Cultural Affairs in Indian Country

"Cherokee National Youth Choir

Cherokee Nation"

"Cherokee National Youth Choir

Formed in 2000 as a part of the nation's
comprehensive language program, the Cherokee National Youth Choir performs
traditional and contemporary songs in the Cherokee language. Comprised of youth
between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, the award-winning choir performs at
venues in Cherokee communities and across the country. The choir has proven
itself to be an effective tool for inspiring Cherokee youth to learn their
language, culture, and history giving real hope that the sacred
gifts of language and song will never be lost."

"Cultural
Education and Revitalization Program

Makah
Nation"

"Cultural Education and Revitalization Program

As the westernmost Indian reservation in the
lower 48 states, the Makah Reservation was established by the 1855 Treaty of Neah Bay.
First contact between Makah people and non-natives began in the 1790s with
devastating and long-lasting effects. The Makah were not only overwhelmed by
disease and epidemics that resulted in great population loss, but eventually
their language fluency and culture were greatly diminished by the establishment
of Bureau of Indian Affairs' schools. But in the 1970s, the nation turned a
potential crisis to its advantage through the establishment of the Makah
Cultural Education and Revitalization Program. It serves as a hub of the
community, as well as steward of a world-class museum collection. By claiming
and caring for the treasures of its ancestors, the Makah Nation ensures the
cultural viability of its people."

"Cultural
Resources Protection Program

Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation"

"Cultural Resources Protection Program

Since contact, the Cayuse,
Umatilla, and Walla Walla have lost cultural objects and sacred sites to
looting, development, and archaeological excavations. Sadly, under federal
management, these losses continued well into the late twentieth century.
Convinced that they could do better, the tribes began the development of their
own Cultural Resources Protection Program. Today, the program is a recognized
leader in enforcing cultural resource management laws, influencing public
policy, and building support for tribal management of critical resources."

"Navajo Nation Archaeology Department

Navajo Nation"

"Navajo Nation Archaeology Department

Motivated by the belief that
Navajo people should decide how their culture is preserved and protected, the
Navajo Nation Archaeology Department partnered with universities to create training
programs for Navajo students interested in cultural preservation. The programs
combine academic training with field experience and are successfully expanding
the pool of Navajo professionals qualified to work in key tribal cultural
resource positions. In doing so, the programs meet important community needs
and add new perspectives to the fields of anthropology and archaeology."

"Poeh
Cultural Center

Pueblo
of Pojoaque"

"Poeh Cultural Center

The Pueblo of Pojoaque created
the for-profit Pojoaque Pueblo Construction Services Corporation to construct
and then support Pueblo’s non-profit Poeh Cultural Center and Museum. By
blending cultural revitalization and economic development into a unique
partnership, the pueblo is creating new revenues and employment opportunities
through its construction company, and is regaining control over its cultural
future through the promise of a sustained funding stream for cultural and
artistic activities."

"Southwest Oregon Research Project

Coquille Indian Tribe"

"Southwest Oregon Research Project

In 1995, the Coquille Indian
Tribe established the Southwest Oregon Research Project to recover historical,
anthropological, military, and government documents relating to the tribe and
surrounding Indian nations. These documents were potlatched (a traditional gift-giving ceremony) in two gift-giving
ceremonies to forty-four different tribes and are now locally accessible at
tribal libraries and at a central archive at the University of Oregon. Through
the Project, the Coquille have helped themselves and others rewrite and
interpret tribal histories, develop innovative partnerships, improve tribal
governmental performance, and strengthen tribal sovereignty."

"The
Cherokee Language Revitalization Project

The
Cherokee Nation"

"The Cherokee Language Revitalization Project

The Cherokee Nation carried out a
survey and found no fluent speakers under the age of 40. With great determination,
it launched an initiative designed to revitalize the Cherokee language. Using
state-of-the-art techniques of language acquisition, the project includes a
language immersion program for children, a university partnership degree
program for certifying Cherokee language teachers, and community language
activities. The project brings together elders, young adults, and children to
preserve a language and a people who see in their language the foundation of their
own survival."

"The Chickasaw Press

Chickasaw Nation"

"The Chickasaw Press

Books about Native nations and
their people are usually written by outsiders. By contrast, the Chickasaw
Nation created the Chickasaw Press to spread home-grown knowledge about their
Nation’s history and culture. The press publishes books written by Chickasaw
citizens, using the highest standards of professional editing and production.
In doing so, it gives new life to an ancient storytelling tradition."

"Tribal
Monitors Program

Standing
Rock Sioux Tribe"

"Tribal Monitors Program

Facing widespread looting on and
desecration of tribal lands and cultural sites, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
has developed an initiative to protect and uphold the significance of these
sites by training tribal citizens to preserve them. With a team of 16
volunteers, including two elder spiritual experts, the tribe monitors its
traditional homeland, provides services to other Indian nations in five states,
partners with outside agencies in preservation and enforcement efforts, and
assists in creating tribal legislation by developing a Cultural Resource Code."

"Ziibiwing
Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways

Saginaw
Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan"

"Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways

The Ziibiwing Center of
Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways is the caretaker of cultural heritage for the
Saginaw Chippewa. The center educates the tribe’s citizens and the general
public through its permanent and rotating exhibits, research center,
repatriation efforts, art market, workshops, and language programs. By sharing
its story in many ways, the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan is
reclaiming its past and celebrating its vibrant present as Anishinabe people."

"Zuni
Eagle Sanctuary

Pueblo
of Zuni"

"Zuni Eagle Sanctuary

The Zuni Eagle Sanctuary is the
first eagle sanctuary owned and operated by Native Americans as well as the
first aviary constructed for cultural preservation. Combining both functional
aspects of eagle care with an aesthetic that reflects the natural surroundings
of Zuni, the sanctuary is home to eagles that otherwise would have been
destroyed. Successfully meeting the Zunis’ demand for molted eagle feathers
that are used in ceremonies, the sanctuary is also a model of intergovernmental
cooperation between a tribal government and federal agency."