Arizona

12th Native American Youth Entrepreneur Camp
July 20-25, 2008
University of Arizona campus
Tucson, Arizona

Join us at the 12th Native American Youth Entrepreneur Camp July 20-25, 2008, on the campus of The University of Arizona in Tucson.

Learn to build private-sector enterprises in Indian Country. Visit Native-owned businesses. Enjoy extracurricular activities on and off the UA campus.

Like the real world, the camp is intensive and challenging, but rewarding and fun!

During the six-day camp, students will reside on campus, eat in the Student Memorial Union, and attend classes on the UA campus.

Register by July 1.

For more information, contact Monica Agar at cortes@u.arizona.edu or call (520) 626-0664.

29th Annual American Indian Language Development Institute

June 4 - July 2, 2008
University of Arizona

Creating Spaces for Indigenous Languages in Everyday Life

The University of Arizona and Department of Language, Reading & Culture invite you to the 29th American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI). AILDI 2008 will have a special focus on Native teachers in the classroom and language. Special topics will include NCLB & Native students, language immersion methods in the classroom, Native children's literature & writing and schooling in Native American communities. Our theme, /Creating Spaces for Indigenous Languages in Everyday Life /reflects this emphasis and will be highlighted with guest speakers, presentations, activities, projects, and fieldtrips.

AILDI provides a unique educational experience for teachers of Native children. The AILDI format offers Native and non-Native teachers the opportunity to become researchers, practitioners, bilingual/bicultural curriculum specialists, and especially effective language teachers. The common concern of language loss, revitalization and maintenance brings educators, parents, tribal leaders and community members to this university setting to study methods for teaching Native languages and cultures and to develop materials.

AILDI offers six graduate credits or undergraduate credit hours during four weeks of intensive study. Courses can be applied toward regular degree programs and teacher endorsements.

Phoenix Indian Center Annual Fundraising Gala - Celebrating 60 years of Service

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2008; 5:30 PM  Cocktail Hour & Silent Auction; 7:00 PM - Dinner & Entertainment

WHERE: PHOENIX CONVENTION CENTER; 100 North 3rd Street; Phoenix, AZ 85004

WHO: PHOENIX INDIAN CENTER
Our mission is to serve as the primary resource for Native Americans in the Valley of the Sun and to promote and foster Native American culture and contribution to our society as a whole. Programs offered by the Center include Native Workforce Services, Educational Services and Social Services. These vital programs serve individuals from more than 80 different tribes across the country.

WHAT: 25TH ANNUAL FUNDRAISING GALA & NATIVE AMERICAN ART AUCTION
The dollars raised through sponsorships, donations and the silent art auction are a crucial part of the Centers annual budget. This years event will once again feature amazing entertainment as well as some of the most beautiful and original Native American art available today. Auction items include a premium selection of one-of-a-kind paintings, sculpture, jewelry and both traditional and contemporary forms of art.

For additional information, or to RSVP to this event, please call Andrea Tyler Evans at 602-448-5959 or e-mail: gala@phxindcenter.org

You can view more about the event at www.phxindcenter.org.

Tribes as Competitive Employers: Pension Plans and Federal Labor Law Standards

Friday, March 28, 2008, 10:00 – 12:00 Noon
Amy Courson, Adjunct, Associate Strickland & Strickland
Rountree Hall 204
1145 N. Mountain Ave.
University of Arizona, Tucson

This spring, the IPLP Program has scheduled a strong line-up of distinguished visiting scholars, indigenous rights advocates, and lunchtime speakers.

Reception to follow.

Tribes as Competitive Employers: Pension Plans and Federal Labor Law Standards

Friday, March 28, 2008, 10:00 – 12:00 Noon
Amy Courson, Adjunct, Associate Strickland & Strickland
Rountree Hall 204
1145 N. Mountain Ave.
University of Arizona, Tucson

This spring, the IPLP Program has scheduled a strong line-up of distinguished visiting scholars, indigenous rights advocates, and lunchtime speakers.

Reception to follow.

Howard Dean put it this way: "You have the power!"

His brother, Jim Dean, now head of Democracy for America, put it this way: "We have to take ownership of the process."

Since the highly flawed 2000 election, progressives have slowly, ever so slowly been waking up to the need for taking ownership of the political process. At first, in all honesty, we were pretty lame at it at first. As recently as 2005 I saw the progressive grassroots, at least in NYC, largely unable to get its act together in any effective way. But by 2006 we started to see real results from what began in 2000.

The extreme right wing of the Republican Party took some 30 years to take nearly complete control of our political system. They did it by patiently and doggedly focusing on every elected position, no matter how low, in every state. They did it by repeating their agenda, their talking points over and over until people started absorbing it without even realizing it. They did it by taking over the media, station by station, newspaper by newspaper. They did it by focusing on LOCAL politics.

Progressives had lost that connection with local politics. But they have been rediscovering it. And that has led to a wave of new organizations that are revitalizing grassroots politics and reconnecting Democrats with their local community, a connection that should never have been lost.

Democracy for America, Wellstone Action, Blue Tiger Democrats, and Progressive Majority are, each in their own way, probably the most effective of these new organizations. Each has its own focus, its own strategy, and collectively they are making a real impact.

Joy, Jacob and I travelled to California in December to visit my family. Even after 10 years in NYC, I still miss living in California. I am so much more relaxed and happy in California. Sure, NYC is more exciting and it is far easier to get around without a car in NYC, which I greatly appreciate. But Los Angeles is still my favorite city to live in, with the possible exception of Kyoto which was WONDERFUL to live in as well.

Got a lot to blog about that trip, including some restaurant reviews. But first I want to blog about car rentals. Joy and I don't own a car, but we rent whenever we need a car. Whenever we can, we rent a green alternative kind of car. Which means slowly we are gaining personal experience with several kinds of car rentals in Los Angeles...and many options are available elsewhere.

We are willing to spend somewhat extra for a green car, particularly since you save money on gas. But sometimes the difference in cost is too much, so we just rent a regular car with good gas milage. But I always feel better when we can rent an actual green car.

This last trip we rented a biodiesel through a company based in Hawaii that specializes in biodiesal Volkswagen rentals. The company is called bio-beetle. We rented a Jetta, not the eponymous bio-Beetle. Jacob loved calling our car "The Bio-Jetta," and would greet it every time we got in, "Hi Bio-Jetta!"

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6th is election day. If progressives want a solid voice in American politics we gotta influence elections. And off-year, low voter turnout elections like what is coming up TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6TH are the best chances for progressives to affect the outcome.

Continuing my push to get out the progressive grassroots for the 2007 election on TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6th, I now turn to Arizona.

Here are two endorsements by Progressive Majority, one of the most effective progressive grassroots organization in the country, for Arizona voters:

Marie Lopez Rogers, Candidate for Mayor of Avondale (Incumbent)

Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers of Avondale is running for reelection as the only Latina in a Latino/a city. She was appointed Mayor in January 2006, has lived in the district for 50 of her 57 years, and is a former member of CWA. She is endorsed by the police, firefighters, AFL-CIO and SEIU. Marie is a strong progressive, and she is the key to halting or slowing legislation from a city council that is dominated by conservatives.

This was previously an agricultural town that is rapidly growing with scores of subdivisions along Interstate-10 west of Phoenix. It also includes Phoenix International Race Way that attracts tens of thousands of people to NASCAR races. Marie wants to preserve the quality of life in Avondale by working for safer streets and neighborhoods, providing efficient cost-effective city services, and ensuring a vital economy through an appropriate balance of residential, commercial and recreational development.