North Dakota Human Rights Coalition
Working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights
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North Dakota Human Rights Coalition Working to effect change so that all people in North Dakota enjoy full human rights |
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The following PAUR report is also available on the NDHRC web site at http://ndhrc.org/Newsletters/PAUR%202005/032805.htm.
~North Dakota Human Rights Coalition~ PAUR Report
Programs ~ Announcements ~ Updates ~ Resources
Visit our Website at www.ndhrc.org
March 28, 2005
Hello members and friends of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition!
In this week’s PAUR Report:
Announcements 1) Human Rights Legislative Updates 2) Press Release: North Dakota Museum of Art Announces Important Human Rights Exhibition to Open March 29, Grand Forks 3) Hate Incident in Fargo 4) NDHRC Members Needed
Newspaper Articles 5) Associated Press, House OKs hunting changes on reservations 6) The Forum (Fargo), House passes faith-based programs bill 7) Bismarck Tribune, Senate OKs English fluency requirement 8) Bismarck Tribune, Bismarck schools won’t use music video 9) The Forum (Fargo), Columnist Dorreen Yellow Bird: Tribe copes with, combats suicide 10) The Forum (Fargo), English skills important for adjustment 11) The Forum (Fargo), People with disabilities fight for home care 12) Dakota Student, Nickname controversy reverses
Events 13) TOCAR Presentation at MSUM “Toward a Just, Inclusive Campus,” April 5, Moorhead, MN 14) Radio Free Fargo Public Event, April 1, Fargo 15) MSUM’s Tenth Annual Unity Conference, April 14 & 15, Moorhead, MN 16) Anti-Racism Speaker and Gathering at NDSU, April 13, Fargo 17) “Chishold ’72 Unbought and Unbossed” at MSUM, April 16, Moorhead, MN 18) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Training, April – June 2005, North Dakota 19) 2nd Annual Assistive Technology Expo, April 14, Fargo 20) ND Fair Housing Council, Fundamentals of Fair Housing Workshops, April 19 – 28, North Dakota 21) Cinco de Mayo Celebration, May 5, Fargo-Moorhead
Reminders 22) Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation Call for Nominations 23) Forum Series on GLBT Life in Fargo-Moorhead 24) Profiling Alive and Well in North Dakota 25) Black History Month, Don’t Stop at 28 Days 26) Disability Awareness Presentation by Kathy Martinez, April 6, 2005, Fargo 27) FM UU Church & ND Peace Coalition Sponsor 8-week Course in Resolution Resistance, Redemption, March 2 – April 20, Fargo 28) 2005 North Dakota Community Leadership Awards 29) Sisters of the Presentation at Sacred Heart Convent, “2004 – 2005 Presentation Peace Studies Forum,” Fargo, ND
Please Note: The NDHRC distributes a weekly PAUR report to inform our members and friends about news, events, and other human rights related information around the state. The opinions expressed within the articles are those of the authors and are not endorsed by the NDHRC.
New NDHRC members: as a membership benefit you have received an e-mail subscription of our weekly e-mail newsletter, the NDHRC PAUR Report. If you would like to be removed from the PAUR Report mailing list, please send an email to humanrights@ndhrc.org.
********************************************* Announcements *********************************************
1.) Human Rights Legislative Updates
During the 2005 legislative session, the NDHRC is following bills that affect human rights. We are also distributing a weekly legislative update to our PAUR recipients. Past legislative updates are available on our web site at: http://ndhrc.org/Goals/2005LegActivities/2005LegislativeActivities.htm.
View legislative activities for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition member organizations' at: http://ndhrc.org/Goals/2005LegActivities/2005NDHRCMemberOrgLegislativeActivities.htm.
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2.) Press Release: North Dakota Museum of Art Announces Important Human Rights Exhibition to Open March 29, Grand Forks
For
Immediate Release
<snip>
View full press release here
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3.) Hate Incident in Fargo
Message from Andrea Warren-Deegan, Assistant Director for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition:
My name is Andrea Warren-Deegan. I moved to Fargo with my husband in 2002. I am a tribal member of the Shinnecock Nation in Southampton, NY. I am also biracial, my mother is native and my father was black. I have come to think of Fargo as my home away from home, and until recently, I had considered it to be a safe community. Today, I no longer feel safe.
