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Declaring NAJA Board Candidacy May 20, 2012 is the deadline Election Guidelines The Native American Journalists Association charter states, under Article VHI, Section 1, that the membership shall determine the election process. In 1996, the NAJA membership voted to establish an Election Committee to organize and facilitate annual board elections. The following guidelines were adopted on June 22, 1996 in Bangor, Maine. It was later revised and adopted by the board in March 26, 2006, and updated in March 2009. Declaration of board candidacy 1. Candidates must declare their intention to run for the board between Jan. 1 and 75 days before the election. 2. After their eligibility to run for the board has been determined, candidates shall submit a photo, bio, and a brief summary of what the candidate hopes to achieve through service on the board. In addition, the NAJA Board of Directors has adopted the following definition of "media professional" and recommended procedure for the Election Board to follow "A media professional is defined as a journalist who works for either tribal media or mainstream media and earns 51 percent of his or her annual income through journalism. A journalist is someone who works in the gathering, writing, editing, photographing, publishing and disseminating of news as through, but not limited to, a newspaper, magazine, radio, television station, or World Wide Web publication owned and operated by a news media outlet. (Native educators and students are exempt.) "Determining whether a board candidate is eligible to hold office shall be the responsibility of the Election Committee. When the NAJA office receives written notification that a NAJA member has declared his or her candidacy for office, the Election Committee has 21 days to notify the candidate in writing whether he or she is eligible to run for the NAJA board. The written determination of eligibility will be sent to the candidate, with copies to the NAJA President and Executive Director. Any candidate determined ineligible will receive an explanation for the ruling within the notification letter. "An election report shall be prepared and distributed during the annual membership meeting. The report shall include the list of board candidates and any explanations why a candidate was determined ineligible to run, along with general procedures followed during that year's election process." (Note: This policy shall be published in every document that NAJA releases concerning board candidates) This year, there are four vacancies, three of the positions are three-year terms and one position is a two-year term. Remember to declare your intention to run for the NAJA Board before May 20, 2012. To declare your candidacy, Contact Jolene Schonchin, NAJA Election Board Chairman The Comanche Nation News (580) 492-3382
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NAJA ANNOUNCES A 2012 UNITY CONVENTION UNEMPLOYED JOURNALIST FUND
APPLY NOW!
Deadline: May 31, 2012
As part of the 2012 UNITY Convention Assistance Program, UNITY Journalists and its alliance partners, the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA), and the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) are offering a stipend to assist with conference participation to the UNITY 2012 Convention: Media Expo & Career Fair in Las Vegas, NV, August 1-4, 2012. The assistance is open to those members who have been displaced in this current job climate and/or those with the biggest financial need who stand to benefit from the enhanced training. Priority will be given to those members who have been laid off within the last 18 months, but other journalists and students who can demonstrate some financial need are also encouraged to apply. If granted, your assistance will include the following:
Click this link for more information:
NAJA Unemployed Journalists Application Form ____________________________________________________________________________________ NCAI and NAJA need your help to form a National Tribal Communicators Network The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) launched the National Tribal Communicators Network in the fall of 2011, to support communications professionals and those performing public relations work in Indian Country and American Indian and Alaska Native communities. For years, tribal leaders and members of NCAI have expressed the importance of linking together the existing regional networks of tribal communicators at the national level to share best practices and resources with each other. This network serves Indian Country as an important educational and information resource for individuals and tribal nations wishing to build capacity for communications and public relations work. Benefits of participating in this network include: - Regular webinars, trainings, and resources; - A forum to interact with other tribal communications professionals; - A resource to share ideas and opportunities with other organizations and individuals; - Updates, news, and content from NCAI for use in your publications and releases; and - Opportunities to share news with NCAI for distribution to NCAI members. Guidelines for Participation Who Should Join the Network: - Tribal Public Information Officers - Communications staff or consultants - Tribal staff that perform communications duties - Communications professionals and Executive Directors for Native non-profit organizations - Communications or marketing directors for tribal businesses How this Group Engages with the Media Members of the media are not considered active participants in the network. However, members of the media are regularly invited to participate in educational sessions with the members of the network and engage in dialogue about best practices. Staff of the Native American Journalist Association (NAJA) are active participants in the network to provide the insight of news media in the process. We encourage all members of the media interested in educational opportunities to engage with NAJA online. Join the growing network to be included in upcoming conference calls, webinars, emails, and to learn more about opportunities to enhance American Indian and Alaska Native communications and public affairs efforts.
