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%202005/051905.htm.
~North Dakota Human Rights Coalition~ PAUR Report
Programs ~ Announcements ~ Updates ~ Resources
Visit our Website at www.ndhrc.org
May 19, 2005
Hello members and friends of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition!
In this week’s PAUR Report:
Announcements 1) People Escaping Poverty Project (PEPP) Seek Individuals for Input on Community Based Web Site
Newspaper Articles 2) The Forum (Fargo) Duke Schempp letter: Coalition worked to pass legislation 3) The Forum (Fargo), Other views: Judgment of ELCA synod is primitive and idolatrous 4) Articles about UND’s NCAA Self-Evaluation Report 5) The Forum (Fargo), Elements of exotica: Local experts encourage homeowners to pair ethnic and urban 6) The Forum (Fargo), Cultural issues affecting nursing home decision 7) The Forum (Fargo), First North Dakota Islamic conference elicits dialogue 8) Associated Press, Reservation teen suicides discussed 9) Bismarck Tribune, ‘A very serious problem’ 10) Denver Post, (Denver, Colorado), Rights-office closings fought 11) Grand Forks Herald, Legislature dropped ball on home, community care 12) The Forum (Fargo), North Dakota legislature, A to Z 13) Tolerance.org, Civil Rights: Elsie Meeks Speaks Out
Events 14) Plains Art Museum Presents Native American Indian Portraits of the Fort Berthold Community, May 19 – June 12, Moorhead, MN 15) North Dakota Progressive Coalition Leadership Council Public Event, Friday, June 17, Fargo 16) 23rd International Peace Garden, “Our Natural and Political Work,” June 24 – 26, International Peace Garden, Canada-US Border (South of Brandon, Manitoba & North of Rugby, North Dakota) 17) May 2005 Native American Powwows in North Dakota
Reminders 18) Save the Date: 2005 North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, Thursday & Friday, October 27 – 28, 2005, Fargo 19) NDHRC Members Needed 20) Who Should be this Year’s Grand Marshal for the Pride Parade? 21) Nominations Invited for Reebok Human Rights Award 22) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Training, April – June 2005, North Dakota
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.) People Escaping Poverty Project (PEPP) Seek Individuals for Input on Community Based Web Site
WANTED:
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2.) The Forum (Fargo) Duke Schempp letter: Coalition worked to pass legislation
The North Dakota Progressive Coalition is an organization member of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition.
Duke
Schempp letter: Coalition worked to pass legislation
In response to Janell Cole's coverage (Forum, April 12) of the Senate passage of HB 1203, I have to say it is finally refreshing to hear something progressive come out of the North Dakota Legislature.
Perhaps this is the beginning of North Dakota's emergence from the 49th lowest wage paying state. Congratulations to the legislators who worked on supporting this effort.
Another group that should be thanked is the North Dakota Progressive Coalition. They were not mentioned in this week's coverage; however their persistence and grassroots support is what really kept this issue in the forefront of the Legislature.
<snip>
View full article here
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3.) The Forum (Fargo), Other views: Judgment of ELCA synod is primitive and idolatrous
Other
views: Judgment of ELCA synod is primitive and idolatrous
I can't take it any more. The latest decision by the Northwestern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America blocking noncensure of gay clergy by the church has raised my ire such that it must be vented.
Why must we persist in the primitive, tribal, idolatrous practice of judging people just because they are not like us in some trivial way? When will we as a body of supposedly idealistic Christian people approach the state of being truly enlightened when it comes to how we treat others?
Sexual orientation is simply part of each person's nature, like hair color, food preferences and gender. Scientists can debate to what extent it is a choice versus genetic. The point is that it's a part of a person, God-given.
<snip>
View full article here
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4.) Articles about UND’s NCAA Self-Evaluation Report
<snip>
National opinion sides with anti-logo activists
GRAND FORKS - Regarding the May 15 Viewpoint column, "Anti-Sioux opponents: Face reality" :
Anti-Fighting Sioux logo activists, instead of being marginalized and ostracized (as the column did), instead should be appreciated and honored for guarding the reputation of UND. This reputation certainly needs defending at the national level.
