California's Indians Are Alive and Dancing By Debra Utacia Krol Pechanga.Net
SAN DIEGO -- In the hills north of here, on the longest day of the year, the Bird Singers began their songs. Gourds rattled in time with the men's soulful voices and the women's graceful feet. Soft and sure, the ladies danced like the birds gliding above Mother Earth. I never imagined the annual conference of the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) would help me reconnect with my Central California heritage. But when I heard about the Solstice Gathering, a traditional Kumeyaay ceremony at the Barona Reservation, I knew I had to go. I persuaded some fellow journalists, Plains Indians all, to accompany me, and off we drove. We wound through rock-studded hills into a little valley, the ancient home of the Barona Band of Kumeyaay Indians. Soon we reached our destination: the Barona Cultural Center, a new building with a small but well-appointed museum, tennis courts, and ball park. >From 18 communities in San Diego County and Baja California, the Kumeyaay people treated us as long-lost kin. We spoke of our homes and customs while the women teased me. I'd lived in the Arizona desert so long, they said, that my head must be baked. I soon joined the line and moved with the others--shyly at first, then with more confidence. No one pointed or stared at the lighter-skinned Salinas Indian in their midst. The music, the acorn pudding, the gentle laughter of my cousins brought tears to my eyes. I was home. Watching us, my friends came to understand that California Indians are still here. Although many of us don't have land, and those who do possess only a tiny piece of their ancestral homes, we have labored mightily to preserve what is left: our languages, our cultures, our precious sense of identity and belonging. My friends learned casinos are only a fraction of what California Indians are about. We are the caretakers of a heritage stretching back over 10,000 years, a people both proud and impoverished by the abuses of a brutal occupancy. Yet hope springs from the black earth, the giant oaks, the green hills of Barona. You can see it in the bustling businesses that finance the Kumeyaay's efforts to repatriate ancestors and artifacts. And in the proud faces and stances of tribal members old and young. It's clear these people intend Kumeyaay country to prevail another 10,000 years. As we returned to my car and headed back to San Diego, my friends were amazed at what they had seen. They didn't realize California Indians had any culture left, much less the rich panoply of song, dance, and spirit. "I really changed my mind about California Indians," said Dorreen Yellow Bird, one of my new-found friends. Our group left Barona with memories of a wonderful June afternoon. I left a piece of my heart in Barona, to heal while I returned to the sun-blazed desert, so far from my own beloved coastland, to practice my craft of journalism. Native Journalists Emphasize Convergence, Coverage By Debra Utacia Krol and Rob Schmidt Pechanga.Net see related article >>> SAN DIEGO � Convergence�the melding of print, television, radio and online journalism�was the theme at the 18th annual Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) conference. About 300 journalists from across North America converged on San Diego for the four-day event June 19-22. Founded in 1984, NAJA is a nationwide organization dedicated to recruiting, training, and nurturing Native journalists and media outlets. It�s also a forceful advocate for more balanced and accurate coverage of Native peoples and issues. Conference begins with a bang The conference began a day of "Covering Native America" with a seminar asking "What Are the Issues?" Moderator Jodi Rave (Mandan-Hidatsa and Miniconjou Lakota) and a panel of speakers stressed the need to dig deeper into Native stories and find Native angles to mainstream stories. Rave noted that the Indian trust fund scandal is an order of magnitude bigger than Enron, yet is getting much less coverage. Pechanga.Net distributed a handout on the key underreported issues in Indian country. The paper is posted online at http://www.pechanga.net/hot_issues_in_native_journalism.htm. NAJA also released the "Reading Red" report the first day. Conducted by San Francisco State University�s NewsWatch program, the study concluded that the nation�s largest papers, with few exceptions, have only marginally increased the quantity and quality of their Native coverage. The study noted that 44 percent of the 1,133 articles surveyed covered the stereotypical gaming, Indian mascot, and "life on the rez" subjects. "Reading Red" is available at http://www.naja.com/red.html. At lunch, Anthony Pico, former chairman of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, spoke powerfully from a white paper on "The Future of Sovereignty." His message: The public still doesn�t understand there are three levels of sovereignty