A very unique wacipi (powwow) to honor veterans will take place Nov. 25 and 26 at Sioux Falls Washington High School. What is so unique is that women and non-Indian veterans will be honored in the first of what will become an annual event.

All local veterans are invited to attend and be honored. Women veterans will be honored Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m. Iraqi veterans will be recognized the following evening, also at 7:30 p.m.

Dennis Quigley (Rosebud Sioux), Iraqi veteran and co-chairman of the powwow organizing committee, works as a veterans readjustment technician for the Sioux Falls Vets Center. He came up with the idea to hold a powwow honoring all veterans.

“When I moved to Sioux Falls, I always felt that the Native American community should have something they can identify with and hold onto, no matter which reservation they may come from,” Quigley said.

He explained how he proposed his idea to Marlyn Lone Hill (Oglala Sioux), executive director of the American Indian Service Center in Sioux Falls. She liked the idea.

“I conveyed to her that no matter where we came from, we still need to hold onto our culture and traditions, and never lose sight of where we came from,” Quigley said.

The idea grew as representatives of the major veterans organizations in Sioux Falls were asked to participate on the planning committee.

“The powwow is a part of the healing Native American veterans share with each other. We are extending this healing to non-Native American veterans in hopes that we will all share in this healing together,” Quigley said.

Doris Giago (Oglala Sioux), associate professor of journalism at SDSU, further explained the uniqueness of this honoring wacipi.

“The powwow is a social event where people come together to visit, to renew friendships and to catch up on old times and what’s happening,” Giago said.

“There’s always singing and dancing, though there are different kinds of powwows. The traditional powwow has no dance competition. The competition powwow offers cash prizes for dancers, mainly for economics as a way for them to earn money.”

Giago went on to say that Indians have a high regard for veterans, and they show it in a variety of ways.

“In this case, it is a powwow to remember or commemorate their service to their country and to show appreciation for all they have done.”

Giago emphasized how unique this powwow is.

“I have never heard of or remember a powwow honoring women,” she said. “Indian women have served (in the military) in the past, but not in combat. Now they do, so that makes them deserving of equal recognition.”

One important aspect of Native American culture is that women are held in high regard.

“This powwow emphasizes the role of women,” Giago said.

Quigley’s vision for this powwow is for it to become an annual event, growing each year until it becomes the largest of its kind in the nation. He emphasized all veterans in the area are invited to attend and be honored.

“There are many non-Native American veterans who practice our religion and also take part in our powwows. They experience the healing power and attend wacipis to reunite with other veterans to reaffirm the bond that non-veterans will never fully understand.

Race does not matter in combat. The person next to you would save your life, and you would save his. We hope this powwow strengthens the bond of brotherhood which transcends differences in racial origins,” Quigley said.

Beside the honoring ceremonies on Friday and Saturday evenings, the opening ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Friday morning. A grand entry will be held each day at both 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. A small admission fee will be charged for the event.

“I” is for “Indian.” Or is it?

The inaccuracies about American Indians in the pictoral alphabet cards atop many an elementary school room blackboard are one example used by Adrienne Thunder in the workshop she presented Oct. 11 in the Student Union.

The workshop, “Enduring Images: American Indians in the Popular Imagination,” was developed by Thunder (Ho-Chunk) and her husband, J.P. Leary (Cherokee/Delaware) to help deconstruct misconceptions about American Indians perpetuated through movies, advertising and educational curricula.

The Cleveland Indians’ team logo is a prime example.

“This kind of representation would not be tolerated by any other ethnic group,” Thunder said. “Why are these (types of) images still in our schools?”

According to Thunder, the popular misconception among non-Indians is that Indian mascots and team names are meant to honor Indians. Not so. Ceremonial regalia, especially the feathers, are considered sacred to American Indians. Using them to capitalize on non-Indian interests is actually a form of disrespect.

“Feathers equal Indian. Outside of a powwow, how many of you have seen an Indian wearing a feather on the way to McDonalds,” Thunder asked with a smile, drawing laughter from the audience.