The logo itself is anachronistic, as a front-page story in the May 16 issue of USA Today indicates. USA Today lists "Fighting Sioux," along with the "Redmen" and "Savages," as one of 30 Indian logo holdouts.
With regard to the NCAA, the future isn't certain for UND and the other 29 schools listed. Just as we don't have much control over military base retention, our ability to justify the Sioux logo is diminishing.
<snip>
Pro-nickname activists resist inevitable change
BARTLESVILLE, Okla. - Indian mascots are not here to stay because they are quite simply wrong . There are those who hang on to or resist change, but it will happen.
Despite the reasoning of the Viewpoint columnist who says that not all Indians want change, I would suggest there were those who were for segregation among both black and white - and they even may have been the majority. Society and culture changes not because of the popular vote, but because brave and thoughtful leaders do what is right.
The Fighting Sioux nickname does not honor anyone, and God help us if our image is defined by a sports team.
<snip>
View full articles here
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The NCAA
Self-Evaluation Minority Report is available on the BRIDGES website at:
The report was prepared by American Indian Student Services and the Campus Committee for Human Rights.
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DORREEN
YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: A name's false lessons about culture
<snip>
View full article here
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VIEWPOINT: Anti-Sioux opponents: Face reality
GRAND FORKS - When is the fringe element of the Fighting Sioux logo debate going to get it? When are they going to understand that at some point, the majority in a debate has nothing left to compromise with?
Many within the anti-UND Fighting Sioux logo group come across as educated and intelligent people, but they seemingly never will be satisfied until their very narrow view is appeased. This is not what compromise is about.
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OUR
OPINION: Process hurt report's credibility Grand Forks Herald – 05/06/2005
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View full article here
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UND
NICKNAME: Groups prepare 'minority report'
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View full article here
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By Lucy Ganje: Report ignored anti-nickname viewsGrand Forks Herald – 05/06/2005
GRAND FORKS - Process can be a useful tool. It helps clarify a situation. Following a process can add validity and help ensure fairness. But it can also be used to block, obfuscate and prevent change. That's the direction "process" took when the National Collegiate Athletic Association, concerned that "When American Indians are used as a mascot, harmful stereotypes may result," asked UND to review the circumstances under which the university uses its athletic name and logo.
UND's president initiated the process, appointing the NCAA Self-Evaluation Committee. Although the NCAA had requested the committee chair not be associated with the department of athletics, the president selected UND's acting athletic director (his senior adviser) as committee chair.
<snip>
View full article here
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UND can use Sioux call sign By the Associated Press Bismarck Tribune - 04/23/2005
GRAND FORKS -- University of North Dakota pilots will be allowed to use their "Sioux" call sign when communicating with air traffic control towers nationwide, the Federal Aviation Administration says.
The FAA's decision is a reversal from last week, when the agency told the university it could no longer use the call sign outside of local air space, about a 40-mile radius around the university's flight school.
Elizabeth Isham Cory, a spokeswoman with the FAA's Great Lakes Region, said it was a safety issue and was not related UND's long debate over its Fighting Sioux nickname for athletic teams.
<snip>
View full article here
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UND can use Sioux call sign By the Associated Press Bismarck Tribune - 04/23/2005
GRAND FORKS -- University of North Dakota pilots will be allowed to use their "Sioux" call sign when communicating with air traffic control towers nationwide, the Federal Aviation Administration says.
The FAA's decision is a reversal from last week, when the agency told the university it could no longer use the call sign outside of local air space, about a 40-mile radius around the university's flight school.
Elizabeth Isham Cory, a spokeswoman with the FAA's Great Lakes Region, said it was a safety issue and was not related UND's long debate over its Fighting Sioux nickname for athletic teams.
<snip>
View full article here
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UND
finishes nickname report
The University of North Dakota has completed a required evaluation of its Fighting Sioux nickname for the NCAA, a 46-page document school officials describe as business as usual.
The NCAA may think otherwise.
The self-analysis is an update of a survey the NCAA asked UND and 30 other schools that use American Indian mascots, nicknames or logos to complete in 2002 to determine if the nicknames could be viewed as offensive. UND uses an American Indian nickname and logo.