On Thursday, March 24th around 3pm, several white males repeatedly harassed me. I wasn’t hurt; however it scared me. I am training for the Fargo marathon and run daily. This particular day I was running on Prairiewood Drive around the golf course. A red 4-door SUV with several white males inside passed me, and one of the males screamed out the window, “go back to your country.” I immediately began looking for something to defend myself with, should they return. All I could find was a golf ball. I continued to run holding the golf ball, uncertain of what might happen next. A few minutes later, the same SUV drove passed me again, yelling some more. I couldn’t tell what they were saying, but I’m sure it was similar to the tone of their first statement. This time they slowed down after they passed me, and so threw my golf ball at them, out of fear and anger. The ball made no contact with the truck, and they drove away. Even more upset, I began thinking what are these fools going to do the next time around. I started looking for something more threatening. I found a glass bottle and continued running, looking back and forward. Not long after I found the bottle, the same SUV approached me again, this time from behind. I saw them coming and waved the bottle in the air. They continued to approach, so I broke the bottle on the ground and waved the broken bottle in the air. They stopped and someone opened a door and yelled out of it. The driver pulled into an empty drive and turned the vehicle around the other direction. One or two white males stood up through the sunroof and continued yelling at me. I continue to wave the broken bottle in the air and the truck slowly drove away. I continued my run, shaken up and holding onto the broken bottle. I found another bottle along the way and picked it up as well. I ran uncomfortably looking around the remainder of the way.
As I was running with my broken bottle in hand, I felt as if I was the one at fault. I could see people looking at me suspiciously, just as I may have if I saw someone running down the street with a potential weapon. I began thinking, what if someone calls the police on me, thinking I’m some type of threat. I thought about how unfair the situation was and I wanted to do something about it.
Fortunately, I had an idea of where to go for help. I knew I wanted to file a formal police report, and bring public awareness to the incident. After speaking with my supervisor at the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, I decided to share my experience with the Fargo Human Relations Commission, in addition to filing a formal police report. I hope to present this information to the FHRC at their next meeting on April 6th.
I was the target of a hate incident. I’m sure other people in this community have endured similar and worse situations. I hope those individuals will also come forward, because we do not have to just accept this indifference. I am a proud native woman, and as far as I’m concerned this country belongs to all people, particularly it’s original inhabitants – the First Nations of this country. I hope this message travels to our lawmakers, so that they might see and support legislation to ensure these crimes against innocent people do not continue. My trust in this community is not the same as it once was; I hope it can be restored.
Thank you, Andrea Warren-Deegan
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4.) NDHRC Members Needed
We need your help and support to make a difference.
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition depends on your membership dollars to fund our work. Here are several education and advocacy related activities that are made possible by your donations:
· Staff lobbying in the 2005 state legislature on behalf of human rights related bills · Copying educational information for community groups, legislators, and allies · Hosting and upkeep of the NDHRC web site · Meals, materials, and other expenses at the NDHRC annual conference
The Coalition’s membership goal for 2005 is to reach 200 members and membership proceeds of $10,500.
As of March 11, 2005, the NDHRC has received 96 memberships for 2005 for a total of $5,055!
Your membership is very important to us and your individual advocacy is invaluable. Please become a member at: http://ndhrc.org/membership_form_revised.htm, or make a monetary donation to the NDHRC. Send your donations to NDHRC, P.O. Box 1961, Fargo, ND 58107-1961.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has” - American anthropologist Margaret Meade
********************************************* Newspaper Articles *********************************************
5.) Associated Press, House OKs hunting changes on reservations
House OKs
hunting changes on reservations The Forum - 03/23/2005
BISMARCK - A new state law will end some hunters' obligation to buy a state hunting license to hunt on tribal land on North Dakota's American Indian reservations. Supporters say the change will help foster better tribal-state relationships.
