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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~North Dakota Human Rights Coalition~ PAUR Report
Programs ~ Announcements ~ Updates ~ Resources
Visit our Website at www.ndhrc.org
September 1, 2005
Hello members and friends of the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition!
In this week’s PAUR Report:
Announcements 1) American Indians Launch Suicide Hot Line 2) Local Diverse Community Partnerships Support Native American Leadership
Newspaper Articles 4) Native-American Nicknames/Mascots 5) The Washington Post, Race Gap Still Persists in Healthcare, Three Studies Say 6) The Bismarck Tribune, Department Asks for a New Judge 7) San Fransico Chronicle, Calif. Court Grants Equal Rights to Same-Sex Parents 8) Bismarck Tribune, Disappointed in the City of Bismarck 9) Rapid City Journal, Vote on Deaf Town Delayed 10) The Forum, American Indian Artist Examines a Group Show by American Indian Artists 11) Bismarck Tribune, Tribal Leaders, Officials to Meet, 12) The Bismarck Tribune, Drawing International Students to N.D. Schools 13) The Forum, Man Fears Racial Tensions are Rising in Fargo 14) The Forum, Civil Trial Wraps Up Against Fargo Police 15) The Bismarck Tribune, Dedication Set Oct. 3 for Four Bears Bridge 16) The Forum, Celebrating 85 Years of Rocking theVote
17) The
Forum, Breaking Barriers Events 18) Indian Civil Rights Workshop, September 8, Grand Forks 19) Universal Living Wage Bridge the Gap Day, September 6, Fargo-Moorhead
Reminders 20) NDHRC 2005 Annual Giving Program 22) Between Two Cultures: The Art of Star Wallowing Bull & FM Symphony, September 24, Fargo 24) Recruiting Announcement: Youth Advisory Committed for the National Council on Disability 25) Job Opportunity with Nativity Catholic Church
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.
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1.) American Indians Launch Suicide Hot Line
By EMILY JOHNS, Associated Press Writer Fri Aug 19, 8:27 AM ET
Monica Yellow Bird was 17 when her cousin hanged himself. The boy, also 17, was ambitious and had plans for the future but drank alcohol, Yellow Bird said. One day, her family returned to her grandmother's home where they found him hanging by a sheet.
"As Native people, we keep everything inside," said Yellow Bird, now 23. "We think it makes us stronger. But people need to talk about youth suicide in our community."
<snip>
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2.) Local Diverse Community Partnerships Support Native American Leadership
Thanks to Experience Works - Senior workforce solutions and Sweet Medicine, the Wesley Center is pleased to introduce an Ojibway Elder, Raymond (Ray) Lewis to this community! Ray is assisting in program development by and for Native American Elders in our community.
Ahneen,
First off, I would like to express my happiness at being in the area, with a large diversity of peoples, such as - Our Peoples of different Nations. Megwetch!
My name is Raymond Lewis, and I’m from Michigan. The tribe I am from is called, The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The real name of our Rez, is known as Baawating, meaning “The Place of the Rapids” We have approximately 28,000 members, which I’m considered a Elder.
Being an Elder and Ojibway, I was a part of the Elderly Advisory Committee for language, Spiritual Guide, and storytelling. Most of all, we tried to get youth involved in culture, in all areas.
My position here, is working with Elders and culture and in all areas that concern the “Sweet Medicine” program.
I believe all of Our People, most especially the Elders, are very important to our growth, as a Native Community.
You are all welcome to come to the Wesley Center 109 9th St. S. Fargo, at anytime, for we would appreciate your input and just your presence, is very much welcome.
Ray Lewis
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3.) ND Medicaid Director Named
Maggie
Anderson has been named Director of the Medical Services Division of the North
Dakota Department of Human Services. Maggie has served as the division's deputy
director since February 2003, and was selected after a national search.
