B a c o n e C o l l e g e

Center for American Indians

Moccasin HotlineMoccasin Hotline

F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 5Examson theHorizon!

~ I N S I D E~● CAI Students Speak Out at AISA Conference● Signa Nu Alpha Gama Comes to Bacone● Notes from the CAI Student Council President ● Spring Benefit Dance on the Horizon ● New Plans for the Three Sisters Garden Project● This Month in American Indian History with Dr. King

● Ready for Meat Pie Madness?● Stepping into Leadership by

Becoming an Active Listener● 'Clubbing' at Bacone● John Timothy's Culture Salad● Valentine's Day Trivia

On Friday, January 30, the CAI Kiva was on fire with activity as our Native students pulled off one of the most successful Indian Taco Sales in recent Bacone history. From 8:00 am until 2:00 pm, our own 'Top Chef and Master of Native 'haute cuisine', Jessika Littlehead, was literally up to her elbows in dough, as she painstakingly rolled out dozens of tacos that were then fried to a delicious, golden brown perfection! Next the Kiva assembly line crew took over, topping the bread with beans, taco meat, lettuce, and cheese. Onions, salsa and a dollep of sour cream completed the dish – a hearty meal and an icy soda to top it off – all for a mere $7.00! The students then delivered more than 130 of the hot lunches to Indian Taco lovers all over Muskogee, raising over $1,000 for the annual Bacone powwow!

Amazing cook, Jessika Littlehead, gets the Golden Spoon Award for making our Indian Taco fund raiser a huge success! After the sale ended, Jessika, a senior Baconian, continued on – preparing taco lunches for 30 student workers! Thanks to all our friends for donations, help, and support!

The cultural gathering place where Bacone's Native students may The cultural gathering place where Bacone's Native students may enjoy friendship, activities, and academic and social supportenjoy friendship, activities, and academic and social support.

Bacone CAI Students WOW at University of New Mexico AISA Conference Five CAI Native students travelled over a thousand miles to the beautiful campus of the University of New Mexico to participate in a panel discussion entitled Taking Back Bacone by Rethinking the Warrior Tradition. The panel was part of the 16th Annual American Indian Studies Association Conference held February 5-6. Each of the student's presentations fit nicely into this year's conference theme, Sustainability of Traditional Language, Culture, and Knowledge. According to the conference program, “Traditional knowledge is a broadly constructed concept. Tradition is not static . . . . . Native people face change and challenges at an amazing rate. What does sustainability mean within a world with rapid change?”

Back row: Muscogee Creek artist, Monte Deer; Santee Sioux UNM Law Professor John LaVelle; Osage student Talon Satepauhoodle; Kickapoo student Mitchell Scott; and Keetoowah Adjunct Professor Corey Still. Front row: Kiowa student, Shane Tartsah; Cherokee student Julie Burk; Cherokee Professor and CAI Director Patti Jo King; and Muscogee/ Navajo student Garrett Hotema. Professor LaVelle and Mr. Deer, whose mother and other family members are Bacone alumni, treated the students to an authentic Mexican dinner. After listening to the students talk about their personal academic journeys, Professor LaVelle was impressed, referring to their candor and depth as “remarkable.”

As a third generation Bacone student, Garrett Hotema spoke about Bacone's extensive legacy of Indian Education.

Talon Satepauhoodle spoke about cultural relavance and the role of athletics in Indian communities.

Mitchell Scott discussed tribal diversity, and the importance of student unity and participation to foster retention.

Three of the five students who participated in the discussion have family members who are alumni of Bacone. In their homes they grew up hearing about Bacone and understood it to be an 'Indian School', they had expectations about the kinds of experiences they would have when they got here. Hotema pointed out that “Just as times have changed in the world around us, times have changed at Bacone also. I grew up here as a child. It's like when you think of going to Grandmother's house as a kid, you remember it as a happy home-like place to go, and that's the way I've always thought of Bacone. But it couldn't stay the same way forever. Time and people change, but at CAI we are working to restore that coming home feeling again.”

(Continued Page 3)- 2 -

- 3 -

Shane Tartsah spoke about the need for students to feel they have a share in the direction of the college, and to develop leadership skills, .

Julie Burk described how identity crisis can occur when cultural appropriateness and sensitivity are lacking among students or staff.

Each of the student's who presented shared some of the common concerns and experiences they had upon their first arrival at Bacone. Each spoke of the expectations they had before they came to campus, and whether or not the school met those expectations. Identity confusion, isolation, invisibility, appropropriate cultural context, and the need for inclusion were some of the most common shared experiences. “We each have our own tribal regalia that we wear proudly, but at Bacone we are struggling to succeed so we can walk across that stage proudly in our academic regalia,” said Tartsah. The students suggested that while the recognition of tribal cultural values must be the critical foundation for new programs, activities, and social learning innovations for sustainable educational development, they also want to strengthen their vital relationships with the academic communiy in order to take their places in the mainstream world. “What we would really like is an opportunity to organize a townhall meeting with our faculty and Administrators, sit down, and share perspectives across the table,” Tartsah added.

