Native Daughters Summer Institute

The College of Journalism and Mass Communications will host the Native Daughters Summer Institute July 11-15 at Andersen Hall on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The five-day event brings together secondary education teachers and curriculum experts from across Nebraska – from Santee to Omaha and Banner County to Lincoln – to develop a free interdisciplinary curriculum for the 2010 Native Daughters magazine and website, which was a student project funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

The 140-page full-color magazine, produced by CoJMC students over 18 months in 2009-2010, was built on the premise that we can't know history unless we know Native American history, and we can't know Native American history without knowing the history of Native American women.

Native Daughters "will be used by teachers throughout Indian Country and beyond who want their students to see and read stories about powerful role models," wrote Joe Starita, who co-taught the course and is the author of "I am a Man," the Chief Standing Bear story. "Teachers who want their students to know the rich and complex contributions Native women have made to both indigenous and American cultures. Who want their students to understand the forces that gave rise to the Northern Cheyenne proverb: 'A nation is not conquered until the hearts of its women lie on the ground.'"

The Native Daughters Summer Institute is funded by a grant from the Nebraska Humanities Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Education's office of multicultural/diversity and Native American education.

Throughout the week, participants will build innovative materials for teachers who want to implement Native Daughters into their classrooms. They will also connect the magazine to state standards and try to take advantage of digital possibilities related to the content.

"We're excited to work with Nebraska educators to bring this rich product to a young audience that needs to consume the lessons in these pages," said Scott Winter, the project's program coordinator.

NDSI is one of many grants funded by the Nebraska Humanities Council (NHC). The NHC awards more than $200,000 in grants each year. Created in 1973 as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Nebraska Humanities Council (NHC) is an independent, non-profit organization governed by a volunteer board of public and academic members. The Nebraska Humanities Council funds programs that explore Nebraska's heritage, build community awareness, and strengthen our ties to cultural traditions at home and abroad.

Any non-profit group is eligible to apply for a grant from the NHC. The NHC staff is available for grant consultation and will read proposal drafts. Contact the NHC office if you need assistance with a project idea. For a copy of Nebraska Humanities Council grant guidelines, contact the Council at 215 Centennial Mall South, Suite 330, Lincoln, NE 68508, phone 402-474-2131, fax 402-474-4852, or e-mail at nhc@nebraskahumanities.org. The entire grant guideline packet is online at www.nebraskahumanities.org.