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Newspaper Articles
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4.) Native-American Nicknames/Mascots
Ignorance fuels support for Sioux logo By Jerry Izenberg The Star Ledger
Listen to Dr. Roy
H. Saigo, who is not Native American and who is the president of St. Cloud
(Minn.) State University. See it through his
eyes.
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NCAA: FSU OK to Use Seminoles Name
The NCAA’s decision Tuesday to allow Florida State to use its Seminoles nickname in postseason play likely will speed up the University of North Dakota’s appeal to use its Fighting Sioux nickname, a UND spokesman said.
“It appears they’ve set a precedent that we feel pretty good about,” said Phil Harmeson, senior associate to the president at UND.
The NCAA removed Florida State from a list of 18 colleges with American Indian nicknames that were restricted by an NCAA decision earlier this month.
The association said it was recognizing the relationship Florida State has long enjoyed with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which assists the university with its pageantry and celebration of its culture and supports the school’s use of its name.
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Grand Forks Herald Posted on
Aug 18, 2005 IN THE MAIL: Letter writers weigh in on
NCAA's logo/nickname ruling GRAND FORKS - The expressions of anger, disturbance, insult and confusion at the NCAA's recent decision regarding Native American nicknames are perhaps understandable. "Fighting Sioux" nickname supporters and UND officials claim to use the name with honor, respect and sensitivity, yet their efforts are labeled "hostile" and "abusive" by the NCAA.
<snip>
Clearly, it is hard to state with certainty that any particular event can be attributed to nickname use. But there are many specific claims of harassment of Native American students on campus (see the Web site of UND's Bridges group, www.und.edu/org/bridges/main.html). In investigating these claims, the U.S. Office for Civil Rights required the university, through a negotiated agreement, to provide harassment training for all its employees (hardly a finding of no fault, as implied by UND President Charles Kupchella's open letter).
<snip>
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Old Mascots Die
Hard By Dana Williams | Writer/Editor, Tolerance.org
University of Illinois fans will gather for "Honor the Chief Day" this Saturday, wearing blue and gold to show support for the school's controversial mascot, Chief Illiniwek.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University, home of the "Savages," has retained a longtime debate coach to help lead a discussion about whether or not the school should drop its 80-year mascot "tradition."
And Florida State University is mulling possible legal avenues that might help it maintain its "Seminoles" mascot without being penalized.
These schools, along with 15 others, are responding to a recent NCAA ruling that bans "hostile and offensive" mascots during post-season play. The ruling, announced earlier this month, bars any college or university with offensive Native American nicknames, mascots or symbols from hosting or participating in post-season tournaments and events beginning Feb. 1, 2006.
While the decision has some activists cheering, it also has many schools vowing not to go down without a fight.
That doesn't surprise Peter Roby, director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University. Roby said there is a great deal at stake for many of the schools in question, particularly lost money from memorabilia sales and the hosting of post-season tournaments.
"These schools don't want to lose what they have built their programs around," Roby said. "Most of it has to do with money — they don't want to lose money."
<snip>
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Grand Forks Herald
FIGHTING SIOUX NICKNAME: Tribal councils to oppose
UND in NCAA appeal
Four North Dakota tribal councils will pass fresh resolutions against the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo, according to a Standing Rock council member.
UND is on a list of 17 schools deemed to have "hostile or abusive" American Indian nicknames or mascots, and are barred from hosting National Collegiate Athletic Association tournaments and from using the names or imagery in the postseason after Feb. 1. UND says it will appeal the NCAA restrictions.
Jay Taken Alive, a tribal council member from the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, said the four chairmen Thursday gave their "verbal commitment" to him to oppose UND's appeal. The tribal leaders had gathered in Bismarck to attend a meeting on education organized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
<snip>
########################### NCAA: Tribe's OK good, but not a trump
UND President Charles Kupchella said the NCAA will not rely solely on American Indian tribes' support of the Fighting Sioux nickname in an impending appeal of restrictions against the school.