The reports are due Sunday.
<snip>
View full article here
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5.) The Forum (Fargo), Elements of exotica: Local experts encourage homeowners to pair ethnic and urban
Elements of
exotica: Local experts encourage homeowners to pair ethnic and urban
Dorothy Hoffelt's south Fargo home whisks guests across continents - and eras.
Her living room is very much 21st century West: sleek leather couches in teal and beige, a chic glass-and-steel coffee table, a flat-screen TV set and plenty of clutter-free room for the two family dogs to scamper about.
But her recently redecorated master and guest bedrooms take visitors on a detour to more exotic lands. One of the home's guest bedrooms, for instance, is dominated by conversation pieces as old as 250 years that infuse it with flavors of the Orient.
<snip>
View full article here
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6.) The Forum (Fargo), Cultural issues affecting nursing home decision
Cultural
issues affect nursing home decision
Dear Carol: My family has lived in Moorhead for many years, but many of our extended family live in Mexico. My grandfather has Alzheimer's disease. He lives here in Moorhead. I am experiencing some clashes in my two cultures when it comes to taking care of him.
My family in Mexico thinks that we need to keep him home with us. Others, here in Moorhead, suggest we find a nursing home for him. It is getting very difficult to raise children, work and take care of my grandfather, but I feel guilty and I know I will be criticized if I put him in a home. Where do I turn? - Torn in Moorhead.
<snip>
View full article here
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7.) The Forum (Fargo), First North Dakota Islamic conference elicits dialogue
First North
Dakota Islamic conference elicits dialogue
Sister Yvonne Nelson kicked off the first North Dakota Islamic conference Saturday with a snapshot of her childhood in small-town Montana that captured the event's mission.
Her parents were a somewhat unlikely couple - her dad was a non-practicing Lutheran rancher, and her mom was a Catholic teacher - who were happily married for 50 years. At her dad's funeral, the presiding pastor addressed the mystery of their compatibility, "The key to their successful marriage was communication."
Nelson, a Catholic and the director of the Presentation Peace Studies Program in Fargo, was a part of an interfaith panel titled "Working Together for the Common Good," and her message about the importance of dialogue echoed throughout the panel discussion. The panelists stressed to an audience of about 100 at North Dakota State University's Memorial Union that people of different religious in this community need to talk - and find out they're not all that different.
<snip>
View full article here
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8.) Associated Press, Reservation teen suicides discussed
Reservation
teen suicides discussed
BISMARCK - American Indian reservations are seeing alarming teen suicide rates, said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who led a hearing Monday at the state Capitol with students, counselors and health experts.
"It is a difficult and sensitive issue and, frankly, not easy to talk about," Dorgan said. "There are those who say, 'Let's not talk about this because it will give others ideas.' That strategy simply has not worked."
Tribal statistics show that 10 teenagers have taken their own lives on the Standing Rock reservation since 2004, Dorgan said. The reservation straddles the border between North Dakota and South Dakota.
<snip>
View full article here
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9.) Bismarck Tribune, ‘A very serious problem’
'A very serious problem' By Tony Spilde Bismarck Tribune - 05/03/2005
Some things -- like heaven or a glimmer of hope -- have to be believed to be seen.
If you believe, for instance, there is a serious problem somewhere, then maybe you will see it clearly for the first time.
That is the hope of many on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation and other reservations across the country, where suicide continues to claim the lives of young people at alarming rates.
At a special Bismarck field hearing of the Senate's Indian Affairs c ommittee on Monday, many experts and others testified that too little attention has been paid to the problem of suicides among American Indian teens.
<snip>
View full article here
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10.) Denver Post, (Denver, Colorado), Rights-office closings fought
Rights-office closings fought
Community and political leaders scrambled Monday to fight the announced closure of the region's federal civil rights office.
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, which investigates and highlights abuses, announced last week that offices in Denver and Kansas City would close in October.
The move provoked immediate concern that the 16 states now served by those offices would get lost in a district that will be governed from Los Angeles and Chicago.
