory Academy Director Carolyn Sharette

American Preparatory Academy Director Carolyn Sharette

Sharette, 49, plans to open APA’s first satellite campus in fall 2009. The school, located at 2650 S. Hempstead Road in West Valley City, will be called The School for New Americans. The school will focus on helping refugee children integrate into Utah and American society. SNA will accomplish this by maintaining a specific percentage of local, refugee and immigrant students at the school. It is designed to help all students catch up in subjects the struggle with at a pace and level suited to their needs.

“These kids who are 13 and go into seventh grade, when do they get to go back and work on kindergarten phonetics?” asked Catherine Findlay, a volunteer who is helping to coordinate the school’s efforts with refugee service organizations in Salt Lake City. SNA, she said, will be a perfect fit.

The student body will be precisely tailored. SNA’s official target student profile is 140 “settled” refugees — meaning they have been in the country for at least one year — who have strong spoken English skills, with eight to 12 refugee children per grade, kindergarten through ninth. Up to 25 percent of the total student enrollment will be refugees. The remaining portion will be students from the surrounding areas as well as any others who are able to get into the school.

Achieving this blend of students is complicated. According to Sharette, federal law prohibits charter schools from discriminating against any applicant, meaning  the school cannot just admit the desired 140 refugees if any other students are already on the waiting list. In other words, a wealthy white child has as much right to attend SNA as any refugee.

To deal with this, the school is informing refugee families before any others, Findlay said. Findlay, 41, has been working to contact potential families through representatives from refugee service organizations like the International Rescue Committee, The Asian Association of Utah and the Refugee Services Office in the Department of Workforce Services.

The first application period for refugee families ended on Nov. 30, Findlay said, after which SNA began accepting all students on a lottery basis. In future years, all students, refugee or not, have to be admitted by drawing. The school has some power to give added “weight” to certain at-risk groups like refugees. Weighted students have a higher chance of being picked in the lottery, but that will be the only tool available to maintain the desired balance, Findlay said.

To succeed with ‘those kids’

APA has become immensely popular in recent years; a student may have to wait years to be admitted. Sharette said she has felt APA’s model would be successful with all types of students since the school opened in 2002. However, the school’s critics discredit the results because of its location in affluent Draper, Sharette said.

A third-grade class at the American Preparatory Academy sit mostly at attention. In August 2009, APA will open a second campus in West Valley City aimed at helping refugee children.

A third-grade class at the American Preparatory Academy sit mostly at attention. In August 2009, APA will open a second campus in West Valley City aimed at helping refugee children.

“Who wouldn’t succeed with ‘those’ kids?” Sharette said people have asked her.

But they miss the point, she said. The programs and curriculum that APA uses are designed to work for gifted and struggling students alike, and it is not fair to discount results based on socio-economics.

“We want the opportunity to show that, and it’s best for us to do that in an economically-challenged population,” Sharette said. SNA is “the proving ground for our model.”

As a charter school, APA has a greater degree of flexibility in choosing the curricula it uses than many of Utah’s public schools. APA emphasizes grouping students based on ability and not necessarily age or grade level in subjects like reading, spelling and mathematics. A student who requires 20 repetitions to learn something will not be grouped with students who require 200 repetitions, Sharette said.

The new school will replicate the programs already in place at the APA Draper campus, Sharette said. APA and SNA are charter schools, meaning they receive government money but operate autonomously from school districts’ governing boards.

APA’s record of increasingly high test scores is a measure of success for both the entire school and individual students, Sharette said. This is because APA only uses and adapts curricula based on research, Findlay said.

“It’s not like we’re a bunch of parents who say, ‘Oh, we’d like to try this,’” Findlay explained. Instead, all the coursework is picked based on academic research and adapted through statistical feedback teachers collect in their classrooms.

APA also uses a method of call and response called Direct Instruction in the classroom. As the class moves through material, the teacher repeatedly cues students to respond individually or as a group. Many educators consider the method because it focuses heavily on rote memorization and recitation. But Sharette swears by it. One benefit of direct instruction for refugee children, she said, is that it encourages them to vocalize responses, which will accelerate their learning of the English language.

Opponents to the chartering program have criticized schools like APA of funneling tax dollars away from traditional public schools, increasing the strain on an already overworked system. Sharette sees charter schools as a great way to relieve stress on growing districts by giving parents an alternative for their children’s educations.

The school not only focuses on helping children to develop academically, but also emphasizes citizenship and patriotism, Sharette said. Students receive a grade in citizenship based on their participation and preparation, their punctuality and their adherence to school rules. A student can get straight A’s in all academic subjects but fail citizenship, she said.