UND is on a list of 17 schools deemed to have "hostile or abusive" American Indian nicknames or mascots, and that are barred from hosting NCAA tournaments and from using the American Indian names or imagery in the postseason after Feb. 1
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Spirit Lake
Withdraws Support for Nickname Posted August 31, 2005
FORT TOTTEN, N.D. - The closest Sioux Indian tribe to the UND campus will withdraw its already tepid support for that school's Fighting Sioux nickname and logo after a vote of tribal members Tuesday night.
More than 70 people packed the so-called "Blue Building," the main tribal administrative facility for the reservation, about 90 miles west of Grand Forks, as part of a general assembly of members.
They listened to opponents of UND's nickname and Indian-head logo state their case and were presented with a draft resolution calling on the school to drop the controversial monikers.
"(The tribe) finds that the use of the "Fighting Sioux" and "Sioux" names by the University of North Dakota is both dishonorable and an affront to the dignity and well being of the members of Spirit Lake," the resolution reads.
Following about an hour of discussion, Spirit Lake tribal chairwoman Myra Pearson put the issue to a vote of the general assembly - all of the tribal members present Tuesday. The vote, among the standing-room-only crowd, was thought to be unanimous.
<snip>
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COLLEGE NICKNAMES:
UND appeals NCAA logo ban Posted August 31, 2005
UND President Charles Kupchella on Tuesday released a strongly worded letter to the head of college sports, seeking an exemption from the looming postseason ban on team names and logos with Indian themes.
Kupchella wrote that the recently announced sanctions were unwarranted and "based on inconsistent, ague and unclear standards."
In his appeal, Kupchella added that whether or not it wins an exemption, UND has no intention of covering up the "Fighting Sioux" name and logo in the Ralph Engelstad Arena.
"We certainly have no intention, in any case, of covering images at the site of the regional ice hockey tournament," Kupchella wrote. "To do so would imply that we are somehow ashamed of an 80-year-old history of one of the nation's most successful athletic programs and of our link to the proud heritage of this region."
<snip>
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UND’s Letter Appealing the Decision of the NCAA
Dear President Brand and Vice President Franklin:
The University of North Dakota is appealing the decision made recently by the Executive Committee of the NCAA. This decision placed the University of North Dakota in a small group of institutions whose use of American Indian names and imagery was deemed “hostile” and/or “abusive” and, thereby, subjected the University to a new policy. We believe this action by the NCAA was unwarranted. Furthermore, it was based on inconsistent, vague, and unclear standards and inappropriately lumped the University of North Dakota in with schools that actually do have mascots. We do not.
We hereby ask that we be exempted from this new policy if, in fact, after more careful consideration, the policy is retained at all. Our basic argument is as follows: (1) Our nickname and logo are used with the utmost respect and class and are in no way inherently hostile or abusive. (2) We have many substantive positive relationships with American Indians and we have had and continue to have the support – even formal support (see resolution attached) – of many Indian people. (3) Furthermore, we believe that it is totally unreasonable for the NCAA to ask us to change the terms of a contract whereby we would host the regional Division I men’s hockey tournament in the spring.
<snip>
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WHAT WE THINK-- New
NCAA Name Policy Unrealistic
(Editorials are the opinion of Jamestown Sun management and the newspaper’s editorial board) “Colleges and universities may adopt any mascot that they wish, as that is an institutional matter.”
Walter Harrison, the president of the University of Hartford and chair of the NCAA Executive Committee, should have stopped right there. But he continued ...
“But as a national association, we believe that mascots, nicknames or images deemed hostile or abusive in terms of race, ethnicity or national origin should not be visible at the national championship events that we control.”
<snip>
What, exactly, is “hostile” or “abusive”? Who makes that determination?
The NCAA now says that support from “namesake” tribes will help in the appeal process. Was this taken into consideration at all before the edict was issued? Or is this simply a way to appease Florida State, which has been one of the most outspoken of the universities on the NCAA’s hit list?
The issue of whether or not Native American nicknames are offensive has been around for years. A 2002 Sports Illustrated survey conducted by the Peter Harris group found that a majority of Native Americans did not find such nicknames to be discriminatory.
