Tag Archive for: Native American

Heritage University hosts 3rd Annual All Nations Student Powwow

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Heritage University students bringing successful powwow back to campus for third year

Toppenish, Wash. – Heritage University’s two Native American student clubs are bringing the successful All Nations Student Powwow back to campus for a third year. This year’s powwow will take place Saturday, April 13, 2019.

“The powwow is a great way to showcase the rich culture of the Yakama people, and share it with the community, said Brenda Lewis, president of the American Indigenous Business Leaders (AIBL) of Heritage University chapter. “We are honored that more and more people come out each year to celebrate with us and to experience a bit of the cultural traditions that we hold close to our hearts.”

Central to the powwow are the dance and drumming competitions. Registration for the competitions opens at 10:00 a.m. The event officially kicks off with the Grand Entry at 11:00 a.m. Men and women of all ages – from tiny tots to seniors over 55 – will compete in traditional, fancy, and grass for men and jingle for women dance competitions. Several honor dances and intertribal dances, where people from every culture are invited to participate, are also planned.

Local drum group Chute #8 will serve as Head Drum. Heritage University board member and long-time supporter Arlen Washines, deputy director for Yakama Nation Human Services, and Clayton Chief from the Ministikwan Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada will serve as masters of ceremonies. Casey Wallahee will be the Arena Director and Karen Umtuch will serve as the Whip Woman.

In addition to the drum and dance competitions taking place in the arena, various other cultural activities will go on throughout the day, including a stick game demonstration, storytelling and basket weaving demonstrations. Shoppers can enjoy handcrafted Native and western arts as well as enjoy food from a variety of vendors. Rounding out the day will be a hosted evening meal at 5:00 p.m. prepared by the Toppenish Longhouse.

The Powwow is a free event and open to the public. It is presented by AIBL and the Heritage University Native American Club (HUNAC). Vendor applications are still being accepted. For more information, visit heritage.edu/powwow or call (509) 865—8588.

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Flag raising ceremony and an event honoring Yakama elders kick off Native American Heritage Month at Heritage University

Flag raising ceremony and an event honoring Yakama elders kick off Native American Heritage Month at Heritage University

Toppenish, Wash. – A flag-raising ceremony and a celebration honoring several Yakama Nation elders will kick off Heritage University’s annual recognition of Native American Heritage Month. President George H. W. Bush designated November as Native American Heritage Month in 1990.

The Heritage University Native American Club (HUNAC) and Heritage University are sponsoring the events on campus (free to the public unless otherwise noted), which include:

Friday, November 2:
Heritage University will raise the flags of the Yakama Nation, the state of Washington and the United States during a ceremony featuring the Yakama Warriors. The ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be held at the main campus entrance. At 10:00 a.m., Honoring Our Elders, an event celebrating Yakama Nation tribal elders Loren Selam, Sr., Marlene Spencer Simla, Wanda Sampson and Delano Saluskin and their contributions to the Yakama Nation community, will take place in Smith Family Hall. This event is by invitation only.

Wednesday, November 7:
Therapy Through the Art of Wápaas Weavingwill be held in Smith Family Hall from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., and will feature community member Bessie Wilson (Wahpeniat) teaching how to weave hemp, string and yarn into wápaas bags. Also on November 7, the Community Dinner Gathering will take place in Smith Family Hall. This event will feature a silent auction and entertainment will be provided by motivational speaker Dyami “Eagle Thomas.” The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship at Heritage, the HU chapter of American Indian Business Leaders and the HU Garrett Lee Suicide Prevention Grant have joined as sponsors of the dinner which will be held from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

November 12 – 17
Heritage University students, faculty and staff will celebrate American Indian/Alaska Native heritage by participating in “Rock Your Mocs,” an event where people are encouraged to wear moccasins during the week. The event also honors the ancestors of indigenous peoples worldwide.