in the United States. But people support tribal sovereignty when Indians call it "self-reliance." With conservative courts threatening Native rights, a national campaign is needed to persuade Congress to affirm sovereignty. One of the conference�s highlights was the opening reception. Hosted by the Viejas Band at their casino 25 miles east of San Diego, it featured the Campo New Bird Singers, who graced the gathering with traditional singing and gourd-playing. The Viejas Band was a major sponsor of the conference. Then there was Danny Tucker. The gently rounded, 50-ish Sycuan vice-chairman and entertainer sparkled in a silver lam�, vest as he belted out Vegas standards. His rendition of that traditional Indian love song, "Copacabana," had the supposedly detached journalists dancing. Future journalists develop skills At past NAJA conferences, student and entry-level journalists have honed their skills as part of the Native Voice internship program. This year�s budding reporters produced print, radio, and television pieces on the conference while their online counterparts developed a Web page to document their work. The students saw convergence at work as their different skills merged to give a more rounded picture of the news. Bernadette Chato (Navajo) of Alaska-based National Native News led a program in radio news producing and announcing. Jointly supported by NAJA and National Public Radio, the program trained five students with a variety of skill levels. Chato�s students ranged from a news director of a small community who sought advanced training to an office worker who wanted to break into the business to Warm Springs� newly-appointed radio news director, who came to NAJA with no experience. "That�s what tribal radio is all about," said Chato. "We take people that don�t have skills and train them for our own people�s [needs]." In the print area, Sara Green (Seneca/Six Nations) and her crew of 11 student journalists used donated computers to write, design, and publish two editions of Native Voice, the conference newspaper. "We got lots of great ideas from our students," said Green. "We�ve got a really great team." Many attendees thought Native Voice looked as professional as any paper distributed at the conference. Meanwhile, a student videotaped Derrick Henry (Navajo), an online editor for Associated Press, and Victor Rocha, founder of Pechanga.Net, as they discussed "new media"�whether Internet tools such as weblogs are reshaping journalism. Other television students were out reporting stories that were subsequently shown at the awards banquet. Tony Lone Fight (Arikara) and his Web crew melded the print, television, and radio pieces into a complete picture of the proceedings. Lone Fight, an online editor for Knight-Ridder, and his two students used cutting-edge Web technology to "show how good convergence can be." Susan Braine (Assiniboine), executive producer of the nationwide radio call-in show Native America Calling, said, "I�m impressed with [this year�s] training. They�ve converged the four media into one track. It makes so much more sense." Her show requires strong radio and writing skills, Braine added�another form of convergence. To see the work of the Native Voice student journalists, visit http://www.reznetnews.org. Day 2: Objectivity, credibility, and "Skins" While people checked out job opportunities at the career fair, Native America Calling broadcast its show live from the hotel. Host Harlan McKosato spoke with Mark Anthony Rolo and Patty Loew (Bad River Band of Chippewa) and Victor Rocha (Pechanga Band of Luise�o Indians) on "Native Journalism: Objectivity or Advocacy?" Among the points they made: There�s no such thing as objectivity. Native journalists can and should be advocates for their people. Sustained excellence is the way to deflect charges of bias. That afternoon, people filled a large room to hear a Poynter Institute report on media credibility. Not surprisingly, the findings show the public holds journalists in about the same regard as used car dealers. Panelists touted Native journalism as a response to the mainstream�s scandal mongering. They discussed ways to counteract the public�s negative impressions of the media. Throughout the day, workshops gave Indians and non-Indians the opportunity to learn from each other. In the morning, participants developed a strategy to phase out Native mascots in sports coverage. In the afternoon, attendees heard how California�s tribes used a public information campaign to win approval of two gaming initiatives. At a formal student recognition dinner, NAJA Vice President Patty Talahongva (Hopi) spoked glowingly of the youngsters� work and had each one stand for a bow. She exhorted the assembled journalists to help train and support the next generation of reporters. NAJA also conducted a silent auction of artwork, clothing, and other items to raise money for scholarships. As the coordinator counted down