Memo on the opportunity to document a traditional Native American teaching ceremony, 1977
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Title
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Memo on the opportunity to document a traditional Native American teaching ceremony, 1977
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1977
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extracted text
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October 26, 1977
~\-e,_NW Nl¥..>
To: Stone Thomas
From:
Faculty of A Separate Reality
Subject:
Opportunity to document a traditional Native American teaching ceremony
We have just been made m.;rare of an opportunity to develop some educational
materials of great importance to Evergreen's alternative educational model
for Native American people. For generations American educational institutions
have negated the traditional authority of Indian elders and Indian traditional
teachings. It has been a major objective of Native American studies at
Evergreen to restore and reimage the authority of traditional Indian \.Jays.
Evergreen is fortunate to have been invited to make a documentary film of
a traditional naming ceremony performed by a respected ·tribal elder.
Formally taking the name of an ancestor is a revered NC'rth~.,~st Coast tradition
which has the effect of cementing the continuity of generations and giving
the recipient of the name the responsibility for carrying tribal values
and traditions fonvard. The tribal elder has agreed to perform publicly
the naming ceremony on November 18 for the pur pose of allowin·g Evergreen
to make a documentary film of this process. The recipient of the name \vill
be a member of Evergreen's faculty, H.Jry Ellen Hillaire, and Lovern King,
also a faculty member, and two students have been invited to make the film
record of the event. Indian children from Western Washington schools will
attend the ceremony and there will be national press coverage.
\...__.
In order to respond to this invitation and produce this important teaching
material, ,.,e will need the follmving :'
access to
t\W
16 rnm cameras and sound equipment on November 17 ,18,19.
$1100.00 for the preparation of a 4000 foot 16 mm \vork print
($25.00/100 feet), which will be edited to about 800 feet
(5/1 shooting ratio) for a 20 mint.' te color fil'b of the naming
ceremony and an interview \vith the elder about its traditional
meaning.
It is our hope that the Third '''orld Coalition can help us to secure these
resQurces. 7hank you for your ~elp.
Lovern King
Nary Ellen llillaire
David Hhit e ner
Betsy Dif f eodal
Haxine Ninuns
cc Dan Evans
\-lj 11 Humphrey
\-lilly Parsons
w;\1.:
\ek\
ckJ.t.
~
~~·
1973-86_NAS_8D38_02_15