Archived News Item

THE LODGES apartment complex located at 1026 S. Johnstone in Bartlesville, Oklahoma is owned and operated by the Delaware Tribe of Indians. One and two bedroom units are available for rent to qualified low-income Delaware Tribal members and other Native Americans. Inquire at the Delaware Tribe Housing Program office at 168 N. Barbara Street in Bartlesville. For more information call Cece Biggoose at (918) 337-6572.

Native students should apply for all the funds they are eligible for. We will help you with your scholarship search, NO CHARGE. We will also help you develop your essay, NO CHARGE. Log on to our website and read the instructions, then print out the application. Seniors in high school should start the process as soon as they are in school. The scholarship season is October to April, so get busy. Contact Dr. Dean Chavers or Ms. Joy Noll any time. We want to hear from you as early as the sixth grade.

CATCHING THE DREAM
8200 Mountain Road; NE, Suite 203
Albuquerque NM 87110
Phone (505) 262-2351, fax (505) 262-0534
www.catchingthedream.org

Tribal Archivist Anita Mathis has just completed her first stint as instructor in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), sponsored by the Oklahoma State University College of Education.

The class, entitled “History of the Delaware Tribe,” was held weekly February 11-March 18, 2013 at the Arvest Bank in Bartlesville. Approximately ten students, including Delaware tribal members, were introduced to various aspects of Delaware history by Anita and several guest speakers.

The abstract for the class, which was very well received and will most likely be repeated next spring, gives some indication of the content:
“Books, documents, images and artifacts of the Delaware Tribe of Indians are being collected and archived using state-of-the-art museum cataloging software. The collection is located at Tribal Headquarters, and drawing on these rich cultural resources, Tribal Archivist Anita Mathis will introduce you to the history and way of life, both past and present, of the Delaware Indians. Using slide presentations and a field trip to Tribal Headquarters, you’ll research documents, some of which date to the 1600s.

“Anita Mathis has been active within the Tribe all her life, including but not limited to participating in every Powwow put on by the Tribe. The 2013 Powwow will be her 49th. Anita has served on the Trust Board and chaired and co-chaired various committees. She currently serves on the Culture Preservation Committee. Anita is the Tribal Archivist and oversees the library, gift shop and research area. She has extensive training and experience in handling and archiving photos and documents and is dedicated to preserving written, oral and pictorial Tribal history.”

Anita Mathis during first class.	Anita in traditional Delaware dress.
Annette Ketchum showing a simple buckskin dress worn in early years.	Jack Tatum, Dee Ketchum, and Annette Ketchum (foreground).
Dee Ketchum on the water drum doing a prayer song.	Dee Ketchum with water drum.
Mike Pace.	Anita Mathis with Mike Pace and Dee Ketchum in background.
Jack Tatum leading the Bean Dance.	Jim Rementer teaching class about the Lenape language.
Curtis Zunigha.	Greg Brown teaching class about Delaware archaeology.

On March 12, 2013, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the American Indian College Fund has been selected to administer the student Scholarship Fund authorized by the Cobell Settlement, with a fifth of the annual scholarships to be awarded by the American Indian Graduate Center.

For details, see http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/secretary-salazar-announces-cobell-scholarship-fund-administrator.cfm.

The 35th annual Operation Eagle Powwow will be held April 6, 2013 at the Washington County Fair Building in Dewey, OK.

For more information, contact the Operation Eagle Office, Will Rogers Complex, 4620 E. Frank Phillips Blvd., Bartlesville, OK (phone 918-337-0130)

» View Flyer

On February 16, 2013, the Delaware Tribe and Bartlesville/Dewey Community held a Memorial Gourd Dance in honor of Cheevers Coffey. A lot of tribal members, friends of Cheevers and Rosetta Coffey, were unable to attend the services held for Cheevers in Lawton, and wanted to do something in his honor.

When talking with Rosetta, she thought a Gourd Dance would be nice. This gave the local community a chance to visit with Rosetta, and reflect on the great and wonderful memories that they had of Cheevers Coffey. The dance was a great success, and we want to express our appreciation for all those who helped out and all those who attended.