<snip>
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Grand Forks Herald Posted on Tue, Aug. 23, 2005 IN THE MAIL: Logo Puts Indians on 'Back of Bus'
FARGO - I want to applaud the NCAA for its sensitivity and humanity in its dealings with Native American mascots. The NCAA has been reviewing the issue since the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights issued its 2001 Statement on the Use of Native American Images and Nicknames as Sports Symbols (www.usccr.gov/press/archives/2001/041601st.htm). The commission stated that such nicknames and mascots are "disrespectful and offensive to American Indians and others who are offended by such stereotyping. They are particularly inappropriate and insensitive in light of the long history of forced assimilation that American Indian people have endured in this country."
<snip>
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Link to listen to
SD Public Radio program "SD Forum". This show aired live and it is was about
the NCAA decision. Featured guests were: Lucy Ganje, Jesse Taken Alive, Peter
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UND VS. NCAA: Ralph
Officials Plan No Logo Coverups Grand Forks Herald
Embedded in the granite floor of Ralph Engelstad Arena is a 10-foot sketch of an Indian head. It's an image the NCAA wants to change.
Building officials estimate there are at least 3,000 UND Fighting Sioux logos in the $104 million hockey palace.
Jody Hodgson, who became the arena manager in May, is just beginning to discover some of them.
"Many of those are very subtle," he said.
<snip>
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VIEWPOINT : UND, like South Africa, should pursue
racial healing
GRAND FORKS - I wasn't on campus when the firestorm over the UND logo hit two weeks ago. I was with my wife on a research trip to South Africa, another country with some deeply divisive race relations.
Though that country's racial situation is in most ways far more extreme than what we have in the United States and specifically here in North Dakota, I believe that there are many lessons that we can learn about the Native American logo issue from South Africa's example.
South Africa only recently threw off the explicitly racist, brutal practices of apartheid, in which the white minority relegated the indigenous population of the country to land reserves where they languished in poverty for decades. Black South Africans were given only the scraps of society, and they were abused and maligned physically, culturally and mentally.
The United States bears some of these same historical - and present - legacies.
<snip>
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5.) The Washington Post, Race Gap Still Persists in Healthcare, Three Studies Say
By Rob Stein
Black Americans still get far fewer operations, tests, medications and other life-saving treatments than whites, despite years of efforts to erase racial disparities in health care and help African Americans live equally long and healthy lives, according to three major studies being published today.
<snip>
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6.)
The Bismarck Tribune,
Department Asks for a New Judge
<snip>
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7.) San Francisco Chronicle, Calif. Court Grants Equal Rights to Same-Sex Parents
The California Supreme Court broke new legal ground for same-sex parents Monday by ruling that lesbian and gay partners who plan a family and raise a child together should be considered legal parents after a breakup, with the same rights and responsibilities as heterosexual parents.
<snip>
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8.) Bismarck Tribune, Disappointed in the City of Bismarck
Disappointed in city of Bismarck <snip>
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9.) Rapid City Journal, Vote on Deaf Town Delayed
Vote on deaf town delayed - Rapid City Journal 8/18/05
SALEM (AP) — The McCook County
Commission has again delayed a final vote on a zoning ordinance that would allow
construction of a town that serves people who use sign language.
<snip>
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10.) The Forum, American Indian Artist Examines a Group Show by American Indian Artists
By John Lamb
As the United States observes the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition, an exhibit explores the less-heralded consequences of the Corps of Discovery.
“Contemporary Native American Artists – Reflections After Lewis and Clark,” a touring exhibit curated by the Montana Museum of Art and Culture, features 20 American Indian artists of various tribes. Each artist has a different view of how life changed for indigenous people after the historic trek.
Looking for an American Indian artist’s perspective on the show, we asked Fargo painter Ken Greywind to walk through the second floor exhibit and offer his insights.