"All we're asking is to respect somebody else's license," said Rep. Rod Froelich, D-Selfridge, whose district includes the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. "We do it for Montana, we do it for South Dakota, we do it for Minnesota, we do it for Colorado."
The state House voted 58-33 on Tuesday to approve the change. It has already been endorsed by the Senate, and the bill now heads to Gov. John Hoeven's desk for his review.
It affects nonIndian hunters who are hunting on tribal land, within the boundaries of one of North Dakota's five reservations. Some land within reservation boundaries is not Indian-owned, and state hunting rules would still prevail on that property.
<snip>
View full article here
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6.) The Forum (Fargo), House passes faith-based programs bill
House
passes faith-based programs bill
BISMARCK - The House passed a bill Tuesday creating a "faith-based and community initiatives" program in the governor's office.
The vote was 88-2. The Senate passed the bill earlier and it will now go to the governor for his signature.
The new office s job is to find ways for the state to "enlist, equip, enable, empower, and expand" the work of faith-based and community organizations, "to the extent permitted by law.
Under the bill, the governor will appoint a member of his staff to be the faith-based and community initiatives director.
<snip>
View full article here
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7.) Bismarck Tribune, Senate OKs English fluency requirement
Senate OKs
English fluency requirement Bismarck Tribune – 03/15/2005
A proposal
to require North Dakota's Board of Higher Education to develop an English
fluency policy for instructors was approved in the state Senate, despite
arguments that it could apply to some regions of the state itself.
<snip>
View full article here
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8.) Bismarck Tribune, Bismarck schools won’t use music video
Bismarck
schools won't use music video Bismarck Tribune – 03/19/2005
Local
elementary schools will not show a music video featuring more than 100 popular
children's characters promoting diversity and tolerance.
<snip>
View full article here
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9.) The Forum (Fargo), Columnist Dorreen Yellow Bird: Tribe copes with, combats suicide
Tribe copes with, combats suicide Grand Forks Herald – 03/16/2005
This is second in a series of three columns about a recent series of suicides and suicide attempts among young people on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. Five of the reservation's young people took their own lives from December through January.
Any publicity about suicide can be risky because copycat incidents could result. Yet, as a mother of one victim says, it also is important to understand suicide so that other people can be helped. The Standing Rock community is working hard at finding solutions.
Today's column focuses how the Lakota people, including tribal and health-care leaders and suicide-prevention officials, have rallied to address the problem.
<snip>
View full article here
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10.) The Forum (Fargo), English skills important for adjustment
English
skills important for adjustment
When Irma Ciber came to Fargo from war-ravaged Bosnia in the mid-1990s, "hello" was the only English she understood.
Now 21 and a student at North Dakota State University, Ciber speaks English fluently and works part time as an interpreter for the Family HealthCare Center in Fargo.
Schools and agencies "did an excellent job" in making her transition to a new life easier, with learning English the most critical factor, Ciber said.
Her view on the importance of language is shared by the U.S. English Foundation, which issued a report this week detailing the diversity of the nation's ethnic landscape, including the Fargo-Moorhead area.
<snip>
View full article here
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11.) The Forum (Fargo), People with disabilities fight for home care
People with disabilities fight for home careBy Andrea DomaskinThe Forum – 03/09/2005
Jack Fiddler wants lawmakers to know that until three years ago, he was employed and owned property in the Turtle Mountains of North Dakota.
A slip on an icy deck changed that. Fiddler fell 5 feet from his deck onto a concrete driveway one December morning, breaking his hip, leg and ankle and suffering internal injuries.
Now, the 85-year-old lives at New Horizons Manor, a low-income public housing project in Fargo that offers assisted living services to residents. He uses a wheelchair and receives help with everyday tasks from an agency called Tami's Angels.
<snip>
View full article here
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12.) Dakota Student, Nickname controversy reverses
Nickname controversy resurfacesThe NCAA Division II Elite Eight will serve as a national stage for protesters.By Danny Becchetti Dakota Student – 03/07/2005
When the 2005 NCAA Division II Men's Elite Eight Basketball Tournament comes to Grand Forks later this month, the issue of UND's use of the Fighting Sioux nickname will be brought to forefront.
