Jaynie Parrish is on a mission to register Native American voters and bring awareness to the issues that affect them and the voting process. Parrish, a member of the Navajo Nation, is the founder and director of Arizona Native Vote, a non-partisan nonprofit organization aimed at boosting Native American civic participation. She is proud that the organization is making a difference in voter registration and civic knowledge among the Navajo, Hopi and White Mountain Apache communities. “We … [Read more...] about Strengthening the Native Vote
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Reclaiming Trust, Rebuilding Legacy
More than 27,000 people from all over Arizona and beyond visited the Museum of Indigenous People in Prescott last year. Executive Director Manuel Lucero remembers when the arts center, previously the Smoki Museum, had very few visitors. It was a time when many were offended by the institution practices of selling inauthentic jewelry and hiring non-Native dancers to perform in Native American ceremonies. Lucero, who is Cherokee and Irish, has made ensuring authenticity a priority. One of many … [Read more...] about Reclaiming Trust, Rebuilding Legacy
Blending Two Worlds: Darold Joseph Champions Culture and Education for Native Students
Native American students should not feel that they live in an “either or” world, says Northern Arizona University educator Darold Joseph, Ph.D. Instead, he believes they can thrive by drawing from the best of two realms. “Native Americans face the challenge of using more modernity and more technology to sustain who we are,” he said. “Students can learn to meet state and federal educational requirements while still retaining and using their culture.” Joseph is the director of the Institute for … [Read more...] about Blending Two Worlds: Darold Joseph Champions Culture and Education for Native Students
Empowering the Native American Voice at CCC
Is it any wonder that people from all over the world draw, paint and shoot photographs of the natural beauty of Northern Arizona? Iron reds and oranges of sandstone contrast wonderfully with blue skies and green pine, juniper and sage. It is land that is rich in geological stories and steeped in a sacred importance to all of us who live here. Coconino Community College is located in the middle of the land’s magnificence. More than 20% of our students at the college are Native American, and … [Read more...] about Empowering the Native American Voice at CCC
