COYOTE TIMES The SCES-SFU University Program Newsletter

Volume 11, No. 3 (Lost Copy Restored from Ancient File) September 29th, 1999

Weytkp—Welcome

Warm sunny days; cold cloudy days, windy sunny days; warm windy days with clouds in the morning, overcast and rainy days with glimpses of sun…Does that cover it? While peace reigns in the classroom, chaos blossoms outside. The end of the semester draws closer, and every-one should be preparing for a hard month of work, followed by the delight of having done so well. Now is also the time to seek help if you’ve been have difficulties. And the usual reminder that “term papers” are not called “weekend before papers) for a good reason. The editor and staff of Coyote Times apologize for the long delay between issues this semester, we’ve been receiving so many news items (note the not-so-subtle sarcasm) that its taken this long to assem-ble the issue.

Editor Coyote and Wren The Earth people wanted to make war on the Sky people. Grizzly-Bear was their chief, and he called all the warriors together. They were told to shoot in turn at the moon (or sky). All did as directed, but their arrows fell short. Only Wren had not shot his arrow. Coyote said, “He need not shoot. He is too small, and his bow and arrows are too weak.” How

ever, Grizzly-Bear declared that Wren must have his turn. Wren shot his arrow, and it hit the moon (or sky) and stuck fast. Then the others shot their arrows, which struck each in the nock of the preced-ing one, until they had made a chain reaching from the sky to the ground. Then all the people climbed up, Grizzly-Bear going last. He was very heavy; and when he was up more than half way, the chain broke by his weight. he made a spring, and caught the part of the chain above him; and this caused the arrows to pull out at the top, where the leading war-riors had made a hole to enter the sky. The whole chain fell down, and left the people without means of descending. The Earth people attacked the Sky people (i.e., the Starts), and defeated them in the first battle; but the latter soon gathered in such numbers that they far outnumbered the Earth peo-ple, and in the next battle routed them, killing a great many.* The defeated Earth people ran for the ladder, many being overtaken and killed on the way. When they found the ladder broken, each prepared himself the best way he could, so as not to fall too heavily, and one after another jumped down. Fly-ing-Squirrel was wearing a small robe, which he spread out like wings when he jumped: therefore he has something like wings now. He came down without hurting himself. Whitefish looked down the hole before jumping. When he saw the great depth, he puckered up his mouth and drew back: therefore he has a small puckered mouth at

(continued on page 3)

The Coyote Times 2

COYOTE TIMES —is a publication of the Secwepemc Cultural Education Society-Simon Fraser University Pro-gram, which is located on the Kamloops Indian Reserve. It is published on a bi-weekly basis (more or less) throughout the Fall and Spring semesters. Any opinions expressed here are those of the staff of Coyote Times, or of contributors, and not those of either SCES or SFU. Founded in 1994, Coyote Times publishes news con-cerning the SCES-SFU Program, as well as items of in-terest to our students, staff, and faculty. Submissions should be addressed to the Editor and left at the Admin-istrative Office (Building 1). The logo, portraying Coyote eyeing the Eagle, was created by Shuswap artist Dave Seymour.

Editor: G.P. Nicholas Resource Library The Resource Library will be open for the period of February 15th to March 30th. The schedule is: Mondays 12:00-4:00; Tuesdays 10:00-2:00.

Archaeology For Educators Education is the most effective means of preserv-ing the legacy of our rich and varied cultural re-sources. While archaeologists have long worked to educate the public about why the past is so im-portant to us all, they are not trained as educators and their own work is time-consuming enough. It is far more effective for them to work with educators to ensure that the message is delivered in an in-formative, interesting and effective format. This course is designed for students with an in-terest in archaeology but who plan to pursue a ca-reer in teaching, as well as for future archaeologists and cultural resource managers who need to interact effectively with the public. It will also be of interest to established teachers in primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools. The course reviews the goals and methods of archaeology and then explores a variety of means to make the past understandable and accessible. Student projects include “shoe-box archaeology” for grade-school students, designing course curricula, and preparing student exercises, all of which are designed to help replace the Indiana Jones image with a more responsible and informed view of what archaeology is really all about. The class meets Wednesdays 4:30 to 8:30 PM during Intersession, with a one-day weekend field trip scheduled at some point during the semester.