The Campus Committee for Human Rights (CCHR) and BRIDGES are planning several events to protest UND's use of the Fighting Sioux nickname as well as to rally community support for their cause. The two organizations are taking action in order to convince UND to honor the requests of certain tribal organizations and change the Fighting Sioux nickname.
A march and rally for social justice is scheduled for Saturday, March 26 outside of Ralph Engelstad Arena (REA) to coincide with the NCAA Division II basketball championship.
View full article here
********************************************* Events *********************************************
A calendar of events for March is available on the NDHRC web site at http://ndhrc.org/Events/Calendar/2005/March.htm.
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13.) TOCAR Presentation at MSUM “Toward a Just, Inclusive Campus,” April 5, Moorhead, MN
ANNOUNCEMENT
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14.) Radio Free Fargo Public Event, April 1, Fargo
Message from Radio Free Fargo:
It’s about
time! Radio Free Fargo is hosting their first public event.
Entertainment includes an ensemble of Radio Free Fargo talent. All our djs will be on hand for a meet and greet.
KNDS LP FM 105.9 License is split equally between Radio Free Fargo and NDSU Thunder Radio.
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15.) MSUM’s Tenth Annual Unity Conference, April 14 & 15, Moorhead, MN
Message from
MSUM's Unity Conference:
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16.) Anti-Racism Speaker and Gathering at NDSU, April 13, Fargo
Message from NDSU TOCAR Team:
The Anti-Racism
team would like to invite you to mark Wednesday, April 13th on your
calendars for an NDSU TOCAR Gathering! *********************************************
17.) “Chishold ’72 Unbought and Unbossed” at MSUM, April 16, Moorhead, MN
Message from Tri-College NEW Leadership Development Institute:
You are invited to
attend a screening of the documentary film "Chisholm '72 Unbought and Unbossed,"
followed by a discussion of women's access to leadership positions in the
Fargo-Moorhead community. This event will be held on April 16th at 6:00pm in
MSUM's Comstock Memorial Union Ballroom.
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18.) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Training, April – June 2005, North Dakota
Vocational Rehabilitation of North Dakota and North Dakota Medicaid Infrastructure Project will be sponsoring ADA training for small businesses.
Session I - Reasonable Accommodation Reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that allows an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job functions, or enjoy equal access to benefits available to other individuals in the workplace.
Session II - E & IT (electronic and information technology) Websites are often inaccessible to people with disabilities. This two-hour session discusses legal implications for E&IT, disability awareness, E&IT barriers and universal and accessible web design practices. Session will demonstrate some of the barriers to Information Technology for people with disabilities. Also, strategies for identifying and removing these barriers will be addressed.
Session III - ADA and Small Business/Title III A practical explanation of the ADA and what every small business, Chamber of Commerce, and small business counselor should know. Key resources will be highlighted and tips are offered for cost-effective implementation. Learn 10+ ideas on how businesses can benefit from the ADA.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Laurie Davis or Shirley Brennan Minot State University Phone: (701) 858-3494 or toll free 1-800-233-1737 Email: laurie.davis@minotstateu.edu Shirley.brennan@minotstateu.edu
Who should attend? Business owners and individuals interested in the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Dates: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 Session I Tuesday, May 10, 2005 Session II Tuesday June 14, 2005 Session III
Time: 10 AM -12 PM CDT
Locations: Sites are at all eight ND Human Service Center Video conferencing rooms.
Cost: There is no cost to attend.
Training sessions will be conducted by:
Rocky Mountain Disability & Business
Technical Assistance Center (719) 444-0268 (Voice/TTY)
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19.) 2nd Annual Assistive Technology Expo, April 14, Fargo
WHAT: Come join us! Learn more about Assistive Technology and how it can help you or someone you know! Visit various booths and view concurrent sessions, which cover AT devices and services in the following areas: vision, hearing, communication, learning disabilities, computer access, aids for daily living, medication and safety, home and work modifications, mobility, environmental controls and AT funding.