<snip>
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11.) Bismarck Tribune, Tribal Leaders, Officials to Meet
08-14-2005: news-local - Bismarck Tribune Tribal leaders, officials to meet
North Dakota
tribal leaders and public officials will gather in Bismarck Sept. 6 to 8 to
exchange information about current issues facing tribes during the ninth annual
United Tribes Intertribal Council Summit. The summit concludes Sept. 8 with policy discussions and the formation of resolutions by the United Tribes of North Dakota Board.
<snip>
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12.)
The Bismark Tribune,
Drawing International Students to N.D. Schools
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13.) The Forum, Man Fears Racial Tensions are Rising in Fargo
Man fears racial tensions are rising in Fargo
An activist for immigrant issues in Fargo said Tuesday he fears racial tensions are escalating in the city and wants to meet with police to diffuse the situation.
David Ideele, executive director of the People’s Diversity Forum, said he worries about racism among residents against new refugees and retaliation against it.
A fight Saturday that put two men in the emergency room highlighted the issue, Ideele said. Police were called about 10:35 p.m. to what was described as a fight involving 10 to 15 people on the 2500 block of 15th Street South.
Officers arrested 22-year-old Christopher L. Pankowski of Glyndon, Minn., after witnesses said he knocked out David C. Bayak, a 25-year-old from Fargo. Bayak was still in the hospital Tuesday, Ideele said.
According to a police report, after Pankowski was arrested he repeatedly used a racial slur for Bayak and the other black men at the scene.
<snip>
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14.) The Forum, Civil Trial Wraps Up Against Fargo Police
By Dave Forster
A civil trial against the city of Fargo and its Police Department ended Tuesday with a scathing rebuke of what the plaintiff’s attorney called conspiratorial and retaliatory detective work.
Told later of what was said in court, Police Chief Chris Magnus defended his men and called attorney Mark Schneider’s closing arguments irresponsible.
Retired Officer Larry Kensinger, who was also named in the lawsuit, heard the accusations firsthand in the Cass County courtroom. Afterward, he said he was “steaming” from the remarks.
“I’m not racist,” said Kensinger, an officer for more than 30 years. “I bent over backwards for him.”
He was referring to Michael Huynh, the man who filed the lawsuit claiming malicious prosecution and defamation.
In August 2001, Huynh went to the police to file a report that a pawn shop owner had stolen his ring. Huynh said he had handed it over when the owner saw Huynh wearing it and accused him of stealing it.
Schneider, Huynh’s attorney, said that when Kensinger began investigating the case, he leapt to the conclusion that Huynh was a thief simply because of the way he looked and talked. Huynh, a native of Vietnam, moved to the United States in the early 1980s and graduated from Fargo South High School, Schneider said.
Huynh had actually bought the ring for $580 from another pawnshop, and his credit card receipt confirmed the purchase, Schneider said.
<snip>
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15.) The Bismarck Tribune, Dedication Set Oct. 3 for Four Bears Bridge
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16.) The Forum, Celebrating 85 Years of Rocking the Vote
By Sherri Richards
When the 19th Amendment passed in 1920, people on both sides of the issue thought the women’s right to vote would radically affect the nation’s government.
Suffrage activists imagined a more positive system, cleansed of corruption, said Deb White, a sociology professor at Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Opponents thought the U.S. government would be destroyed.
“What we saw is neither happened,” White said. “While women exercise their right to vote, things haven’t changed that drastically.”
Eighty-five years later, women vote at a slightly higher rate than men, but they are underrepresented in elected offices, White said.
A celebration Saturday commemorates the landmark equality decision while encouraging modern women to continue the mission.
White and Amy Jacobson of Fargo, who works for Planned Parenthood, are scheduled to speak. “Mostly we would hope people realize how hard women worked to win the right to vote and that we don’t want to take those things for granted,” Jacobson said.
<snip>
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17.) The Forum, Breaking Barriers
It’s often difficult for victims of domestic violence to seek help.
