Great Oak Press

Please join upcoming zoom talk with Indigenous children’s book authors! Great Oak Press author Myra Masiel-Zamora will be sharing her journey and process of writing her children’s book, Good Night, Pechanga! Writing for Future Generations in conversation with UC Berkeley Alumni. Friday, April 16, 2021 12:00-1:00 PM... Register at tinyurl.com/writingforfuturegenerations to receive zoom link. Please see flyer for more details. #ucberkeley [email protected] See more

Attention Ka'm-t'em Ambassadors: Today you should have received an email with registration information for the Ka'm-t'em: Next Steps for K-12 Educators Course. ...Be sure to register right away as the deadline is February 12, 2021. If you are an educator in the Humboldt/Del Norte County area and you are interested in being an Ambassador in this course, please contact [email protected] to be added to the waitlist. Registration will be opened to the waitlist on February 12th. See more

https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/hjsr/vol1/iss42/10/

DON'T MISS OUT!!!! Conference starts Tuesday Sept 15th @ 12 pm. Register Here: https://med.stanford.edu//events/twofeathersconference.html

Check out tomorrow’s impressive Virtual Indigenous Speaker Series lineup! Shaunna McCovey - Ka'm-t'em: A Journey Toward Healing, Chag Lowry - Soldiers Unknown, and Alme Allen.

KA'M-T'EM SCHOLAR -VIVIANA VEGA CLOVERDALE RANCHERIA BAND OF POMO INDIANS UC Davis Medical School My inspiration to become a physician is highly driven by my d...esire and passion to serve my community and increase representation of my Native community in the health field. Through this journey, I hope to inspire and assist Native youth to follow their dreams by setting a positive example for them This path that I walk is not only for myself, but it is to honor my ancestors as well. For generations my ancestors fought to survive the three waves of genocide that hit California. Their fight to live and resist colonization made it possible for me to be here today. Despite the survival of my community we still face disproportionate rates of health problems that are tied to colonizationDespite these issues stacked against my community, issues that are rooted in colonial violence, my community continues to thrive and work towards healing from the trauma of colonization... I know that in order to make a positive impact in my community I have to complete my path and become a doctor that will help my community heal.- Vivian Vega See more

KA'M-T'EM SCHOLAR- SHAYLEENA BRITTON ROUND VALLEY INDIAN TRIBES, YUKI/WAILAKI, ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY, JUNIOR Historically our people were physically and se...xually abused and often killed by colonizers for speaking their native languages. This pain has spiraled into years of intergenerational trauma and loss This has resulted in a cultural knowledge gap, which continues to grow as many elders begin to pass away. This was seen with my own language Wailaki, which after many years of sleeping was considered dead due to the lack of existing audio recordings. While in high school an initiative in my valley began to bring back the Wailaki language. Two Native American staff members and a handful of students, including myself, dedicated our time to learn and revive the Wailaki language. I am extremely grateful to be working in relation to this major issue. I speak the language throughout the community, my home, and my college. I am now able to teach my grandparents the language they lost, as well as teach my younger siblings their native tongue so they will also be able to pass it on when they get older. I plan on expanding my work with the Wailaki language by creating animated movies and clips that will teach and educate on the language. I also plan on working and supporting other tribes by creating media platforms and animations which will reflect tribal beliefs and creation stories. Learning language is a crucial step towards regaining cultural knowledge and honoring our ancestors. Shayleena Britton See more

KA'M-T'EM SCHOLAR- DONALD MOORE YUROK, FORT LEWIS COLLEGE, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, SENIOR Getting this education is the first step to contributing to K’am-T’em.... That word itself now means a whole lot to me to say the least. It’s not just the treasure of knowledge, it’s a journey towards healing as it says on the cover of the book. It’s revitalization, it’s hope and its resiliency. K’am- T’em is ensuring that my kids have the knowledge and resources I have. K’am-T’em is teaching my grandchildren exactly what I learned from my grandparents, even if they are no longer living. K’am-T’em is growth for our community, it’s the condor returning home, and most importantly it’s the interwovenness of the sticks that make up the basket that provides for us. I will continue to fight for our people and help them grow so future generations don’t have to struggle like my ancestors did with colonialism and ceremonies/language. Until I pass on, I will continue to fight for my people so that we can continue to raise that white deer and allow our rock packers to cross in front of us.- Donald Moore See more

