Cary Watters and Amory Zschach return to host Voices From the Edge and welcome community activists Cameron Whitten and Christine Bruno and continue the discussion on Native American Heritage Month.
For almost one hundred years, Americans both Indian and non-Indian have urged that there be permanently designated by the nation a special place on the calendar to honor the contributions, achievements, sacrifices, and cultural and historical legacy of the original inhabitants of what is now the United States and their descendants: the American Indian and Alaska Native people.
The quest for a national honoring of Native Americans began in the early 20th Century as a private effort. As far back as the late 1970s, Congress has enacted legislation and subsequent presidents have issued annual proclamations designating a day, a week or a month to celebrate and commemorate the nation’s American Indian and Alaska Native heritage. In 2009, Congress passed and the President signed legislation that established the Friday immediately following Thanksgiving Day of each year as “Native American Heritage Day.”
from NAYAPDX.org :
VISION OF PORTLAND’S NATIVE COMMUNITY IN 50 YEARS
The Portland region has a large, growing proud Native community grounded in our traditional worldview. Our united and connected community celebrates our multicultural and multi-tribal heritage as a source of strength. Our healthy community understands the connection between our environment, our culture, our spirituality and our wellness. Our economically secure families thrive and live in homes that provide stability and a place to practice culture and connection to community. Our successful businesses support the entire Native community and its prosperity.
NAYA FAMILY CENTER IN 2061
Guided by our elders and trusted by the community, NAYA creates a place for our people to gather together and live the values of our own unique cultures. When the Native community thrives so does the entire Portland region. NAYA offers a wide array of comprehensive services and community-based solutions, including lifelong educational opportunities, cultural identity, leadership development, elders support, homes for families, early childhood programs, and paths to financial security based on traditional tribal values. We are committed to eliminating poverty, hunger, family violence, and homelessness. NAYA actively seeks new ideas and embraces thoughtful risks. NAYA is an urban center building strong partnerships and authentic relationships with tribes, organizations, communities of color, and our neighbors throughout the region. NAYA is led by a board of directors that reflects the Native community, and all strategic decisions made throughout the organization are youth centered, family driven and elder guided.
- KBOO