For immigrants, language barriers and an unknown legal system create even more hurdles. The secrecy that shrouds much domestic violence is more prevalent in refugee communities, said Beth Haseltine, executive director of the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center.
Several human-service organizations in the Fargo-Moorhead area have reached out to these ethnic communities in hopes of preventing domestic violence.
“This is an issue that affects all cultures, all people, and there is help available for everyone regardless of what ethnic group they come from,” Haseltine said.
<snip>
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Events
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A calendar of events for September is available on the NDHRC web site at http://ndhrc.org/Events/Calendar/2005/Sept.htm.
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18.) Indian Civil Rights Workshop, September 8, Grand Forks
INDIAN CIVIL RIGHTS WORKSHOP
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2005 4:00 – 6:00 PM
RED RIVER ROOM MEMORIAL UNION
SPONSORED BY: THE DEPARTMENT OF INDIAN STUDIES, THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, THE NORTHERN PLAINS INDIAN LAW CENTER AND THE UND SCHOOL OF LAW.
PRESENTER: RAIN ARCHAMBEAU MARSHALL, IRA GLASSER RACIAL JUSTICE FELLOW, ACLU OF THE DAKOTAS.
Civil Rights for Indians is the focus of this ACLU developed workshop. Ms. Rain Archambeau Marshall will describe civil rights unique to American Indians. She will provide practical advice on how to deal with discrimination involving education, housing, child welfare, employment discrimination, search and seizure, and racial profiling.
The goals of the workshop are to train participants on what can be litigated, documenting incidents, and gathering witnesses. Other goals include discussion of ways to defend Indian rights through local, state, and federal agencies and explanations of legal services available. Materials for preparing complaints of civil rights violations will be distributed to participants.
This workshop will be ideal for Indian Studies, Criminal Justice, Social Work, Education students and all American Indians. Although this is an ACLU presentation, the Department of Indian Studies and the College of Education and Human Development are please to be able to sponsor the workshop for the benefit of the university and area communities.
There will be a drawing for a prize as a bonus added to the materials and information disseminated. More information is available from Ms Marshall at 605-487-6282 or dakaclur@hcinet.net. The workshop is free.
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19.) Universal Living Wage Bridge the Gap Day, September 6, Fargo-Moorhead
Join Us on The Main Avenue
Bridge to Stand up
That connects the Main
Avenues of Moorhead and Fargo. This event is in
support of a living wage for all who live and work in our communities.
Individuals from the greater F-M Community, non-profit agencies and public
officials will join a national Universal Living Wage campaign gathering on
Tuesday, September 6, 2005, at the Veterans Memorial Bridge (connecting Main
Avenues in Fargo and Moorhead) in support of the concept of a universal living
wage.
********************************************* Reminders *********************************************
20.) NDHRC 2005 Annual Giving Program
The NDHRC kicks off its 2005 Annual Giving Program and we need your help. The money received from our annual giving program will support our conference, education and outreach efforts and other essential work of the Coalition. Our goal is to reach $7,500 by the end of 2005.
Here are ways to participate:
Donate: Help strengthen our efforts and promote human rights in North Dakota with a contribution in the amount you choose. Every dollar makes a difference.
Gift Memberships: It's a great way to celebrate the holidays and birthdays. An NDHRC gift membership makes a real difference in the fight to end discrimination faced by our friends, neighbors, and ourselves in North Dakota.
Tribute Gifts: Celebrating the wedding or commitment ceremony of a friend of family member? Why not make it special with a donation in their honor to support NDHRC's work. Each donation is acknowledged with a personalized card to the individual or couple — a reminder of how much you care about human rights.
Memorial Gifts: Honoring a person's memory is a wonderful way to celebrate their life. Memorial gifts also help family members through a difficult time. You can preserve their legacies and support the work of the NDHRC. Upon making a memorial donation, a family representative will be notified of the contribution you made in their loved one's name.
Your contribution will make an invaluable difference. To participate in the program, visit our web site at http://ndhrc.org/AnnualGiving/2005AnnualGivingProgram.htm.
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