Indian Country Today

Ishi was the last member of the Yahi, the last surviving members of the Yana people in California. What is phenomenal about Ishi is that he is believed to have been the last American Indian in the U.S to have lived his life completely outside of the European American culture. When he was discovered by anthropologists, he was taken to the University of California, Berkeley, where he was both an assistant and a research subject. Anthropologists Alfred L. Kroeber, Theodore T. Waterman, and Surgeon Saxton T. Pope are known for their work with Ishi.

There is material on Ishi and the Yahi Indians located in the University of California, San Francisco, California (UCSF) library catalog. You can also read an article about Ishi in The Peopling of California. FYI: Talking Feather presented an interesting connection between Ishi, the movie Avatar, and the author Theodora Kroebe (here).                        
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Tags: Ishi, Yana UC Berkeley

By Tanya Lee,  Indian Country Today

Many high schools have begun programs to motivate teams of students to work on efficient ways to harness the sun’s energy to fuel vehicles.

After winning the Hunt-Winston School Solar Car Challenge this year, the Native American team from Choctaw Central High School has been invited to the Solar Car World Challenge in Australia next year.

Kursten Watkin, a team member stated,

“It’s very good to feel like winners and bring recognition to our tribe, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.”

Most important is the effort put forth by the students as a team. The assistant principal Liddia Hughes commented,

“Teamwork is key in such a complex endeavor, whether you’re talking about researching the best materials for the body of the car, installing the solar cells, or trying not to get lost during the race…”

Electrical and welding teacher Joey Long summed it up the best,

“Learning teamwork, sacrifice, commitment, problem-solving, time management and leadership skills, are what the school’s solar car program is about. I’m building kids for their future. The solar car is a by-product.”

This is an article of hope and encouragement.  Read it and share your thoughts with us.

Tags: Hunt-Winston School Solar Car Challenge, MISSISSIPPI CHOCTAWS, Solar Energy

Newsroom, Argonne National Laboratory

People are discovering that Tribal lands represent enormous potential for the production of renewable energy, and this translates into money for the tribal members. Money for better health care, schools, and living conditions.

According to the statistics,

“The 55 million acres of land across the nation controlled by Native American tribes can potentially produce an estimated 535 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity from wind power and more than 17 trillion kilowatt-hours from solar energy. These projections are equivalent to more than four times the amount of electricity generated annually in the United States, and represent new economic and employment opportunities for many Native American communities.”

Argonne National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of the Interior are working together to develop training opportunities that will educate future tribal leaders on the importance of energy resource development and environmental evaluations. The programs are Tribal Energy Internships and the Indian Education Renewable Energy Challenge.

Argonne is hosting an internship program for summer (this will be it’s second year) specifically for American Indians and Alaska Native college students. This year, the program will include students from the following tribes: Quapaw, Navajo, Shoshone Bannock, Seneca Nation, Confederated Salish and Kootenai, and Eastern Shoshone, Cherokee.

Tony Dvorak, director of Argonne’s Environmental Science Division, make this observation,

“Despite being rich in renewable resource potential, many tribes struggle with poverty and soaring unemployment. This program helps develop renewable energy resources locally that can create jobs and revenue opportunities for tribal communities.”

Students will spend their summer working on a variety of research projects, and will have the opportunity to work with Argonne mentors.

Several colleges already involved in the program are Little Big Horn College, University of New Mexico and San Juan College.

All interested students, parents, and educators  should  read this article and follow up by speaking to the appropriate organizations. Click on any of the highlited areas to receive contact  information.

Tags: Argonne National Lab, cherokee, College, Confederated Salish and Kootenai, Eastern Shoshone, Ennergy, Indian Education Renewable Energy Challenge, Internships, Little Big Horn College, Navajo, Quapaw, San Juan College, Science, Seneca Nation, Shoshone Bannock, Students, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, UNM