See AT equipment vendors representing such companies as: Prentke Romich, Freedom of Speech, Freedom Scientific, MeritCare Healthcare Accessories, Mayer-Johnson, Saltillo, Cyberlink, Assistive Technology, Inc., Tash, Dynavox, Enkidu, Words+, Harris Communications, Daessy, Madentec, Independence, Inc.-makers of the IBOT, and More!
Listen to Concurrent Sessions covering topics such as: Assistive Technology (AT) for Taking Medications and Safety Issues; AT for Computer Access; Augmentative Communication Devices for Persons who Cannot Speak; Universal Design; AT and Attention Problems for Adults in the Work Setting; Funding for AT; AT for Early Childhood; The Benefits of AT in High School, College and at Work. And more! CEUs for Teachers and Social Workers will be available for the various sessions throughout the expo.
WHO: People of all ages who are interested in AT for themselves, a friend, family member, student, or client should come. Whether you have a child with a learning disability, a parent with memory loss, or you need help staying in your own home and getting back to work, this Expo is for you! CEUs for teachers and social workers will be available for the various sessions throughout the Expo.
WHEN: The AT Expo 2005 will take place on April 14, 2005 from 1:00pm-7:00pm. REGISTRATION starts at 12:30pm; sessions begin at 1:00pm. The event is open to the public and is free of charge.
WHERE: The AT Expo 2005 will take at the Fargo Civic Auditorium, 207 North 4th Street, Fargo, ND. Parking will available on the East side of the Civic for $2.00. The Civic Concessions will be open and available for purchase.
HOW: This Expo is a collaborative effort of many agencies including: Job Service North Dakota, Protection & Advocacy, Interagency Program for Assistive Technology (IPAT), Freedom Resource Center for Independent Living, Inc., Fraser, Ltd., Connections of Moorhead, MSUM Regional Assistive Technology Department, West Fargo Public Schools FEET, Fargo Public Schools FEET, Rural Cass Public Schools FEET, and Moorhead Public Schools.
CONTACT: For more information contact Ronda J Wilson at 701-239-7332 or by email at rjwilson@state.nd.us Please contact Ronda by March 31, 2005 if you need accommodations or information in alternative format.
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20.) ND Fair Housing Council, Fundamentals of Fair Housing Workshops, April 19 – 28, North Dakota
FUNDAMENTALS OF FAIR HOUSING WORKSHOPS SPONSORED BY THE NORTH DAKOTA FAIR HOUSING COUNCIL
AGENDA What is Housing Discrimination? The Federal Fair Housing Act State Human Rights/Fair Housing Laws Complaint Filing & Investigative Process Landlord/Tenant Issues Advertising Reasonable Accommodations and Modifications New Design and Construction Occupancy Standards Applications Case Law
Workshops have been scheduled for the following dates and communities in North Dakota: • April 19: 1:00-4:30 PM, Ramada Inn, 1205 N. 43rd Street, Grand Forks, ND • April 20: 1:00-4:30 PM, Ramada Inn Plaza Suites, 1635 42nd Street, SW, Fargo, ND • April 26: 1:00-4:30 PM, Great American Inn, 1116 Highway 2 East, Devils Lake, ND • April 27: 1:00-4:30 PM, Holiday Inn, 2200 Burdick Expressway East, Minot, ND • April 28: 1:00-4:30 PM, Radisson Hotel, 605 E. Broadway Avenue, Bismarck, ND
It is illegal in North Dakota to discriminate in the rental, sale or financing of housing because of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, familial status (presence of children), disability, age (40 and over), and status with respect to marriage and public assistance. Learn what Federal and State Laws say about Fair Housing, learn about the complaint filing process, what’s illegal and what’s not, and more...
Workshops will be informative for tenants, users of housing services, non-profit organizations and housing providers to learn how to end housing discrimination and what happens when discrimination occurs. Take home materials will be provided. Free to the public but registration is required. OPEN TO ALL.