The students and teachers at APA recite the “Pledge of Allegiance” and the national anthem each day. The Veterans Day celebration is the biggest holiday at the school, according to Laura Leavitt, 48, a third-grade teacher at APA. Sharette hopes APA will give incoming refugee and immigrant populations the skills and tools to function in America, to prepare all students to be citizens.  

A wake-up call

Getting the permission and resources to start the school was a three-year process. In 2005, Sharette applied with the Utah State Office of Education to open a second campus but was denied. The law at that time did not allow charter schools to have satellite campuses, she said.

It was disconcerting, she said, to be denied a second campus in spite of APA’s record of success. At the time, 2,850 students were on an admissions waiting list for the school. Sharette contacted several senators and representatives who she knew were supportive of charter schools.

“To have that denied was kind of a wake-up call for legislators as well,” Sharette said. “They were interested in helping us to make sure the law wasn’t the thing that was keeping us from being able to replicate.”

The law allowing charter schools to open satellite campuses passed in Utah’s 2007 general legislative session. In April 2008, Sharette received permission to open SNA in August 2009.

“It was very exciting because I have such confidence this will go forward and that it will be great for so many families,” Sharette said.

Excitement and worry

Not everyone shared her enthusiasm, Sharette said.

Opening the new school will require Sharette to be away from APA for much of the time. Some parents and teachers feel insecure, if only briefly, when they think she is leaving the campus, Sharette said.

“All we have to do is remind them that we’re taking this to 560 new kids, bringing them the same things that they’ve experienced [in Draper],” Sharette said.

Others worry about how to deal with the difficulties of working with refugee children: how the school will overcome language barriers, how the school will furnish transportation for students, how the school will provide meals and after-school programs — services offered by Utah’s state governed education system.

Sharette described a meeting she held in her office with workers and educators from the refugee services community to see how APA and SNA could complement their work: “When I came into the meeting, there were a lot of feelings being expressed about the hugeness of the problem,” Sharette said.

She said the representatives asked her — even challenged her — to explain why SNA would accept only 140 refugee students. How would SNA deal with children who came without food? What would they do when they came without appropriate clothing? Were there after-school programs? The conversation lasted for about 30 minutes and turned sharply negative, said Findlay, who was present at the meeting.

Sharette nodded, acknowledging each concern. Then she directed the group’s attention to a framed quilt that hangs in her office.

The 4-by-4-foot quilt has the painted handprints of 25 orphans who live on a farm in Zambia. Sharette is a member of the board of directors for Mothers Without Borders, which runs the farm. Africa has millions of orphans, she said, but we have 25.

“That experience,” she told the group calmly, “has taught me a lot about doing your part, and that making the difference in the lives of 25 kids is worth something.”

Sharette then added, “I want to be really clear that our mission is academic achievement and character development for 140 kids.” And  then she asked the question: “Is that worthless to you? Should we go in a different direction?”

The room was silent.

“One after another said, ‘No, of course not. It will be wonderful to serve these 140 individuals,’” Sharette said. “They started looking at the individuals,” she said, “and that, I think, is the key to this work.”

The legacy lives on

Sharette said she is not sure what people mean when they say, “it won’t work.”

“The ‘it,’ I think, has to do with a group of people who are very overwhelmed by how difficult the big picture is,” Sharette said. “We’re taking one piece and only one piece, and I think that piece is worthwhile for us to take. Is it worthless because we can’t do it all?”

Of the many people interviewed for this story, most, if not all expressed their admiration for Sharette’s ability to motivate people to action and to spread enthusiasm. She is, they said, a perpetual optimist. In an interview, she recoiled at the word “problem” and would only accept a question when it was rephrased it as “challenges and opportunities” the school faces. 

“Carolyn would never acknowledge negativity,” Findlay said.

Sharette recognized that she deals with problems and obstacles differently than many people. She views everything as a learning opportunity and a challenge, never a problem. Her method of dealing with challenges is a product of her upbringing, she said.

A handmade quilt with the hand prints of orphans who live in a Mothers Without Borders farm in Zambia. Carolyn Sharette is a member of its board of directors.

A handmade quilt with the hand prints of orphans who live in a Mothers Without Borders farm in Zambia. Carolyn Sharette is a member of its board of directors.