Thunder explained why using the colloquialized word “squaw” is especially offensive. The word is believed to be derived from a term used to describe a specific type of native woman used by fur trappers.

Thunder and Leary use the presentation as part of their professional roles, respectively, Thunder works as advisor in the Cross-College Advising Service of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Leary works as consultant, American Indian Studies Program of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

“Our goal for this workshop is for participants to have fun, but to also think about what they’re responsible for when it comes to an issue as huge as racism,” Thunder said.

Ruth Harper, a professor in the SDSU Counseling and Human Resource Development department, attended the workshop.

“This workshop was an excellent example of how the co-curriculum can reinforce the curriculum by looking at stereotypes perpetuated in the popular media. We can become more strategic about counteracting those stereotypes in our classrooms,” Harper said.

Steve Martin (Muscogee Creek of Oklahoma), advisor for Native American students in the SDSU Office of Multicultural Affairs, facilitated the workshop’s presentation on campus.

“I coordinate programs on campus to discuss Native American issues to create a greater understanding within the communities,” Martin said.

One part of Martin’s mission is to make the SDSU campus more welcoming to Native students.

“With a ratio of 110 non-Indian students to every one Indian student (at SDSU) there is a lack of understanding of where these students come from,” Martin said.

“I understand it is easy to offend Indians when discussing Native American issues. I am not offended because as an educator, after educating myself, I am in a position of teaching. If I have any opportunities to do that, I will,” he said.

“Our main point is that we have all (including Indians) been taught some inaccurate things about the indigenous peoples of the Americas, but we all can correct that by educationg ourselves, by breaking out of the status quo, and asking basic critical questions, such as ‘does that make sense?’” Thunder said.

Thunder and Leary will present the workshop in November at the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education in Hamilton, New Zealand.

If your taste in movies craves intrigue, romance and fireball explosions just over the top of the next sand dune, Sahara dishes it up and delivers -a la carte.

Matthew McConaughey dives right into the action as he and his sidekick put their military training to use searching for sunken treasures on the ocean floor. Through a strange chain of events and a small twist of fate, the pair gets a dubious tip that the remains of an escaped Confederate ironclad ship laden with Confederate gold coins was dry-docked in the Sahara Desert after traversing the Pacific Ocean. They take off like kids in a great big sandbox to be the first to locate where the ship is buried.

Meanwhile, a doctor (Cruz) from the World Health Organization (WHO) is attempting to navigate into the same locality to investigate the source of a mysterious mortal plague sweeping local villages like wildfire. She ends up being the only member of the WHO motorcade spared from a massacre by rogue desert dwellers sent on a search and destroy mission by a mysterious (bad guy) figure in a white (good guy) linen suit. His character hints that a conspiracy is at hand.

The two parties just happen to be at the same place at the same time and join forces to battle the threatening insurgents on trains, planes, boats and camels. Their combined intellectual prowess and techno-geek ingenuity allow them to overpower hordes of automatic weapon-wielding marauders. They discover the dark secret at the center of the conspiracy.

Without divulging any further clues as to the plot’s climax and resolution, the movie has something for everyone in the PG-13 audience. Mom and Dad can relax that the love interest that develops between McConaughey and Cruz does not involve any disrobement by either one. The violence is so clearly feigned a la overkill so as to seem more comedic than life-threatening.

The movie’s humorous lines carry the plot’s momentum a long way. Quips like “I’m sick of being shot at all the time!” and “They did a Panama!” relieve the audience of the difficult task of trying to figure out the twisted plot and all of its complicated connections. Once they sit back and relax, a surprise ending unravels in front of their eyes.

McConaughey and his bulging biceps handily take care of business in the end and keep the ladies entertained. Cruz plays a nonenigmatic intellect, contrary to the usual helpless female stereotype, another plus for the ladies. Yet, the petite scientist with her childlike expressions appeals to the male constituency every time McConaughey sweeps her out of harm’s way.

four out of five stars

With graduation day quickly drawing near, some of the things that I have learned over the past four years that have impacted me the most have been coming to mind. One lesson in particular stands out.