Tuesday, November 13:
HUNAC will host Ichishkíin Gamesin the Patricia Wade Temple Conference Room from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Students and families from the community are invited to enjoy games played in Ichishkīin including “Aw np’íwitak” (Go Fish), “Nax̱sh” (Uno) and more. The games featured are developed by students of Ichishkíin programs at Heritage University and the University of Oregon. No experience with the language is necessary as tutors will be teaching pronunciation and phrases at the event. Also on November 13, HUNAC member Candace Chief will hold a Ribbon Skirt Workshopand show how to make colorful, cultural skirts. The workshop takes place in the Harry Kent Building from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Monday, November 19:
Ichishkíin Family Game Nightis another opportunity for the public to play games in Ichishkíin. The game night takes place in Smith Family Hall from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, November 20:
HUNAC invites you to Community Storytellingat the Heritage University Tipi from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Tribal elders, students and community members will share traditional stories while roasting marshmallows and sipping hot cocoa.

Tuesday, November 27:
Ichishkíin Family Game Night– Smith Family Hall, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Wednesday, November 28:
A three-day extravaganza geared towards creating awareness of frybread will begin on this way, with the screening of the mockumentary More Than Frybreadin Smith Family Hall from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. You’ll learn why frybread is revered in Indian Country.

Thursday, November 29:
HUNAC members will show how frybread is made during a cooking demonstration outside Pigott Commons from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. People will get a chance to buy frybread during this event.

Friday, November 30:
Heritage University students and staff will have the opportunity to put their frybread cooking skills to the test during a competition outside the Arts & Sciences Center from 12:00 pm – 2:00 p.m. HUNAC members will serve as judges for the competition.

Yakama Nation and Heritage University sign memorandum of understanding to strengthen and formalize ties

Yakama Nation Tribal Council Chairman JoDe Goudy and Heritage University President Andrew Sund shake hands during memorandum of understanding signing ceremony

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Yakama Nation and Heritage University sign memorandum of understanding to strengthen and formalize ties

Toppenish, Wash. – Yakama Nation Tribal Council Chairman, JoDe L. Goudy and Heritage University President, Dr. Andrew Sund have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) which formalizes their working relationship and mutual goals to provide high-quality college education to Yakama tribal members.

The MOU, Dr. Sund says, reaffirms Heritage’s origins and mission to provide college education to underrepresented populations, “We strive always to stay true to the vision of the two Yakama women, Violet Lumley Rau and Martha Yallup who, along with Sister Kathleen Ross, were instrumental in starting Heritage,” said Dr. Sund. “This MOU sets forth terms for Heritage and the tribe to strengthen our relationship and formalizes the processes by which we work together on an ongoing basis to ensure we create academic programming that is culturally competent and a campus climate that meets the cultural needs of Yakama students.”

Chairman Goudy welcomed Heritage University officials and faculty to council chambers as part of the signing of the MOU. “We are very humbled in today’s time to take an action that aligns with the vision that our elders have had for the benefit of our members seeking higher education,” said Goudy. “This MOU represents a step taken in the right direction to position our membership for success and we thank Heritage University for the collaboration and commitment to the education of Yakama members.”

The MOU is the result of Heritage University board member and Yakama Nation  Human Services Deputy Director Arlen Washines searching for such a document and coming up empty. “We have a long history of working together informally, but it was time to get a formal document created in which both the Nation and Heritage could outline their commitments to each other,” said Washines. “Today marks a significant milestone in our long relationship.”

Dr. Maxine Janis, the President’s Liaison for Native American Affairs at Heritage, watched Chairman Goudy and Dr. Sund sign the agreement in tribal council chambers. “It was my esteemed honor to witness the signing of the MOU. Heritage University now more closely aligns with the Yakama Nation Treaty of 1855 honoring the land, lifeways, and culture of the people whose homelands our institution is situated.”

For more information, contact Elese Washines at (509) 865-5121 ext. 4530 or elese_washines@yakama.com, or David Mance, Heritage University media relations coordinator, at (509) 969-6084 or Mance_D@Heritage.edu.

Heritage University receives $1.5M scholarship endowment for Native American students, KIMA-TV, September 5, 2018

TOPPENISH, Wa. — Heritage University is helping Native American students reach their educational goals with a $1.5 million scholarship endowment.

Ida Moses-Hypeer is a Senior at Heritage University and she is majoring in business with the help of several scholarships from the school.

“Blessing and also really helpful because, including myself, when you’re having these many scholarships all I want to think about right now is to learn,” said Moses-Hypeer.