In her office, near the African quilt, hangs a picture of her father and family with the words “The Legacy Lives On” written across the bottom. He taught his children to be advocates in the community and encouraged positive thinking, she said. Sharette said her father would pay $100 to any of his children and grandchildren who memorized a collection of inspirational poetry he helped publish.

She then recited one of the poems, which speaks of an individual’s role in building up their community.

The poem, "Your Town," is one of Sharette's favorites.

The poem, "Your Town," is one of Sharette's favorites.

“These are the kinds of things that I learned growing up,” Sharette explained, “After a while you see everything in the context of moving forward.”

They are the kinds of things that Findlay also hopes to transmit to her own children and to the students at APA and SNA.

Findlay told of a day that she visited the Granite Peaks adult ESL program for immigrants and refugees, looking for parents who might be interested in enrolling their children in the new school. Her son Bradley, then 8 years old, accompanied her. As she walked in, they saw a row of 12 pictures along one wall.

The photos were of the adult ESL students and included short, personal bios, Findlay said. The students told their names, where they came from and why there are in America. Many had goals to return, someday, to their own country, she said. She was touched by the images, but more so because her son was there to see them first-hand.

“My son got to look down this wall and get exposure to 12 different countries in 10 minutes,” Findlay said with emotion in her voice. He was getting an education, she said, the education of diversity that she hopes is replicated at the School for New Americans.

Filed under: Education, Immigrants & Refugees, Organizations | Leave a comment »

Sudanese ‘Lost Boys’ in Salt Lake City seeking a better life

Posted on December 4, 2008 by comm5775

by REED NELSON

The store is hectic, so much movement that the one focal point is the bustle itself, each individual indistinguishable to the glancing eye. But to those who know the store, it is organized, but not in the casual sorted order consistent with the ordained rules of a normal grocery store.

“We have our own way of doing things in here,” said Simon Kuay, 33, owner of the K&K African Market, and a Sudanese “Lost Boy.” This is the unique way in which the Lost Boys go about, and generally succeed, in living life. They have managed to channel their life experiences into productivity, responsibility and in some cases, an education.

The Second Sudanese Civil War began in 1983, when northern Sudan, which had become economically and religiously divided from the south, imposed its religous will of then-president Gaafar Nimiery upon the south. Nimiery wanted to transform the southern part of Sudan into a Muslim Arab state.

That same year, the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army began secession plans and the government retaliated. It would then escalate into a full-scale civil war and eventually, raids on villages and towns.
In 1987, that civil war displaced 27,000 kids, mostly boys, from Sudan. They traveled for two months to Ethiopia, only to be turned away. For two years they tried to return to southern Sudan until they found refuge in Kenya.

Nineteen years later, Salt Lake has become not only a safe haven, but also a permanent home for some of these refugees. Now there are 90 of these “Lost Boys” enrolled at Salt Lake Community College, and a growing list of alumni.

Augustino Kuol, a student at SLCC and the current president of the Lost Boys and Girls Association, finds his experiences here slightly different than growing up on the road, or as a temporary high school student in Kenya.

“Being here allows me the opportunity to try to rise up,” Kuol said. “But I still wish my circumstances were a little more fortunate.”

Even while Kuol excels, he often finds himself in situations where family would normally come into play. He has not seen his family since he began his journey from Sudan. However, these are the times that the Lost Boys’ friendships, friendships forged in the midst of unspeakable turmoil, come in handy.

“These boys tend to stick together because, growing up, they had to,” said Cindy Clark, who runs the Sudanese Student Association at SLCC.

These kids have had experiences varying from being targeted as children in a civil war to watching close friends die. “Kids have shared stories with me in which they went from being at makeshift [refugee] camp talking,” she said, “to seeing a lion grab a boy and take him away.”

Clark said they have not let these experiences affect them. “You would think that they would have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or something,” she said. “But they just take it in stride, move on, they know no other life than the one they lived. No traditions can hold them.”

Clark knows the students are not exactly given every advantage as they begin their schooling. But a majority of their time, she said, is spent working twice as hard as those students attending school for the sake of attending school.

“The ones that make it here tend to be the cream of the crop,” she said. “They were also lucky enough to escape the refugee camps.” Clark said they are lucky indeed, because the U.S. government might allow only 20 people from a camp entry into the U.S via a lottery.

A fine line runs between the margins of society and the fabric of society. They have climbed from the lowest of lows, from permanent exile, from the seemingly never ending persecution, Kuol said, across an ocean, to a life that they have improved. 

“You think these kids would have been discouraged long ago?” Clark asked. “They weren’t. They always smile, the happiest kids I know. They have stayed alive being optimistic.”

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