The effect of the closures would be particularly felt in minority and American Indian communities that are often cut off or do not have access to traditional or urban services, said Carole Barrett, chair of the North Dakota Advisory Committee and a professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Mary in Bismarck.
"It was devastating news because these states that comprise the Rocky Mountain Region are vulnerable states with vulnerable populations," she said.
In Colorado, the state's anti-discrimination agency is gearing up to fill in the holes that will be left when the federal office closes. Other states in the region are worse off, many without a state agency to step in and pick up the slack, said Wendell Pryor, director of the Colorado Civil Rights Division.
The federal commission is consolidating six regional offices into four. Offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Washington, D.C., will remain. The move and other staff reductions - including cutting civil rights analysts in Los Angeles and Chicago - are intended to help slash a projected deficit of $265,000. The commission's $9 million budget has not been increased in a decade.
The Denver office oversees civil rights issues in Montana, Colorado, the Dakotas, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico and the 60 reservations in the region. The Kansas City office oversees 9 central and Southern states.
The decision to close Denver's three-person office will make it more difficult for urban and rural Westerners to get the protections they deserve, said U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.
"The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights plays a critical role ensuring that discrimination and fraud against individuals cannot get swept under the rug," DeGette said.
"The Rocky Mountain West too often does not get its appropriate share of resources and services from the federal government."
Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., is drafting a letter to the commission in an effort to keep the office alive.
In 2001, the regional commission reviewed the learning gap between black and white students in Denver public schools. Last year, the commission was involved in a dispute involving American Indian students at Fort Lewis College in Durango who accused a professor of racism and unethical behavior.
Most recently, the commission began a study, which Barrett fears will be tossed by the wayside, on border towns with high populations of American Indians.
In an effort to keep their work going, the local staff submitted a cost-saving proposal to stay in operation.
The plan includes cutting expenses by more than $50,000 annually through salary reductions and moving to a less expensive office.
The proposal is under review, said commission staff director Kenneth Marcus.
Staff writer Elizabeth Aguilera can be reached at 303-820-1372 or eaguilera@denverpost.com.
Article no longer available online
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11.) Grand Forks Herald, Legislature dropped ball on home, community care
Legislature dropped ball on home, community care Grand Forks Herald – 05/03/2005
EAST GRAND FORKS - It's traditional after a legislative session to award grades for lawmakers' actions. In North Dakota, the common thread has been that the session was pretty much "status quo."
Unfortunately, that also was true on the issue of nursing-home versus home and community-based care.
The human services budget gave both programs the same ratio of increases. That may seem fair, but it's not. On April 25, President Bush's newly appointed director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Mark B. McClellan, testified before a federal House committee on the subject of "Long-Term Care and Medicaid."
<snip>
View full article here
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12.) The Forum (Fargo), North Dakota legislature, A to Z
North
dakota legislature, A to Z
How what the North Dakota Legislature did will affect your life, from A to Z:
ABORTION: The Legislature set aside $500,000 to aid private organizations that promote alternatives to abortion. Lawmakers also endorsed an appeal to Congress to approve an anti-abortion constitutional amendment. (SB2409, HCR3017)
ATVs: All-terrain vehicles, which are now banned on roads, will be able to use some county and township roads, and tow farm implements if the ATV doesn't exceed 25 mph. ATVs may use any dirt or gravel road, and any paved township or county road if the speed limit is no more than 45 mph. ATVs must have state registration to have road privileges. (HB1342)
<snip>
View full article here
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13.) Tolerance.org, Civil Rights: Elsie Meeks Speaks Out
CIVIL RIGHTS:
Elsie Meeks Speaks Out
By Camille Jackson | Staff Writer, Tolerance.org
Commissioner Elsie Meeks says she's "actually quite ready" to end her six-year term on the beleaguered U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The first Native American to serve on the commission, Meeks says the commission's troubles aren't nearly as grim as what's been reported in the press.
Still, she's ready to go, ending her term April 20 on the investigative civil rights arm of the federal government.
The commission received widespread attention with the forced resignation of commission chairperson Mary Frances Berry late last year.
<snip>
View full article here
********************************************* Events *********************************************
A calendar of events for May is available on the NDHRC web site at http://ndhrc.org/Events/Calendar/2005/May.htm.