Dr. Aimee August Scholarship Applications are now being sought for the Dr. Aimee August Scholarship. Awarded by the Minis-ter of Advanced Education, Training, and Technol-ogy upon the recommendation of the SCES-SFU Joint Steering Committee, this scholarship is awarded annually to a SCES-SFU student of Native ancestry who best demonstrates exceptional schol-arship combined with an appreciation for Native language and culture. Candidates must be of Native ancestry, be registered as full-time students, and have successfully completed a minimum of 24 cred-it hours in the SCES-SFU Program. Candidates must submit ALL of the following documents: 1. A formal letter of application stating their financial situation (e.g., DIA funding, SCSL, Part-time employ-ment, etc.); commitment to their culture and language; and academic achievements; and 2. A copy of their unofficial SCES-SFU transcripts. Candidates will be evaluated according to the fol-lowing criteria: 1. Scholarship: applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students must further manifest the qualities of hard work, dedication, and commitment to their studies. 2. Need: applicants must show an appreciable financial need. The Committee will weigh such factors as parental and marital status, part-time employment, and Band as-sistance; and 3. Appreciation of Native Language and Culture: Ap-plicants must demonstrate sensitivity to the unique cul-tural and linguistic traditions of Native people. The Committee will consider such criteria as the student’s extracurricular activities with Native organizations, per-sonal research, and the nature of studies being pursued. The value of the scholarship approximately $1860.00. The deadline for applications is Friday, March 12th, 1999. Applications must be addressed to Chair, SCES-SFU Joint Steering Committee SFU Program, 345 Yellowhead Highway Kamloops, BC V2H 1H

The Coyote Times 3 Secwepemc Language Course

An intensive four week immersion-like course in the Secwepemc language will be offered July 5-30th. The course is intended for people who have at least some understanding of the language, but who wish to improve their oral speaking skills to com-municate with elders and community members who are speakers, and/or to gain the proficiency in the language they will need to be Secwpemc language teachers. On a daily basis involving 6-8 hours of activities and practice each day, this course sill consist of demonstrations of activities in Secwepemctsin by speakers/elders, followed by oral exercises and drills, small-group practice, one-on-one practice with speakers, sentence-building activities. Most activities will be carried out orally, and students will have the opportunity to practice vocabulary and sentence drills with the help of audio-tapes. Alt-hough the initial weeks will be mainly spent in the classroom, the final two weeks will involve out-doors activities and potentially one or more camp-outs. This intensive course is available as a set of two to three credit courses. Tuition is $750 for four weeks. Interested participants are encouraged to ar-range time off with employers and/or to seek spon-sorship from their First nations organizations. For further information, see Shelly or Penny.

ARCHAEOLOGY DEPARTMENT

A meeting of Archaeology Types was held in the on March 4th to provide an update on what’s hap-pening in the Lab, and on future plans: • Several major projects are getting underway in the Lab, including work on the last eight years of field work. • New equipment was unveiled, purchased for the Lab with some of Nicholas’s fellowship money: the color printer, scanner, zip drive, and other odds and ends will allow us to increase productivity in the lab. • An informal weekly seminar on archaeology topics of general interest will be initiated. This will provide an opportunity to discuss current issues in archaeology on an informal basis. • When on the main campus several weeks ago, several colleagues reiterated the need to increase interaction between the two campuses. One sugges-tion was for a van or two full of Kamloops students

to tour the Archaeology Department, meet with fac-ulty and students; and socialize over a two-day pe-riod. While this idea was met with enthusiasm at our end, one wag at the meeting pointed out that it would be just as educational for Burnaby students to spend a day or two here.” We will try to implement both plans this coming Fall. • Other suggestions made in Burnaby included faculty members traveling here to present lectures, as well as a faculty exchange program. • Nicholas may be hiring for several part-time po-sitions in the next few weeks. Look for postings, or drop by to leave your name and telephone number.

