Native American Indian Heritage Month

1. Life is Sacred – Celebrate Healthy Native Communities Native American Indian Heritage Month

2. History in the Making First Indian uprising in an English colony Wheeler-Howard Act was passed to protect Native Culture The Native American population of sixty million declines to approximately one million by the year 1900 Continental Congress made first treaty with Indians (Delaware) Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge: Last major bloodshed involving Indians and the U.S. Government 1500 1607 1622 1638 1778 1830 1890 1924 1934 First permanent English colony established at Jamestown, VA First Reservations established by Puritans near New Haven, CT Indian Removal Act passed which legalized removal of all Indians east of the Mississippi to lands west of the river All Indians declared citizens of the U.S.

3. History, continued President Obama sighed the Tribal Law and Order Act, providing Tribes with the opportunity to exercise enhanced sentencing authority and directing the Bureau of Indian Affairs on the collection and reporting of data Indian Tribal Justice Act was passed, supporting tribal courts in becoming well-established dispensers of justice in Indian Country Office of the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs was established by DOI Secretarial order 1975 1977 1988 1993 2004 2010 Indian Self-determination and Education Assistance Act was passed, giving tribes greater control over funding which affected their welfare Indian Gaming Regulatory Act allows gambling on reservations.  National Museum of the American Indian is established in Washington, D.C.

4. Native Americans and War • Chief Red Fox addressing Secretary of War, Newton D. Baker, in Washington; 1917 • “From all over the West we now stand ready 50,000 Indians between the ages of seventeen and fifty-five. We beg of you, to give us the right to fight. We guarantee to you, sir, our hearts could be for no better cause than to fight for the land we love, and for the freedom we share.” From Left: Red Fox, Bear Skin, Red Dog, Rocky Bear, Living Bear; Photo courtesy of thunderdreamers.com

5. American Indians Serving in War • WW I—approximately 12,000-15,000 served • WW II –approximately 44,000 served • Korean War—approximately 10,000 to 15,000 served • Vietnam War—approximately 80,000 served Photos courtesy of www.defense.gov

6. Code Talkers Photos courtesy of www.defense.gov In World War II, a communications code was utilized the Japanese couldn’t break 379 Code talkers’ served in WWII. Code talkers’ messages were strings of seemingly unrelated Navajo words. Each word would be translated into English, and the message was deciphered by using only the first letter of each English word

7. The National Museum of the American Indian • The Mission: • The National Museum of the American Indian is committed to advancing knowledge and understanding of the Native cultures of the Western Hemisphere, past, present, and future, through partnership with Native people and others. • The museum works to embrace and preserve the continuance of culture, traditional values, and transitions in contemporary native life Photos courtesy of www.nmai.si.edu

8. Preserving Native Communities Photos courtesy of www.defense.gov

9. Native American Community Academy • Mission • NACA develops students into leaders that will support and strengthen their communities by academically preparing them and securing them in their health and identity • Background • NACA is a tuition-free public charter school for middle and high school students • NACA has students from 37 different tribes • Curriculum • Native Literature • Navajo, Lakota and Tiwa Language • Spanish • Visual and Language Arts • Science, Math and Social Studies • Video Production, Personal Wellness • Performance Photos courtesy of www.nacaschool.org

10. Native American Community Development Institute • Mission • NACDI seeks to preserve and embrace the Native American communities while transforming them to effectively respond to 21st Century opportunities • By promoting innovative community development, NACDI helps American Indians strengthen the sustainability and well-being of their communities • Challenges faced? • American Indians are largely underrepresented in multiple sectors of the economy • Many wish to remain in their traditional communities, and preserve those areas and identities • NACDI helps – • NACDI focuses on developing and bringing “Indian economic power into the ongoing stream of development opportunities” • NACDI also helps American Indians to preserve their culture and communities Photos courtesy of www.nacdi.org

11. The Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center • Founded by members of the Yankton Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota in 1985 • Provides services to women and the community • Services aimed at: • Protecting women’s reproductive health and rights • Fighting hunger • Ending violence • Women’s lodge and transitional housing • Men’s re-education group • Serves as an advocate: • Provides community education to preserve the culture • Launches campaigns to end violence against indigenous women • Builds coalitions to fight for women’s reproductive rights • Seeks environmental justice Photos courtesy of www.nativeshop.org

12. Seva Foundation • Began a Native American Program in 1982 • Launched the first Native American health clinic in the U.S. • Porcupine Clinic on the Pine Ridge Reservation • Started a training program called the Diabetes Talking Circle in 1996 • Has helped Natives develop strategies for diabetes prevention • Highly significant since Native Americans tend to acquire Type II Diabetes at a larger rate than any other group of people • Seva continues to help tribes recover eating habits that maintained their optimal health for so long Photos courtesy of www.seva.org

13. American Indian Relief Council “Native Americans living on the rural and remote reservations of the Northern Plains struggle daily with isolation, limited employment opportunities, and a harsh and resource-poor environment. Poverty is all too common and weighs most heavily on those who are most fragile — the elderly, children, and families.” • The AIRC services: • Baby Baskets • Provides essentials for newborns • Breakfast-in-a-bag • Provides monthly packages of nutritious foods to Elders • Thanksgiving and Christmas • Provides food for dinner and gift-filled stockings • Food and Literacy • Provides monthly pantry supplies and encourages parents to read to children • Project Grow • Helps families grow vegetables • Weatherization • Makes homes weatherproof for winter • Winter Fuel • Covers the costs of wood, propane, or electricity Photos courtesy of www.nrcprograms.org

14. Reach out, Learn more, Help others • Native American Community Academy • www.nacaschool.org • Native Times Newspaper • http://www.nativetimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3033:standing-with-native-american-communities&catid=46&Itemid=22 • American Indian Relief Council • http://www.nrcprograms.org/site/PageServer?pagename=airc_index • Seva Foundation • http://www.seva.org/site/PageServer?pagename=programs_na • Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center • http://www.nativeshop.org/ • Native American Community Development Institute • http://www.nacdi.org/default/index.cfm

15. Conclusion This presentation was prepared by Stephanie I. Turner, ABD on behalf of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute Patrick Air Force Base, FloridaOctober, 2010 All photographs are public domain and are from various sources as cited. Opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and should not be construed to represent the official position of DEOMI, the U.S. Military services, or the Department of Defense.