(AISA Conference Continued)

Students fielding questions from the audience. Said one participant, “This is one of the most interesting and relevant panels I've ever attended. Hearing the students relate their own stories, fears, and concerns is both touching and powerful.”

Common pitfalls that instituiions fall into, according to Corey Still, include relating to Native student populations through static Indian images that are still used in many colleges today.

Warrior GymThursday Evenings

8 pm - 10 pm

Revising CAI Plans Will Enhance Native Presence, Club Participation, and Community SupportCAI is set to begin work on its Three Sisters Garden Project, but a decision to move the garden from its proposed site behind CC Harmon to the West side of the Kiva has created new excitement. “The garden will definetly enhance our future plans to construct a Longhouse near the Kiva Firepit,” said Dr. Patricia King. “We hope to create a beautiful space for student and club activities, as well as community and public programs.”

Native American Fraternity a First for BaconeNative American Fraternity a First for Bacone A new fraternal organization, founded on American Indian guiding principles but open to men of all ethnicities and backgrounds, has approved a new chapter here on the Bacone campus. The Society of Native American Gentlemen was first established at University of Oklahoma in 2004 to increase the retention and graduation rates of Native American men by fostering brotherhood. Sigma Nu Alpha Gama, which has one hundred members nationwide, creates a support system for its members through adherance to its four important principals:

● Academic Excellence● Cultural Awareness● Spiritual Well-Being and● Physical Fitness

“We are very excited to establish a chapter here at Bacone,” says the new chapter's advisor, Corey Still. “We are especially proud to be at Bacone, an institution well-known for its efforts to further higher education among Indians.”

Those interested in joining, or for more information, contact Corey Still at (918) 687-3299.

- 4 -

Everyday We Decide Who We Will Be by the Actions We Take and the Decisions We Make

2015 Five Civilized Tribes Student Art Show March 1-25 Reception March 1, 2:00 PM.Deadline for entries February 20, 2015Cory Still and I have been Invited to serve as judges for this years' FCTM Student Art Competition. This honor is dear to my heart since I served as Cultural Resources and Staff Artist at FCTM from 1994 - 2000. Entries are restricted to students with tribal citizenship in one of the Five Tribes; the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek) or Seminole.Categories are painting, graphic, sculpture, and cabin crafts.

MUST SEE! First Encounter, Chickasaw Nation’s first film in the Chickasaw Heritage Series has been named best short documentary at the Trail Dance Film Festival. The film chronicles the Chickasaws’ introduction to European explorers. February 28, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, Finger Weaving Class, John Hair Cultural Center, 18627 W. Keetoowah Circle, Tahlequah,OK 74464. (918) 772 4389. Students will learn the basic art form of finger weaving using commercial yarn to create a belt, sash, straps, or other similar items through a non-loom weaving process.

March 7, Peoria Stomp Dance. 114 South Eight Tribes Trail, Miami, OK. This cultural dance is an exciting display of slow, stomping steps set to rhythm. The traditional stomp dance ceremony contains both religious and social meaning. Head to this Miami event to enjoy Native American heritage in a festival atmosphere complete with old-fashioned cake walks and raffles. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.

Out and About and On the TownOut and About and On the Town

The KIVA is a gathering place for ALL Bacone American Indian students and their friends. A quiet space for study and a fun

place for socializing. Regular activities include talking circles, drumming, movie nights, community dinners, and many services.

Located at the South entrance of campus across from Poloke Hall. - 5 -

Valentine's Day TriviaValentine's Day TriviaAccording to the Chocolate Manufacturer's Association, more than 36 million boxes of chocolate were sold for Valentine's Day 2003.

The oldest known Valentine in existence was written for his wife by Charles, Duke of Orleans while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Cupid was the son of Venus, Goddess of Love & Beauty

Over 1 billion Valentines are sent each year by mail

Today we place X's at the bottom of our letters to send our loved one kisses. This ritual evolved out of the practice of illiterate people during the Middle Ages who, unable to write their names, made an X on documents then kissed it twice in front of witnesses to swear to their identity.

Stepping Into Leadership: Stepping Into Leadership: The Important Role of Active Listening in Becoming a Critical ThinkerThe Important Role of Active Listening in Becoming a Critical Thinker

Listening is an active process by which we make sense of, assess, and respond to what we hear. Listening is a skill of critical significance in all aspects of our lives--from maintaining our personal relationships, to getting our jobs done, to taking notes in class, to figuring out which bus to take to the airport. Regardless of how we're engaged with listening, it's important to understand that listening involves more than just hearing the words that are directed at us. Listening is an active process by which we make sense of, assess, and respond to what we hear.

The listening process involves five stages: receiving, understanding, evaluating, remembering, and responding. These stages will be discussed in more detail in later sections. Basically, an effective listener must hear and identify the speech sounds directed toward them, understand the message of those sounds, critically evaluate or assess that message, remember what's been said, and respond, either verbally or non-verbally, to information they've received. Effectively engaging with all five stages of the listening process lets us best gather the information we need from the world around us.

