Heading to the Salish Language Conferenve
Morena
Heather Miller and I are both here at SeaTac at 6.30am waiting to catch our flight to attend the Salish Language conference in Spokane, WA. I know that I have said it before, and it is worth repeating, I think that programs to preserve and revitalize Native languages are some of the most important things that we support here at Potlatch Fund.
So I may grumble at the early start but am honored to once again be participating in this important work. I will run a seminar today and Heather will one run tomorrow.
Have a great day.
Naku noa
Ken Gordon
Sent from my iPhone please forgive typos.
Blog from my IPhone
Heather and I are doing the last minute preparation as we get ready to head to Spokane tomorrow. I was complaining to Heather that it was harder to keep the blog up to date when we travel so much. She of course said “you need the Wordpress app”. So here I am blogging from my iPhone.
Ken
Join Team Potlatch Fund!
Hello friends,
As Ken mentioned, I have the privilege of blogging about the newest Potlatch Fund staff project. When I joined the Potlatch Fund staff 6 months ago, Ken and Dana were busy preparing for the Seattle Marathon events. It was a pretty inspiring event and I was impressed by the amount of money that they were able to raise by participating in such an event. I’m not much of a runner and the thought of a marathon has always been a bit overwhelming to me.
After several office conversations about a successful fundraising effort by both Ken and Dana in 2009, all staff, including me have agreed to participate in various running events in 2010. We have each started our own training programs and are committed to running and raising funds for the great work we do here at Potlatch Fund. We also feel that we want to share our workout fun with others!
Those of you who might be interested in raising money for your organization, want to get healthy or simply enjoy running we invite you to participate with us. As a staff we are adding various running events to our calendars. As a warm-up/practice/test event we will be participating in the Big Backyard 5k in Redmond, WA on May 23rd. You can check out their website for more information and registration. As mentioned this event is practice for our staff. If you feel that this might be something you are interested in sign up and run with us. Although we will not include this event in our fundraising efforts be on the lookout for events that will become fundraising opportunities from each one of us. Ken has committed to running the Seattle Marathon again this year and I will be tackling the Seattle half Marathon. Lawrence and Dana are still weighing their options.
As we commit to other events will will invite you to join us as well. Team Potlatch Fund members have registered for the Rock and Roll Marathon in June as yet another practice event. More information about this event can be found here. We hope that our efforts might inspire you this year. There are many ways for you to get involved in our new project! Join us for an event, come cheer us on or come run with us; support us financially once we ask for donations and finally share our efforts with friends. It has been incredibly helpful for me to share my training with my friends and coworkers, just knowing that we are in this together helps me get through that final set of push-ups sometimes.
For those who are seriously considering joining us, feel free to contact us and let us know! We would be happy to give you any details on training schedules, workout tips and event details. In the end we might even sport cool Team Potlatch Fund t-shirts!
Thanks everyone and I’m looking forward to others joining our efforts!
Heather
Quick Update
Morena
There is a lot going on at the moment. I have asked Heather Miller to do a special blog on the Potlatch Fund’s team fundraising efforts which will again take place at this year’s Seattle Marathon. As readers may recall both Dana Arviso and I participated in Seattle Marathon events in 2009 and we were able to raise more than $2,500. This year we are going to expand the team and invite other supporters to join us in the event.
Dana Arviso is also going to copy a story about the appropriation of images from local Native group, Native Lens, which were then illegally used in racist advertisements in Canada. Native Lens is seeking to have these advertisements ruled as Hate Crimes so that the Police are compelled to investigate.
As people who follow us on Facebook may be aware the Potlatch Fund staff have recently been having Lushootseed Language classes. We had our second lesson with Mike Evans yesterday and we are having great fun getting our tounges around some of the unique words.
Today, I have discussions planned with some of our funders. I also have a meeting with a group that would like us to fiscally sponsor their work while they get their 501(c)3 non-profit up and running. This afternoon we have another meeting of the Seattle Native Circle.
We are also rearraing the office to accomodate Kelly Gemmell who will be our new Office Manager and who will start here on Monday the 15th.
In the meantime Heather Miller and I are also preparing for the two presentations that we will make this week at the Native Language Conference. We will have to see if we will be brave enough to introduce ourselves in Lushootseed.
We are also preparing for a retreat that will take place in April of the Potlatch Fund Board. This is an important meeting, and one of the most important discussions is the process of managing my transition from the ED’s role which is programmed to take place in September 2011. Potlatch Fund is committed, and I fully support this commitment, to seeking a Native American person for this role. This will be an exciting opportunity for a person with a proven commitment to Indian Country, Native American development, Tribal development and the development of Non-profits in Indian Country. Obviously we are still very early in the process, which may have up to 18 months to run, however anyone who is interested in this role should feel free to touch base with me.
Lastly, Heather Miller is also prepping for a workshop that she will be running next week on Social Media. Social Media is very important to Indian Country because it is a way to get your message out directly and to bypass the mainstream media which often overlook Indian Country. We are lucky in the Pacific Northwest because some of our media outlets do do a great job. In this morning’s Seattle Times, Lynda Mapes, has written a great article about the Hoh Tribe and their quest to get more land so they can move their Reservation out of a flood zone.
That’s all for me today.
Naku noa
Ken Gordon
Exciting Week at Potlatch Fund
Morena
I am back in the office today following several days of travelling.