KA'M-T'EM SCHOLAR: ISH-KAYSH TRIPP YUROK/KARUK, HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY, ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE ENGINEERING, SENIOR "Our traditional ceremonies are practiced ...in the context of our respect for, and responsibility to protect, the natural environment: the land, forests, tributaries/rivers, Indigenous food supplies, medicinal plants, birds, fish, and wildlife. I was raised knowing that taking care of the natural environment is critical to long-term sustainability on earth, and that the need to change the carbon footprint of humanity is urgent. The path that dominant human society has taken industrially has put the world in a critical position health-wise, and in turn has proved to be a great danger for all life on earth. The extinction of thousands of animal species in recent decades, and the well-documented correlation between climate change and human dependence on unsustainable energy sources like fossil fuels, offer compelling evidence that technological innovations alone will not be enough to reverse human caused pollution. To save what is left of the world, the attitude of global humanity needs to change immediately. I am eager to complete my education at HSU and to become a contributing member of environmental restoration sciences. I aspire to restore fresh watersheds and improve salmonid spawning habitat. This goal is vital to my identity as an Indigenous person, and I want to ensure future generations the opportunity to interact with the natural environment like I have in my lifetime. "- Ish-Kaysh Tripp See more

Updated Information: Ka'm-t'em: Next Steps for K-12 Educators

Congratulations to Ellen Colegrove for being recognized as Humboldt State University's 2020 Outstanding Student of the Year! Ellen was a member of the Ka'm-t'em... Youth Photography Project included in Ka'm-t'em: A Journey Toward Healing. Ellen Colegrove 2020 Outstanding Student Award: After four intensive years of balancing academia with community service, Ellen will graduate in May 2020 with a double major in Child Development and Native American Studies with a minor in American Indian Education. Not only has she served extensively on campus as the Treasurer of the ITEPP club, an intern for the Department of Child Development, a mentor for the American Indian education program, a planning committee member for Big Time, and a member of the resurfacing of the Native Forum committee; but also she has been an invaluable asset to the local community. Ellen was a major contributor to the publication of Ka’m-t’em: A Journey Toward Healing and was formally recognized in the acknowledgements section. This book included the testimonials of 27 local community members. Ellen actively participated in assisting community members in the process of publishing book chapters. She helped them to record themselves, transcribe their interviews, and translate them into written chapters. Ellen served as a mentor and leader of the Ka’m-t’em Youth Photography Project that dedicated an entire year to teaching youth the process of transferring generational knowledge through an image. Ellen and five local youth spent the weekends interviewing community members about local history, researching in the HSU library, and capturing Indigenous knowledge through photography chapters. Ellen was selected as the Ambassador of the Hoopa Valley Tribe. In this role, Ellen provided workshops and presentations in schools and agencies throughout the state on tribal history, cultural competence, and contemporary issues in child development. Furthermore, she was recognized for academic excellence as a Udall Scholar. Ellen is currently working as a counselor for Two Feathers Native American Family Services. Ellen works with at-risk children ages 7-12 that have been referred to the program for suicide prevention. Each week, Ellen dedicates an hour to engage in a meaningful activity with each of her six mentees. Ellen will take her mentees to local events such as basket making classes, assist them with homework, play basketball with them in their backyards, or take them to a movie. In addition, Ellen has worked with the Yurok Tribal Head Start Program and 0-8 Mental Health Collaborative on observations and assessments; the Hoopa Tribal Education Association on summer youth program activities; the Tribal Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) on family events; United Indian Health Services as a counselor and mentor for summer youth camps; and within the local schools as an educator of cultural competency. Through her community service, Ellen has been able to apply key concepts of her programs in Child Development, Native American Studies, and American Indian Education such as social justice and equity into her work with children and families in the community.

Jump Dance Announcement

A special thank you to journalist Joe Naiman for writing such a beautiful and informative article. We had the pleasure of meeting Joe at the San Diego Comic Fest in March 2020. Author Chag Lowry presented at the comic fest on his graphic novel Soldiers Unknown and the role of Native men in WWI. Lowry also discussed his upcoming work including A Boarding School Story he is working on with artist Eli Hyder. Read the full article by clicking on the link below. https://myvalleynews.com/great-oak-press-author-presents-a/

#Murrieta Author and historian Rebecca Farnbach will present her findings about The Unique Vail Ranch, from Helen Hunt Jackson to Erle Stanley Gardner Tuesday..., Feb. 18, at 10 a.m. at the Murrieta Library, 8 Town Square, in Murrieta. https://www.myvalleynews.com/farnbach-to-speak-at-murrieta/

Visit us at @sdcomicfest! Get your signed copy of Soldiers Unknown by @chag_lowry! Don’t forget to check out the awesome work of @venamis! Only at #sdcomicfest #sdcomicfest2020 #soldiersunknown #graphicnovel #comics #worldwari #ww1

I'm here at the San Diego Comic Fest with the very talented artist Eli Hyder! We are at the Great Oak Press table, and I present here at the con about my comic and history work this Sunday at 1 PM.

It’s #FunFactsAboutNamesDay! And, did you know... (SOUND ON)