Jules Scholarship Deadline Extended The Alvin L. Jules Archaeology Scholarship sup-ports deserving First Nations students in the SCES-SFU program. Candidates will evaluated on the ba-sis of their interest in archaeology, as well as demonstrated or potential scholarship capabilities. Preference will be given to students with financial need. To apply, the applicant must be registered as a full-time SCES-SFU student, and must submit a letter that includes: a) a statement about your inter-est in archaeology, and why you think it important that First Nations people become more involved in archaeology; b) a list of archaeology courses that you have taken; and c) a statement outlining your financial situation. Deadline for applications is Friday, March 12th. Applications addressed to Dr. George Nicholas should be left at the front desk. Coyote and Wren (continued) the present day. Sucker jumped down without first preparing himself, and his bones were broken: therefore the sucker’s bones are found in all parts of its flesh now. [*—At that time there were a number of different animals on earth that are not here now; but they were killed in this war, and transformed into stars. Had they all come back to earth, there would be many more kinds here now. Those we have now represent only the survivors of the war.] A Pend D’Oreille Tale, collected by James A. Teit, from Folk-Tales of Salishan Tribes. Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society XI, 1917.

The Coyote Times 4 Year 2000

Professional Development Program The SFU-SEI Program is seeking applicants for our Professional Development Program, January-December 2000. This is a 12-month teacher educa-tion program consisting of university seminars and courses, as well as a short and long-term practicum. Applicants for Elementary Education need to have completed 76 credit hours of academic work, in-cluding a set of academic courses required by the BC College of Teachers. Applicants for Secondary Education need to have completed an undergraduate degree including a teachable major or two teachable minors. The focus of the Year 2000 Kamloops PDP will be on preparing students to teach First nations Stud-ies and related subjects and/or Aboriginal Lan-guages, in particular those taught in BC Schools. Application deadline is August 15th, 1999. For ad-ditional information see Dr. Marianne Ignace of Penny Holmes.

STUDENT SOCIETY NEWS

There will be a meeting of the Student Society on Thursday, March 11th, at 11:15. Everyone is en-couraged to attend. At least come for the free doughnuts.

Walter Isadore, Student Society President

>>— Get Involved —<<

Chacmool Archaeology Conference The theme of this year’s Chacmool Conference at the University of Calgary is “Archaeology and In-digenous Peoples.” Titles and abstracts for contrib-uted papers are due on April 1st. If you are interest-ed in contributing a paper (and are strongly encour-aged to consider doing so), please see Nicholas soon. Given the topic, many of our students and graduates have much to offer on the topic. Infor-mation is posted in the Archaeology Lab.

On Doing Ethnography In today’s rapidly changing multicultural world we are all becoming ethnographers, gathering, in-scribing, and interpreting what Others say and do in order to make sense of our own sayings and doings. Within this new social context the inquiring Self is

as problematic as the cultural Other. While some progress has been made in understanding certain cultural Others, we still lack an adequate under-standing of the culture of ethnographic inquiry. My account of learning the craft of ethnography is at least a beginning, revealing how an ethnographer is created, motivated, and then goes about creating personal, gendered cultural and intercultural portrai-ture. The explicitly narrative structure o f my text is an intentional break with an older, more static man-ner of representing and typifying other peoples and cultures. In this older tradition, the firsthand experi-ences that take place during what is set aside and labeled as “fieldwork” becomes mere anecdotes re-served for more formal occasions among family and friends. Topics such as kinship, gender relations, economics, and politics are abstracted from the ma-trix of experience and formally presented as “objec-tive data” to colleagues at professional meetings in the expensive hotels of distant cities. Because eth-nography is not only a product but also a process, our lives as ethnographers are embedded within ex-perience in such a way that all our interactions in-volve choices and thus have a moral dimension. When we see or fail to see, report a particular mis-understanding or embarrassment or ignore it, we make choices. We also make a choice when we edit ourselves out of our books. —from The Beautiful and the Dangerous: Encoun-ters with the Zuni Indians by Barbara Tedlock

First Nations Volleyball Tournament

The First Nations Co-Ed Volleyball Tournament takes place in the Kamloops Indian Band Gym on March 27-28th. Entry fee is $150 per team, with a $1000.00 payout, plus trophies and All-Star T-shirts. All players must have a First Nations Status card. For more information, contact Randy at 372-8321.

• • • • • •