SUPPORT FOR NATIVE ARTISTS

Vancouver, Wash. American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian artists are encouraged to apply for the 2014 Native Arts and Cultures Foundation Artist Fellowships before May 3. This unique national fellowship honors excellence by Native artists in six disciplines: dance, filmmaking, literature, music, traditional arts and visual arts.

Ranging from $10,000 to $20,000, the fellowships awarded by the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF) recognize the creativity and expression of exceptional Native artists who have made significant impact in the field. In past years, artists living in the Midwest, including Bobby Bullett (Chippewa), Brent Michael Davids (Mohican), Emily Johnson (Yupik), Bennie Klain (Navajo), Ronald Paquin (Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa) and Rosy Simas (Seneca) were honored with this award.

“Through the fellowship program, we hope to foster the creative voices of our indigenous artists,” said foundation Program Director Reuben Tomás Roqueñi (Yaqui/Mexican). “The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation believes in the beauty and inspiration of the work of Native artists and the fellowships provide a significant resource for their practice.”

Artists who are members of federally and state-recognized U.S. tribes, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities can review criteria in full and apply by the May 3 deadline at: http://nacf.us/2014-fellowships. The foundation will announce award recipients in November 2013. For questions and technical support, contact Program Director Reuben Roqueñi: reuben@nativeartsandcultures.org or 360-314-2421.

Since it was launched in 2009, the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation has awarded $1,341,000 in grants to 72 Native artists and organizations in 20 states. In addition to awarding Native artist fellowships, NACF has funded organizations including the American Indian Center of Chicago, the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums of Oklahoma City, the First People’s Fund in Rapid City, S.D. and the Northwoods Niijii Enterprise Community in Flambeau, Wis. Created after decades of visioning among the nation’s first peoples with the support of the Ford Foundation and others, NACF is a national charity solely dedicated to supporting the revitalization, appreciation and perpetuation of Native arts and cultures.

To learn more about the foundation’s mission and past fellows awarded, visit www.nativeartsandcultures.org.

As a part of the promise to the Kansas Humanities Council and Missouri Humanities Council, from whom we have been awarded development grants totalling $20,000 sponsored by US taxpayers and the National Endowment of the Humanities, we are seeking further funding for the production of Heart of the Drum. Currently working with colleagues and connections in Los Angeles and Kansas City, Edie Robinette-Petrachi is developing the necessary relationships to build upon the foundation for further funding. Additional possibilities lie not only within the film investment community, but also within the private foundation world. The Annenberg Foundation, based in Philadelphia, is an additional opportunity for us as well. We are working as quickly as possible to encourage participation from potential funders who are passionate about bringing the Delaware story to the screen for the world to see. Jack Robinette has been meeting with local corporation sponsors and foundations in the Kansas City area.

Jim Rementer has done some research into his collection of videos and recordings of Nora Dean Thompson and other tribal members to provide archival footage for the film. Additionally he has identified and succeeded in finding scholars in the Philadelphia area to provide history of the tribe in Pennsylvania. Anita Mathis has provided several wonderful suggestions for meeting on the campus with the youth of the tribe for the portion of the film that will include video interviews between youth and elders in a modern-day context.

Film Director Edie Robinette-Petrachi has been chosen to be a judge at the Kansas City Film Festival (April 10-15), as well as screen a film she worked on as a director and producer. This film was originally produced by HEART OF THE DRUM producer Jack Robinette. During the Kansas City Film Festival, Edie and Jack will be on hand to host a meet-and-greet with the directors of the Kansas and Missouri Humanities Councils. State and federal legislators introduced by Chief Paula Pechonick and Tribal Project Director Anita Mathis to the film project will be invited as well. We view this opportunity as an important step in raising local awareness in the Kansas City and Lawrence communities. The Humanities Councils are especially pleased with this invitation as it draws attention to the story of the Delaware Tribe’s important role in shaping the history of these two states, which otherwise have a bitter history of border conflicts dating back to the Civil War. The Delaware presence in the two states between around 1830 and the late 1860s, pre-dating the period known as “Bleeding Kansas,” is both an important story in itself, often untold and not properly understood, but also a message of healing. The positive resonance of this story is receiving favorable attention which we are depending upon to secure all of the funding we need. Edie is building community awareness and developing a Facebook Movie webpage to provide updates to her film community and develop an audience base for future crowd funding.

Edie Robinette-Petrachi