the seconds, the bidding grew heated, with some competitors escalating prices to several hundred dollars. Perhaps the highlight of the day came when the journalists trooped to a nearby theater to see a sneak preview of "Skins," filmmaker Chris Eyre�s tough new film. Eyre introduced "Skins" himself and said he hoped people would write about it. The movie touched many in the audience, who said they saw their alcoholic relatives on the screen. "That�s my father," said one viewer of actor Graham Greene�s tragic character. Day 3: Hollywood, borders, and trips The third day�s featured topic was career development. At a workshop hosted by Arizona Republic editor Tom Callinan, journalists learned how convergence can benefit news coverage. The "shotgun marriage" of the Republic, TV station KPNX, and the AZCentral Web site has brought a new dimension to local news coverage, said Callinan. But cutting-edge technology alone does not a credible media outlet make, he added. "It�s gotta be good journalism, or [convergence] won�t work." Another career development workshop was a "Breaking into Hollywood" seminar for screenwriter wannabes. Chris Eyre held a well-attended press conference to talk about "Skins." He claimed his movie wasn�t just for Indians and would appeal to everyone. He noted it was more serious than "Smoke Signals" and said it was time for Natives to embrace the problem of alcoholism. Eyre also related some anecdotes from the film�s set. For instance, he told about the time Greene kept fanning himself nonchalantly while two assistants scuffled. Native America Calling�s live broadcast that day was on "Borders Across Indian Country." Jennifer Perez (Assiniboine), a reporter for the Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune, spoke about a Canadian Blackfoot leader who can�t bring his sacred eagle feather regalia into the United States because Canada doesn�t allow it. To the south, the Kumeyaay and Tohono O�odham people are among those divided by the arbitrary line between the U.S. and Mexico. Native America Calling�s broadcasts are archived online at http://www.nativeamericacalling.com. After several days of lectures, some of the Natives grew restless. One group of Plains Indians took a road trip to the Barona reservation north of San Diego. They were pleasantly surprised to see a ceremonial dance and learn California�s indigenous culture is alive and well. Tears and triumphs at the awards banquet The NAJA awards banquet brought tears of grief and joy to many eyes. A tribute to photographer Lem Price of Montana, a 24-year-old father of two who died just before starting his first job, was heartbreaking. His sister Faith read a poem about losing her brother while the audience viewed a retrospective of his work. The joy came from this year�s Native media awards. NAJA handed out more than 30 awards, ranging from plaques to certificates to cash, to the best in Native journalism. Paul DeMain (Oneida/Ojibway), publisher of News From Indian Country, received the Wassaja Award for his work to bring the murderers of American Indian Movement activist Anna Mae Pictou Aquash to justice. He showed part of a Canadian Broadcast Network documentary on his investigative efforts, for which he�s been reviled over the years. Native journalists left San Diego refreshed and ready to face the challenges of improving both mainstream and Native media. First-time participant Joseph Williams, an editor at the Boston Globe, said, "It�s a good conference; it�s well-focused, and not overly ambitious." Many participants said they�re the only American Indian in their respective newsrooms. But the tide may be changing. Jim Herman, an editor at the Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat-Chronicle, said, "We wish there were more students [at the Native Voice program]. We would like to have more Native American people working in the mainstream press." NAJA will hold its 2003 convention June 18-21 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. For more information, visit http://www.naja.com. -- Andr� Cramblit: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Operations Director Northern California Indian Development Council NCIDC (http://www.ncidc.org) is a non-profit that meets the development needs of American Indians and operates an art gallery featuring the art of California tribes (http://www.americanindianonline.com) COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY TO THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN INDIANS/NATIVE AMERICANS/ALASKAN NATIVES & HAWAIIAN ISLANDERS. For news of interest to Natives subscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] or go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/NativeAmericanNews/subscribe/?location=listinfo Visit and show your support for the Grass Roots Oyate http://members.tripod.com/GrassRootsOyate Clemency for Leonard Peltier. 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