Watch the story at kimatv.com.

Heritage University reaches goal to create scholarship endowment for Native American students, KAPP-TV, August 29, 2018

TOPPENISH, Wash. – A $650,000 donation has allowed Heritage University to reach its goal of creating a $1.5 million endowment for Native American student scholarships.

courtesy KAPP-TV

They recently received the grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

It will be combined with matching funds from the Johnson Scholarship Foundation and other private donors, to create the endowment which supports scholarships for indigenous students studying business and entrepreneurship.

Read more at YakTriNews.com.

Major gift allows Heritage University to create $1.5 mil scholarship endowment for Native American students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

$650,000 donation completes Heritage University effort to create a $1.5 million scholarship endowment for Native American students

Toppenish, Wash. – A major gift to Heritage University has allowed it to reach its goal of creating a $1.5 million endowment for Native American student scholarships. The university has received a $650,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; it will be combined with matching funds from the Johnson Scholarship Foundation (JSF) and other private donors to create the endowment which supports scholarships for Indigenous students studying business or entrepreneurship.

Alden Andy, Heritage University graduate (business administration, 2017) and Johnson Scholarship Foundation scholarship recipient (GORDON KING/Gordon King Photography)

In 2016, Heritage and JSF set the endowment fundraising effort in motion when Heritage committed to raising $1 million over three years and JSF pledging matching funds of $500,000.

“This generous gift means so much to us at Heritage University,” said Dr. Andrew Sund, president of Heritage. “This new scholarship program will change the lives and narratives of so many deserving Native students for years to come.”

“I am so grateful for this wonderful show of support,” said Dr. Maxine Janis, president’s liaison for Native American Affairs at Heritage University. “This support, coupled with the contributions from the Johnson Scholarship Foundation, as well as gifts from many, many donors in the community will help us provide a pathway for our Native American students to achieve their educational and career goals.”

Kip Ramsey, Yakama Nation tribal member, entrepreneur and Heritage University board member, says Native Americans are underrepresented in nearly every sector of the American economy, and JSF scholarships will increase the numbers of Native Americans in the business world. “Education is the great equalizer and this scholarship endowment will allow more Native American students to earn their business degrees and thrive.”

The strategic intent of the Johnson Scholarship Foundation is to provide scholarship funding to Native Americans studying business and/or entrepreneurship under the theory that those men and women will then draw from their education to start business enterprises that will in turn impact their communities for future generations.

“We are so thrilled to have the Gates Foundation join us in this endeavor to support the education of Native Americans at Heritage University,” said Malcolm Macleod, president of JSF. ”This endowed scholarship will help hundreds of students earn their college degrees and enhance the lives of many thousands of people whom these students will touch over the arc of their lives and careers.”

 

About the Johnson Scholarship Foundation

The Johnson Scholarship Foundation was founded by Theodore R. and Vivian M. Johnson to serve disadvantaged people by assisting them to obtain education and employment. For more than 25 years, JSF has awarded close to $125 million in education-related grants. JSF gives to economically disadvantaged students, people with disabilities, and Indigenous Peoples. For more information, please visit jsf.bz.

About Heritage University

Heritage University empowers a multi-cultural and inclusive student body to overcome the social, cultural, economic and geographic barriers that limit access to higher education. Rooted in the homeland of the Yakama Nation, we embrace transformational student-centered education that cultivates leadership and a commitment to the promotion of a more just society.

To find out more about this scholarship endowment, please call David Wise, Vice President of University Advancement at (509) 865-0717 or Wise_D@Heritage.edu.

For more information, contact David Mance at (509) 865-0731 or Mance_D@Heritage.edu, or Lady Hereford at (561) 659-2005 ext. 6 or Hereford@jsf.bz.

Portraits of Yakama Nation elders are now on display at Heritage

Portraits from three years of honoring Yakama Nation elders are now on display in the Violet Lumley Rau Center conference room at Heritage University. Each fall since 2015, four elders are recognized for their significant contributions to their community. The celebration is part of  the university’s observance of Native American Heritage Month. More portraits are to come as we continue this tradition.

Visit the Rau Center at Heritage University to see them for yourself!