In a spring 2002 semester women’s study class taught by Christy Garst-Santos, we had an interesting exercise that taught me quite a lot about myself.

The topic was the state of white privilege that exists in America. The assignment was to answer a list of questions pertaining to everyday living. I would like to share my answers to those questions and pose the same questions to you.

* I have never had a job interview with a colored person. Have you?

* I have never had a colored supervisor. Have you?

* I have never had a colored teacher. Have you? (Seven semesters later I have now had one.)

* I have never had a colored physician. Have you?

* The majority of my co-workers have been white. Have yours?

* I have never applied for a loan through a colored loan officer. Have you?

* I have never been pulled over by a colored police officer, or had a colored judge presiding over a legal proceeding (divorce). Have you?

* My race is presented in a positive way in the newspapers I read. Is yours?

* Because the target group for the majority of advertising is white, I can relate to the majority of ads. Can you?

Awareness about underprivileged racial classes is a part of my earliest memories. I remember seeing on television at age 10 the fire hoses and police dogs turned loose on little black children in the early ’60s. It was very confusing and troubling to me even at a young age.

The only “black” and “red” skins that I had been exposed to in southwestern Wisconsin were the angus cattle that calmly grazed in the surrounding pastures. The color of a person’s skin was a non-issue in my family, as was hatred or discrimination.

The first time that I ever saw a real-life person with black skin was the time my family traveled through Chicago on the way to visit relatives in Indiana. A black family in the car next to us during rush-hour on the Chicago loop had several children in the back seat, which I studied intently until my mother reminded me that it was rude to stare. How I wanted to touch their strands of tough curly hair bound with colorful barrettes.

They wouldn’t look back at me. It wasn’t until years later that I realized that they were probably afraid that I would roll down my window and unleash a fire hose or police dog on them if they did. I was their enemy whether I meant to be or not.

If it’s any consolation to those of you with skin not-of-the-white-kind, we whites can be quite condemning of one another as well.

In the course of my lifetime, I have been referred to as a “damn hippie,” a “damn feminist,” a “damn war protester,” a “damn tree-hugger” and a “damn Mormon.” I am no longer a hippie, a war protester or a Mormon. I have converted from being a feminist to being a humanist. And, yes, if you must know, I always have aluminum cans rattling around in my car that I pick up to be recycled.

I would like to think that in spite of all of that supposed awfulness, I have been a citizen who contributed to the better good. I vote. I donate blood. I was a stay-at-home mom who volunteered to coach soccer and serve for five years as a den mother. I kept one eye out after school for the unsupervised latch-key kids who roamed about, often inviting them to hang out with my kids in our backyard.

I suppose that now that I am 50-something, about the only thing left for me to be accused of being is a “damn baby-boomer,” responsible for the social security debacle.

Yes, getting a college degree has taught me much about myself. It has taught me that knowledge is power. The direct correlation is that a country is only as strong as its individual citizens. If we cannot strive for equality within our own country, how can we “play nicely and get along with the children” in our world neighborhoods? Simple. Start small. It’ws about attitude.

The next time you are in a hurry to get out of town for the weekend and a huge piece of farm machinery is hogging the road and slowing you down, be sure you include all five fingers in a hand gesture of thanks to the driver. He is way overworked and underpaid for the privilege of keeping food on your table.

Fortunately, this country has become much more color-blind in my lifetime.

Unfortunately, it has had to be forced by legislation.

With little effort, we can all make it a habit to notice the similarities, and not just the differences, which exist in the people around us, no matter what their color or cultural origins.

There is plenty of room in this great big country of ours to spread out the blanket of privilege for everyone to sit on comfortably. Each of us has to scoot over just a bit in order to make that room.

Victoria Riggs is a senior journalism major and Collegian business

#1.885145:3152253071.jpg:victoriamugsucks.jpg:Victoria Riggs:

Group project. Two words that strike dread in the hearts of many college students.