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14.) Plains Art Museum Presents Native American Indian Portraits of the Fort Berthold Community, May 19 – June 12, Moorhead, MN
The Plains Arts Museum presents Native American Indian Portraits of the Fort Berthold Community by Murray Lemly, May 19 through June 12 in the William and Anna Jane Schlossman Gallery.
For more information, call the Plains Art Museum at 701-232-3821.
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15.) North Dakota Progressive Coalition Leadership Council Public Event, Friday, June 17, Fargo
The North Dakota Progressive Coalition will hold its Leadership Council meeting in Fargo on June 17 and 18, beginning with an open to the public event Friday night at the NDSU Alumni Center.
William McNary, President of U.S. Action, and Executive Director of the Illinois Citizen Action has accepted an invitation to present at the Friday night event. Plans are to have him joined by local activists in a discussion as to how to both celebrate the victory we experienced in the legislative session just complete (HB 1203, Economic Accountability) and use this victory for increased citizen participation in the future.
The Friday night is scheduled to begin at 6:30 with a reception. Please mark this date and time on your calendar and look for further details.
Any questions, please contact the North Dakota Progressive Coalition at nodakpc@btinet.net or 701-224-8090.
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16.) 23rd International Peace Garden, “Our Natural and Political Work,” June 24 – 26, International Peace Garden, Canada-US Border (South of Brandon, Manitoba & North of Rugby, North Dakota)
An open
invitation to... As western culture
becomes continuously more technologically focused, it is important for us to
step back and appreciate the abundance of natural beauty on our planet, to take
the time and learn what it has to teach us. The politics of today are often
controversial. Join us as we take a closer look at North American Peace Treaties
and global trade issues.
Workshops The Outdoor
Classroom – Dave Barnes and Students. Dave Barnes teaches an
Alternative Education course out of Brandon MB. Dave is a strong supporter of
youth Speakers this year
include: Dave Barnes- alternative education teacher; James Ritchie- researcher,
historian, archivist; Brad Bird- journalist, park interpreter; and the Fair
Trade Game- created by Marquis Project.
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17.) May 2005 Native American Powwows in North Dakota
May 13 - 14 Turtle Mountain Community College 2005 Honoring our Graduates Pow Wow Location: Belcourt, North Dakota Info: http://www.tm.edu/Powwow/PWindex.htm
May 28 - 29
Four Bears powwow
May 30
Memorial Day
traditional powwow
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18.) Save the Date: 2005 North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, Thursday & Friday, October 27 – 28, 2005, Fargo
Theme: “Tools for Building Inclusive Communities: The Role of Human Rights Education and Action in North Dakota”
When: Thursday, October 27 & Friday, October 28, 2005
Where: Ramada Plaza Suites & Conference Center, 1635 42nd Street, S.W., Fargo
What: The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition annual conference will bring together a diversity of people from around North Dakota to explore and discuss the “How To’s” of human rights work with regard to progress and challenges impacting individuals and communities.
Who Should Attend: We invite community and Tribal leaders, support and advocacy organizations, stakeholders and policy makers, state agency and reservation civil rights and human resource officers, union members and officers, law enforcement officers, human service employees, churches and faith-based organizations, and individuals with an interest in human rights to attend.
Highlights:
Networking and membership meeting will enable individuals to learn more about the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, and how to work together on common issues beyond the conference
Resource tables will provide an opportunity for people to learn more about local and statewide human rights related organizations and resources
Social event will provide a relaxed setting for establishing professional contacts, greeting friends, and making new ones
Additional information will be available on the NDHRC web site in the coming month at www.ndhrc.org.
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19.) 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 some of the 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 April 22, 2005, the NDHRC has received 99 memberships for 2005 for a total of $5,285!
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
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20.) Who Should be this Year’s Grand Marshal for the Pride Parade?
Message from Pride Collective and Community Center:
WHO SHOULD BE THIS
YEAR'S GRAND MARSHAL FOR THE PRIDE PARADE?
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21.) Nominations Invited for Reebok Human Rights Award
Nominations
Invited for Reebok Human Rights Award
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22.) 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.
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