vtaliman's blog

President Obama honors J. Christopher Stevens in speech to United Nations

World events happening far away often have roots in Indian Country that go unnoticed except by our own people and communities. The tragic deaths of J. Christopher Stevens, a member of the Chinook Indian Tribe, and his colleagues on September 11 are one recent example of how Native peoples continue to help shape world policies and events. Our condolences to the Stevens Family and the Chinook Tribe for their loss.

Five years ago on September 13,  I was at the United Nations General Assembly with Six Nations Chiefs, including Oren Lyons, when the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was finally adopted after nearly 30 years of negotiations.

I'm so pleased to see that respect and support for the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team continues to grow internationally. In addition to preparing for the Federation of International Lacrosse 2014 World Games in Denver, the team has now been given the honor of hosting the international competition on indigenous lands for the first time since the founding of the FIL.

Here's more about what to expect when the Nationals bring their world-class skills into the arena:

Here's an amazing story about the first all-Native silent film "The Daughter of Dawn," filmed in 1919.  The film was shown once in October 1920 but never released, then lost for decades until it was shown again on June 10, 2012 in Oklahoma City.   The rare film depicts pre-reservation Kiowas and Comanches that were among the first Native actors.

Discovery of Long-Lost Silent Film With All-Indian Cast Has Historians Reeling
by Jordan Wright

At this year's Santa Fe Indian Market, the FNX team participated in numerous events throughout the week to promote FNX, meet new talent, and network with Native filmmakers and producers.

During the Native Cinema Showcase, sponsored by the National Museum of American Indian and the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, FNX adorned the theater with Tshirts for the audience to take home, and Dawn Jackson and Karen Tallman manned the FNX booth.

The largest Indian art event in the world, Santa Fe Indian Market, takes place this week in New Mexico, and FNX has a team there promoting our channel, looking at new talent, and networking with filmmakers whose work is being featured at the Native Cinema Showcase.

The Native Cinema Showcase runs from August 13-19 concurrent with the flurry of arts activity at Santa Fe Indian Market. The Showcase features some of today’s best and most interesting Native filmmaking; auteurs include the young and the old, and productions range from just a few minutes to feature-length works.

South Carolina Supreme Court upholds Indian Child Welfare Act

I recently had the opportunity to travel wtih the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team to the 2012 Federation of International Lacrosse U19 World Championships in Turku, Finland.  The team created quite a buzz and had a huge fan base in Finland, bringing home the bronze medal.  Here's my story about this awesome team:

Iroquois Nationals Make History, Beating Team USA in International  Lacrosse Competition

Today we bring you one of those classic David v. Goliath stories involving lacrosse - a game that originated with the Iroquois (Haudenosaunne) Confederacy comprised of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora.  For them, lacrosse is not just a sport; it's a way of life rooted in cultural traditions.

TURKU, Finland – When the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team steps on to the field for the 2012 Federation of International Lacrosse World Championships, they will stand out even before the games begin. As the only sanctioned indigenous sports team playing internationally at the highest level of competition, they hold the distinction of bringing the “Creator’s game” to the world. And the other teams know it.