From outward appearances the group project may seem to be a devious plot used by instructors to torture their students. However, there is a method to the madness of it all. Understanding the method is the key to turning the group project into a valuable preparation for future performance in the work place.

There are two main principles involved in succeeding in a group project. Simply stated, they are recognizing the different personality types of group members and knowing how to work well with them.

Our first comprehension of personality types probably began in the sandbox in kindergarten. There were those who shared the toys and those who didn’t. Those who threw sand, those who dominated others and those who played in the corner by themselves.

Sandbox politics stay with us for life. The same personality types tend to surface in a group project and, ultimately, in the work place.

First and foremost, evaluate what kind of person you yourself are to work with. Are you obnoxiously domineering, silent, lazy, controlling or cooperative? Self-evaluation is difficult. Asking an instructor for feedback may be threatening, yet invaluable. Would YOU want to work with yourself?

Susan Fredrikson, employment development director at the SDSU Career and Academic Planning Center, says there are some recent statistics that clearly demonstrate how important it is to learn to work well with others.

According to a 2000 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the cost per hire of each new employee is $6,207.

“Teamwork is one of the things of most value to employers,” Fredrikson says. “Qualities they rate highest in importance are communication skills, honesty and integrity.”

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that one of the biggest contributors to employee turnover is the inability to work well with others. Good team players are a valuable investment for employers.

The NACE website also lists interactive skills, teamwork and a strong work ethic as qualities that employers look for when hiring.

Michael Haug,instructor in the English Department, puts an emphasis on the group project in his class curriculum for that very reason.

“The reason why I emphasize the team project in my technical communications class is the fact that many businesses operate on a team approach to getting projects done,” Haug says. “Many major tasks are team oriented rather than individual task oriented.”

Haug went on to say that the division of labor through teamwork is highly popular in many corporations because it means less work for everybody.

“Even an individual in private business must be able to work well with others,” Haug says.

Jim Paulson, associate professor in the Journalism Department, also uses the group project to give his students an opportunity to experience real-world professional futures.

“In the communications industry, whatever one – advertising, print or broadcasting, most projects are done in a collaborative environment. People don’t work in isolation,” Paulson says.

Group projects force people to look at others point of view, Paulson says.

“The group project requires an individual to work together (with others) to complete a project,” he says. “Each student brings a different perspective to the case, a different view of the world. Diversity adds a lot to the ethics discussion to get all sides represented.”

Paulson summed up the benefits of participating in a group project as three major points.

(1) Each student has to be able to work with others.

(2) It allows the process of understanding group dynamics (individuals’ strengths and weaknesses).

(3) The diversity in opinions and how others react based on various backgrounds gives an opportunity to develop teamwork skills.

Employment is basically a group project that will last for at least forty years. Accept the challenge to turn the next group project into a learning-for-life experience.

For more information about what qualities are at the top of employers’ wish lists, go to the NACE Website at naceweb.org and click on “press releases.”

#1.885296:22552223.jpg:groupshot.jpg:Even if everyone shows up for the group project one person often ends up doing all the work.:

With graduation and summer break on the horizon, the quest for jobs will soon be on in full force. A bit of research has turned up some suggestions for where to look for jobs more sizzling hot than a fast food grill.

According to a Reader’s Digest article, the hottest jobs currently available are in the areas of health care, technology, financial services, security and information management.

With baby boomers coming of age 60, a demand for health care support services will spike by about 2010. Present indicators show that the demand will not be met. Most needed are surgical technologists ($35,000 salary); health care administrators ($70,000 salary); and male and female registered nurses ($49,000 salary – with nurse anesthetists earning $125,000).

With technology making the world go round, close to 1 million computer support and data-processing jobs will be available by 2010. The highest demand is for computer troubleshooters ($30, 000 salary); equipment product managers ($90,000 salary); and video-game developers ($40,000 – $200,000 salary).

The field of financial services needs to accrue interest in more personnel to manage retiring baby boomers’ hatching nest eggs. A projected 350,000 jobs will be created by 2010 for claims adjusters ($43,000 salary); financial advisors ($78,000 salary); and financial analysts ($67,000 salary).

