Students launch Web site to lend insight about Native Americans (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Students launch Web site to lend insight about Native Americans
A link to Indian news, culture

Betty Reid
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 23, 2005 12:00 AM
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/1123natweb23.html#

A group of urban Native American high school students launched a Web
site that acts as an educational site for the public and a useful
source to Valley Native Americans, especially parents.

Www.northhighnatives.com, a link to Phoenix Union High School District's
North High, launched in October. The Native American Youth Council of
North High built the interactive site, which posts information about
such council activities as fry bread sales, a car wash and
out-of-district events such as local powwows or Native parades in
Phoenix.

Of interest on the site is a "numbers system" written in the language of
the Western Apache, Salt River-Maricopa, Cherokee, Navajo and Objibwe.
The site also offers an "indigenous geography" of Phoenix that shows
the location of ancient settlements of the Hohokam peoples, who built
irrigation systems in the Gila River Valley from 350 B.C. to A.D. 1450.

"I believe this project will allow more people to gain an understanding
of the importance of the land they walk upon each and everyday here in
the Valley," North High senior Brian Bex said. The Navajo 17-year-old
is the Webmaster of the youth council's site.

April Manywhisker, vice president of the North High's youth council,
said she is incredulous about how many people don't know about Native
tribes. People believe all tribes are the same, although each has a
distinct culture, language and worship, she said.

The plan for the site is to collect information about all 400-plus of
federally recognized tribes in the United States. Northhighnatives.com
will list contact information of each tribe on the site so that high
school students and their parents are informed about tribal
scholarships.

Cody Johnson, an aspiring fashion designer and a member of Tohono
O'odham, plans to add video to the site. The 17-year-old junior at
North High student envisions a project in which students speak their
native language on the site.



Reach the reporter at betty.reid at arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8049.