Summer program prepares students for health and science jobs that may benefit the valley, KIMA-TV, July 11, 2018

Students in SPYS class (KIMA-TV)

Students in SPYS class (KIMA-TV)

YAKIMA Wa. — University leaders are teaching young students about health and science careers to prepare them for jobs in the Yakima Valley.

Heritage University and Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences have come together with the Mt. Adams School District and Yakama Nation Tribal School to create a science- focused program for middle and high school students.

Student Jayenell Lee who is attending the five-week program and she says she wants to go into the Neuro Science field and feels like this program is helping her get there.

Read more at KIMATV.com

KIMA-TV covers SPYS

A KIMA-TV reporter capturing video for a story on SPYS

Heritage University, PNWU entice students to science

Toppenish, Wash. –Heritage University and Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences have come together with the Mt. Adams School District and the Yakama Nation Tribal School to create a unique science-focused program for young people living on the homelands of the Yakama Nation.

The five-week long Summer Program for Yakama Students (SPYS) encourages and rewards young people in the Valley to enroll and succeed in science classes. Dr. Maxine Janis, president’s liaison for Native American affairs at Heritage University, and Dr. Mirna Ramos-Diaz, assistant professor of family medicine at PNWU, and Dr. Naomi Lee from Northern Arizona University created SPYS. Dr. Janis and Dr. Ramos-Diaz co-wrote a proposal to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and received notice of funding days before the program began in the Yakima Valley.

Summer Program for Yakama Students

First week of classes in the Summer Program for Yakama Students project at Heritage University

“I just want to emphasize that our collaboration is the only way this program is possible,” said Dr. Ramos-Diaz, SPYS co-director. “What makes my heart sing is the work from everybody so we could build this pathway program for our underrepresented youth.”

The intent of the program is simple – build and strengthen the scientific knowledge and motivation of students to enter the health sciences and do well in their science curriculum. Upon successful completion of the program, the high school students may be able to participate in a two-month internship at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland.

Dr. Janis and Dr. Ramos-Diaz have worked closely for years on both the summer internship program and the Roots To Wings program that involves both schools. “I am thrilled to be working with partners who feel as passionately as I do in developing programs that will benefit the Native peoples of our Valley.”

SPYS is a comprehensive science-based education program which integrates traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) as part of the curriculum. The program will also offer instruction on how to apply for college, seek scholarships and financial aid, and learn successful study habits. Local culture is also woven into the curriculum, such as incorporating the knowledge of various foods into the study of chemistry, and integrating Native traditions and values into science. “We know that combining culture with science makes the course of study more accepted by students, who in turn will do better in these types of programs,” said Ramos-Diaz.

The SPYS program is designed to provide opportunities for underrepresented youth to seek health professions pathways. Native Americans and Mexican-Americans under the age of 18 living on the Yakama Nation are participating in SPYS. Once they complete the program, these students will be in the position when they turn 18 to complete a competitive application for a summer internship at the NIH in Bethesda.

Summer Program for Yakama Students

First week of classes in the Summer Program for Yakama Students project at Heritage University

Guest lecturers from across the nation will join Heritage and PNWU faculty for SPYS. Dr. Rita Devine, program coordinator for NINDS and Dr. David Wilson, director of the Tribal Health Research Office at NIH will visit the students and observe their progress. Dr. Wilson’s office coordinates NIH research related to the health of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) at NIH institutes and centers. “Dr. Wilson’s presence at SPYS will bring a great deal of prestige to the program,” said Ramos-Diaz.

“The NIH always seeks to support pilot programs such as SPYS to demonstrate how underrepresented students in health sciences disciplines can conduct research that will impact health, disease and health care outcomes,” said Dr. Janis. “Support for the SPYS preparatory education program offers opportunities for our Native youth to become active participants as scholars in the health sciences.”

Heritage University in Toppenish will host the first week of SPYS beginning July 9, 2018. PNWU in Yakima, Wash. will host the second and third week, with the program returning to Heritage for the final two weeks.

For more information, contact:

Maxine Janis at (509) 865-0737 or Janis_M@Heritage.edu

Mirna Ramos-Diaz at (509) 249-7796 or MRamosDiaz@pnwu.edu

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