The increase in personal and commercial security measures is creating significant job security for security-equipment installers ($23,000 – $52,000 salary); quality-assurance managers ($70,000 salary); and researchers for private investigators ($25,000 – $50,000 salary).

Those who can gather, organize and present information to others are like on-ramps to the information highway. The most demand will be for medical records technicians ($40,000 salary); seminar leaders ($50,000 salary); and technical writers ($43,000 salary).

The hottest jobs for the decade will be in medical, informational, financial, security, and computer technology. Interested persons please review list and adjust class schedules accordingly.

The grapevines growing on a hillside west of Volga also have deep SDSU roots.

The vineyard and winery were built from the ground up by Jim and Nancy Schade, natives of Volga and New Holland, respectively. The couple met while attending SDSU and were married in the campus Lutheran center.

After graduation the couple operated a farrow-to-finish operation in the Volga area. They went to California in search of greener pastures when the farm economy bottomed out in the 80s.

They lighted near Napa Valley and it was love at first sight. Their dream to grow grapes and make wine was born.

They brought their dream with them to Pierre when they returned to South Dakota after a year.

There they had the good fortune to become friends with a hobby vintner who taught them how to grow the hardy grape varieties developed especially for the harsh prairie winters.

“Jim had his eye on (the) property just outside of Volga, and when it became available we made an offer,” Nancy said.

They moved into the home they built along with their two sons, Reed and Ross, in October 2000.

Nancy took a position at SDSU as Coordinator of Disability Services. She recently resigned from this position to work full time for the vineyard.

Emily Bennett, a counselor with Vocational Rehabilitation Services, said, “Nancy went above and beyond to ensure that barriers would not hinder students from receiving an education. She has been a true and strong advocate for the rights of people with disabilities.”

The Schades found a friend in Ron Peterson, retired horticulture professor at SDSU. He worked closely with them, helping to get the vineyards well-established. He is still a regular around the Schade vineyards.

One of Peterson’s successors at SDSU, Anne Fennel, lends her expertise. The Schades work hand-in-hand with the SDSU horticulture department as sponsors for student interns.

They also look to the marketing department for distribution pointers. One of their best sellers is wine gift baskets complete withcheese from the SDSU dairy.

All of this combined effort translates into good chemistry for their wine-making. In the few years the businesss has been licensed, sales have doubled each year. This year’s sales are expected to reach 2500 cases (with 12 bottles per case).

The Schades want to help others start vineyards in South Dakota.

“When opportunities present themselves, you need to follow a dream, and this was our dream,” Nancy said.

Recent renovations to the outdoor classroom at the SDSU Oak Lake Field Station are complete, making it ready for students, instructors and scientists.

The field station, a former Girl Scout camp, was acquired by SDSU in 1987, and is located 25 miles northeast of Brookings in a remote, wooded setting.

The administration building’s size went from 1,935 to 2,679 square feet and it was updated with the addition of a classroom and computer lab for up to 32 students. The classroom’s technology includes wireless high-speed Internet access and digital projection. A small library is combined with the classroom.

The field lab was also expanded with the goal of attracting not only faculty and students, but also scientists and researchers. The new facilities have already been put to use by researchers from the University of Minnesota – Duluth and the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Funding was provided with a $229,000 grant. The National Science Foundation donated $171,000 of the grant with the remainder made up of matching funds from the Field Station, the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, and SDSU Central Administration.

In the past the field station was mainly used for class research projects and workshops. Now a lodge-type-dining hall with a stone hearth, kitchen facilities, and limited sleeping accommodations stands near the new classroom and lab.

Nels Troelstrup, Jr., field station director since 1993, wants to see the facilities well used by educators and the general public.

“We are excited about the new facility and we want it to be used. I am hoping that I have to make a proposal in the near future for more staff members who will be busy with the visitors coming here for meetings, learning activities, retreats and research,”

Troelstrop said.

Faculty members or student and community organizations interested in using the field station facilities can make reservations by calling the SDSU biology/microbiology office at 688-6142.