Spring 2003
Resilient Cultures—A new understanding of the New World
The history of European and Indian interactions is being dramatically rewritten. In a new book, a WSU historian produces an update. » More ...
Native Americans
Winter 2002
Friendly People
William Hewitt built his dream on Blake Island. Hewitt is gone, but his dream lives on in Native tradition and the rich aroma of roasting salmon. » More ...
Fall 2002
Palmers want to give others hope for the future
Sometime in the near future Perry Palmer and his wife, Marcie, want to return to the Colville Indian Reservation. Young students there lack good role models, as well as incentives, Perry says. They need to be made aware of opportunities for advanced education and benefit from them as the Palmers have.
Perry completed a master’s degree in education at Washington State University in May. Marcie will finish her doctorate in counseling psychology next May.
Both are members of the Colville Confederated Tribes. They met on the reservation, where Marcie spent three years as a social worker for Child Protective Services, and were married there in … » More …
Fall 2002
Whispered prayers
On the floor of Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum, Native American children dressed in full regalia run off steam before the grand dance at the Pah-Loots-Pu Powwow this Saturday night in April. One of them is Red Bear McCloud, the 5-year-old son of arena director Russell McCloud, seated at the announcer’s platform in jeans and a crimson wind jacket. Father looks on at son unhurriedly. The grand dance is scheduled for 6 p.m., an hour away, but McCloud knows it will most likely be later. Always factor in Indian time—about half an hour more than what’s advertised.
“I grew up going to powwows,” McCloud says. He … » More …
Summer 2002
Early leader of WSU’s Native American students
Ki Tecumseh learned to work within the system—or stretch it
“Indian people don’t consider themselves to be a minority people.” —Ki Tecumseh
Growing up on the Yakama Indian Reservation, Kiutus “Ki” Tecumseh, Jr. learned to put his finger up to the wind to test the direction it was blowing. In his ideas and actions, he also likes to test conventional thought. A longtime public relations specialist with the Department of Energy in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he is soft-spoken and measured in his speech. But people tend to listen to what he has to say, more than how he says it.
For example, in the … » More …
Summer 2002
Future teachers of color
The gap between minority teachers—about 6 percent—and minority school children—about 24 percent—is widening in Washington. As part of a move to remedy this situation, 176 high school and community college students attended the College of Education’s Future Teachers of Color conference at Washington State University in mid-February.
The conference has become very popular statewide, says Johnny Jones, the college’s director of recruitment and retention and coordinator of the program. The program has a waiting list of 120 students.
Since the FTOC program was created at WSU in 1994, undergraduate enrollment in the college has increased from five to more than 100. Fifteen FTOC graduates are … » More …