Last week Heather Miller and I travelled to the Umatilla Reservation in Oregon to provide a two day non-profit startup training. We had a small group in attendance who were interested in starting non-profits to run a Radio Station, to run language programs and for a Canoe Journey Society. Starting non-profits to provide these services mean that the door is eased open to help them find more funding. Non-profits also help provide liability protection to the volunteers providing these important services.
We emphasize in our trainings that non-profits are a reflection of needs in a community.
This was driven home to me on Saturday, when I travelled to Vancouver, WA to attend a Luau for the Ke Kukui Foundation. This small group had come to one of our non-profit startup trainings in Portland in 2009. They already had their non-profit underway and they were looking for guidance on good governance practices.
It was a delight to attend the fundraising Luau, which highlighted cultural performances from Hawaiian, Filipino, Maori, Tahitian and Tongan traditions. It was amazing to see the amount of work and the success of the work of this committed group of volunteers and the community need which they are responding to.
Of course the highlight of the evening for me was when the Tongan drummers called me up to the stage for some comedy relief. I decided to give it my all, however I have to say that despite all of my running I still “ain’t got no rhythm”. I was in a bright red grass skirt on the stage and I guess there will be some photos around at some stage.
Today, my staff and I are continuing our lessons in Lushootseed, and then Heather and I will be getting ready later in the week to travel to Spokane for a language conference.
Naku noa
Ken Gordon
Seattle Native Circle
Morena
Over the weekend I received the most recent edition of the Seattle Native Circle newsletter. This newsletter is compiled by volunteers each month and lets readers know about what is going on in Seattle Native circles and with Seattle Native non-profits.
The following link will take you to the newsletter - it is definitely worth a read.
I feel proud that Potlatch Fund convened a meeting of a few Native non-profits in Seattle and this newsletter is one of the products of this meeting. Please read it, as it is both fun and informative.
Naku noa
Ken Gordon
Morena
We have just discovered that our email has not been going out for about 5 days. Ugh!!!
Now we have to resend everything.
Off to redo work that has been already done.
Naku noa
Ken Gordon
Thoughtful Friday
Morena
A former staff member here at Potlatch Fund and a personal friend, Redwolf Pope, popped in yesterday for some help with an application that he is submitting. I was shocked to learn that Redwolf had been involved in a horrible motorbike accident just 3 weeks ago. I must have last seen him just prior to the crash.
He was hit side on by a driver who ran a stop sign and who apparently drove off. Redwolf regained consciousness in the ambulance with no recollection of what had happened. He broke his jaw, some teeth, his thumb and had more than 100 stitches on the inside and outside of his mouth.
My thoughts are out to him as he is going through the recovery process. Those of you that know Redwolf will not be surprised to learn that he is seeing many positive things and signs coming out of this accident. If anyone is able to offer any help then we here at Potlatch Fund will be happy to coordinate this.
Please everyone be safe this weekend, as this is the now the fourth friend in the last two months who has been injured in an accident.
Naku noa
Ken Gordon
Native People’s in the Media
Ahi ahi Marie
I think like many people I was uplifted to see the prominent and positive way in which the indigenous people from Canada participated in the opening ceremony at the winter Olympics. Their participation lent a sense of welcome and cultural inclusion often left out of such international events.
Local artist Louie Gong is also participating as part of a Native showcase at the games. The Seattle Times wrote a story about this exciting young man in the weekend and you can find that story at this link.
NPR also ran a story about a language revitalisation program being run in Hopi and I also recommend that people give this a listen.
That’s all for now.
Naku noa
Ken Gordon
Cheyenne River Sioux Emergency
Ahi ahi marie (good afternoon)
Lost in the all of the news happening over the last few weeks has been the impact of an ice storm on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.
Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) has been raising funds to support the Tribe through this emergency. I had the pleasure today of posting off $2,500 to NAP to support theu
The following is an excerpt from the Tribes declaration of a state of emergency:
CHEYENNE RIVER SIOUX TRIBE CONFRONTS DEVASTATING WINTER STORM
(Saint Paul, MN – February 1, 2010)—The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe has declared a state of emergency after a severe ice storm cut electricity and water across the reservation in North Central South Dakota. Ongoing frigid conditions hinder recovery from this disaster and raise the potential for loss of life. The situation is complicated by the reservation’s remote nature, spreading over more than 2.7 million acres.
The 9,000 tribal members as well as non-Indians living on the reservation are in immediate need of emergency heating (oil, propane, kerosene heaters and fuel, generators and batteries), as well as food and water.
Tribal Chairman Joseph Brings Plenty said, “I know there are hard economic times across the country and those who are able continue to respond with prayers, money and muscle to help our neighbors in Haiti. I find myself in the humble position of appealing for your support in our time of emergency. I would not ask you for assistance unless I was confident we are doing all we can. We are.”
The situation, in summary:
· As many as 1,500 to 2,000 homes on the reservation are without heat and water; neither is expected to be restored for several weeks.
· In addition to the 9,000 tribal members affected by the storm, the Tribe is also assisting its non-Indian neighbors living on the reservation.
· Families with the means to relocate are temporarily seeking refuge off the reservation as the Tribe anticipates more families will seek to relocate but with seasonal unemployment above 70 percent, they will face the challenge of limited financial resources to acquire food, shelter and supplies off the reservation.
· People with medical needs have been relocated to Rapid City and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
· Many homes have been damaged by freezing temperatures or have been broken into as people search for needed supplies.