The workshops are sponsored by the North Dakota Fair Housing Council which has received grants from the Otto Bremer Foundation and the Cities of Bismarck and Fargo to educate North Dakotans on fair housing laws. 3.0 Continuing Education Credits have been approved with the North Dakota Real Estate Commission (Course RO4-33). (Please note that those who took this course in 2004 are not eligible for CE credits.)
For additional information or if you have any questions, please contact the North Dakota Fair Housing Council: 1-888-265-0907 (toll-free)
Attendance is free but advance registration is required to ensure adequate seating and materials.
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21.) Cinco de Mayo Celebration, May 5, Fargo-Moorhead
Cinco de Mayo Celebration May 5th 5-8:00pm At Centro Cultural de Fargo/Moorhead 1014 19th Street South Moorhead
Fajita Cook-off 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes awarded
Call 236-7318 for cook-off registration and information
Jalapeño Eating Contest
Piñatas for the kids
Lotería (bingo)
Dance to follow at Avalon Center 9-1am Starlight Room 613 1st Avenue N Fargo 21 and over
Everyone is Welcome…please join us in the celebration
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22.) Disability Awareness Presentation by Kathy Martinez, April 6, 2005, Fargo
Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers Who: Kathy Martinez - Disability Rights LeaderWhat: Disability Awareness Presentation
When: Wednesday, April 6th @ 7:30 pm Where: NDSU Memorial Union – Ballroom
Please contact NDSU Disability Services at (701) 231-7671 to request reasonable accommodations by March 21st.
Kathy Martinez, internationally renowned speaker, will share observations relating to misconceptions and stereotypes often associated with persons with disabilities. Kathy is unpredictably humorous while addressing serious issues that permeate our lives.
Blind since birth, Kathy will offer her unique perspective as a woman of Hispanic and American Indian heritage in order to demystify various perceptions of minority cultures.
In July 2002, Kathy was appointed by President George W. Bush to the National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency responsible for advising the President and Congress on disability policy.
Kathy will share insights based on her personal and professional experiences as she is also the Deputy Director of the World Institute on Disability. This presentation is geared toward all persons interested in increasing their knowledge about disability issues.
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23.) Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation Call for Nominations
Message from Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation:
Greetings,
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24.) Forum Series on GLBT Life in Fargo-Moorhead
Message Pride Collective Community Center:
I was
recently contacted by Mila Koumpilova, a features reporter at The Forum. She is
interested in doing a series of articles on the local GLBT community (see her
description below). I think she is someone we can trust to do a good job. Work number:
(701) 241-5529
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25.) Profiling Alive and Well in North Dakota
While shopping, have you ever been mistaken as a store employee by another shopper? Maybe it was a harmless mistake, or maybe the other shopper based his or her assumptions on your perceived gender or racial identity. While this isn’t "discrimination" - prohibited by state law, it is an example of how assumptions affect all of us, and provides reason for continuing to educate on discrimination in North Dakota and establish a North Dakota Commission on Human Rights.
Cheryl Bergian, Director for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition shares a personal experience of gender profiling below:
I was at a hotel in Bismarck a few weeks ago and went downstairs for breakfast, in the general breakfast area. As I was preparing my breakfast, another hotel guest, a man, started asking me questions about the local weather in the past week, and asked if I was there to help in the breakfast area. After several questions, it dawned on me that he assumed that I was an employee of the hotel assigned to that room for clean-up and preparation, rather than a guest in the hotel, even though I was dressed professionally. It could only have been because I was female and in the room getting my own breakfast. So, gender profiling is alive and well in North Dakota. It reminded me that we make assumptions all of the time based on outward characteristics, gender, race, ethnic origin, ability/disability, even religion, and its those assumptions that so often are the basis of discriminatory acts.
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26.) Black History Month, Don’t Stop at 28 Days
Black
History Month is over, but lessons in the history of African Americans and other
marginalized communities should be part of our learning every month of the year.
Revisit Tolerance.org's coverage of Black History Month exploring African
American history we all should know.
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27.) FM UU Church & ND Peace Coalition Sponsor 8-week Course in Resolution Resistance, Redemption, March 2 – April 20, Fargo
Practicing the 3 R’s… Resolution, Resistance, Redemption |