Active ListeningActive Listening

Active listening is a particular communication technique that requires the listener to provide feedback on what he or she hears to the speaker, by way of restating or paraphrasing what they have heard in their own words. The goal of this repetition is to confirm what the listener has heard and to confirm the understanding of both parties. The ability to actively listen demonstrates sincerity, and that nothing is being assumed or taken for granted. Active listening is most often used to improve personal relationships, reduce misunderstanding and conflicts, strengthen cooperation, and foster understanding.

When engaging with a particular speaker, a listener can use several degrees of active listening, each resulting in a different quality of communication with the speaker. This active listening chart shows three main degrees of listening: repeating, paraphrasing, and reflecting.

Active listening can also involve paying attention to the speaker's behavior and body language. Having the ability to interpret a person's body language lets the listener develop a more accurate understanding of the speaker's message. Critical thinking skills are essential and connected to the ability to listen effectively and process the information that one hears.

One definition for critical thinking is "the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. "

In other words, critical thinking is the process by which people qualitatively and quantitatively assess the information they have accumulated, and how they in turn use that information to solve problems and forge new patterns of understanding. Critical thinking clarifies goals, examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, accomplishes actions, and assesses conclusions. (Continued on Page 7)

- 6 -

(The Role of Active Listening Continued from Page 6)(The Role of Active Listening Continued from Page 6)

Critical thinking has many practical applications, such as formulating a workable solution to a complex personal problem, deliberating in a group setting about what course of action to take, or analyzing the assumptions and methods used in arriving at a scientific hypothesis. People use critical thinking to solve complex math problems or compare prices at the grocery store. It is a process that informs all aspects of one's daily life, not just the time spent taking a class or writing an essay.

Critical thinking is important for effective communication, and thus, public speaking.

The Connection of Listening to Critical Thinking to Listening

Expressed in most general terms, critical thinking is "a way of taking up the problems of life. " As such, reading, writing, speaking, and listening can all be done critically or uncritically insofar as core critical thinking skills can be applied to all of those activities. Critical thinking skills include observation, interpretation, analysis, inference, evaluation, and explanation.

Critical thinkers are those who are able to do the following:

● Recognize problems and find workable solutions to those problems● Gather relevant information● Read between the lines by recognizing what is not said or stated● Use language clearly, efficiently, and with efficacy● Form conclusions based on data● Determine the presence of lack of logical relationships● Find patterns of belief on the basis of wider experiences People can use critical thinking skills to understand, interpret, and assess what they hear in order to formulate appropriate reactions or responses. These skills allow them to organize the information that they hear, understand its context or relevance, recognize unstated assumptions, make logical connections between ideas, determine the truth values, and draw conclusions. Engaging in focused, effective listening promotes critical thinking and, ultimately, successful communication.

- 7 -

This Month in American Indian History This Month in American Indian History withwith Dr. King Dr. King The month of February has a special significance for students of American Indian history,

especially those who are interested in the events of the Frontier Indian Wars, 1780-1790. There are many well-known skirmishes and battles that took place during these years between U.S. armed forces and tribes, but in 1876 there were also strategic decisions made that literally shaped the outcome of these Frontier battles.

On January 19, 1876, Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman wrote a letter in favor of transfering the Bureau of Indian Affairs to the War Department; removing the Bureau's civillian agents, and installing military personnel in their places. No doubt, Sherman's opinion was influenced by the great corruption that existed among the Indian agents whose double dealings and outright thefts had left so many reservation Indians with little more than starvations rations. Sherman strongly expressed his views on Indian matters, nevertheless, one of his main concerns in the postwar years was to protect the construction and operation of the railroads from attack by Indians. He regarded the railroads “as the most important element now in progress to facilitate the military interests of our Frontier.” Hence, in 1867, he wrote to Grant that “We are not going to let a few thieving, ragged Indians check and stop the progress of [the railroads].” After the Fetterman Massacre in 1866 , Sherman wrote to Grant that "we must act with vindictive earnestness against the Sioux, even to their extermination, men, women and children.” On February 1, 1876, the Secretary of the Interior notified the Secretary Of War that the deadline that had been given to the Sioux and Cheyenne “hostiles” to abandon their villages and move onto the reservations created through Grant's Peace Policy had passed. He stated that now the matter would be placed in the hands of the military. Just six days later on February 7, the War Department authorized General Philip Sheridan to commence operations against the resistant Lakota, including the fierce bands of warriors that followed Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. Just four months later,two sad incidences brought about what came to be known as the “formal end of Indian resistance.” This was the murder of Sitting Bull at his North Dakota reservation cabin by the hands of the Indian Police, and the Wounded Knee Massacre at Pine Ridge, SD.

February 2711:00 am – 2:00 pm

at the Kiva

$4.00 /ea

INDIAN INDIAN MEAT PIE MEAT PIE MADNESS! MADNESS!So Good, You'll Want to Fight For More!So Good, You'll Want to Fight For More!

Deliciously seasoned Beef and Potatos wrapped in Indian Fry Bread and fried

to golden brown perfection!

(918) 687-3299All Procceds Benefit

Center for American Indians- 8 -