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Have you renewed your NAJA membership yet? You must have a current membership to register for UNITY at the pre-conference rate.
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JOIN NAJA FOR THE UNITY CONVENTION THIS AUGUST 1-4, 2012 UNITY Pre-conference registration fees are now $400 for members, $600 for non-members, $225 for student members, and $325 for student non-members. Pre-conference registration ends on June 29, 2012. UNITY registration is based on your email address and/or member number generated by eshow. If you have problems registering at the pre-conference rates, contact the NAJA Office to request the email address or member number that you need for registration. Click this link for Unity 2012 information: UNITY 2012 in Vegas August 1-4, 2012
Tentative Schedule for UNITY 2012
For more information about UNITY 2012 click this link: http://s3.goeshow.com/unity/convention/2012/index.cfm
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Media outlets disappoint during controversy over Senate candidate's claimed Native heritage. NAJA responds to headlines, puns and name calling that show disregard for Natives. NAJA is disappointed that coverage of U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren's claimed Native heritage has resulted in a series of disrespectful headlines and puns that show disregard for Native Americans and our history. A recent article posted by Michelle Malkin with the headline “Sacaja-whiner:” Elizabeth Warren and the Oppression Olympics” paired partial references to multiple Native American names with ways to ridicule Ms. Warren's ancestry claims. Ms. Malkin wrote: "Call her 'Pinocchio-hontas,' 'Chief Full-of-Lies,' 'Running Joke' or 'Sacaja-whiner.' " Ms. Warren, a Harvard Law School professor, has been forced to respond to reports that she listed herself as a minority professor in the past. She maintains that she’s of Cherokee descent. While allegations surrounding her claims are unsettling, making fun of Native names that have history, respect, and honor is worse. The names are being belittled by Ms. Malkin for a joke that many Americans had a laugh at. The Daily Caller further belittled the names by re-posting her piece, initially in connection with the headline "Sitting Bulls**t." The Lakota Nation as well as many other tribal nations have long considered Sitting Bull a great leader and hero. To disrespect his name with an inappropriate pun marks a new low. The Daily Caller appears to have since replaced the headline, a decision NAJA supports. But the offensive phrase remains on social media websites, highlighting how crucial it is for news outlets to practice responsibility in the digital age. A Boston Herald headline, "Elizabeth Warren has no reservations on Native status," was not as stinging, but still showed a lack of awareness on the seriousness of the news matter and Native American history. NAJA welcomes journalists and others in the media to contact us with questions about other troublesome headlines. Think of us as a handbook of Native America. Tribal nations deserve respect. They are not for the amusement of the media. NAJA expresses our thanks to to Joe Strupp of http://www.mediamatters.org. for alerting us about the media coverage. ________________________________________________________________________________
AMERICAN INDIANS AND THE MASS MEDIA This is the first textbook on American Indians and the Mass Media to be published. It was just made available on March 21, 2012 by the University of Oklahoma Press. The book includes work from American Indian leaders in the field such as Mark Trahant, Paul DeMain, Selene Phillips, Patty Loew, Roy Boney Jr. among others and is co-edited by John Sanchez, Apache.
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Tell the story about your state's level of integrity-or corruption The State Integrity project wants to share with you what its reporters found about each state's commitment to government integrity. The findings reveal where your state stands on 330 integrity measures. The integrity data measure whether states have appropriate laws and practices in place to outlaw corrupt practices, identify people who commit them, and punish those people. The project focuses on 14 categories, including such areas as public access to information, executive accountability and redistricting. Preliminary corruption risk rankings exist on www.stateintegrity.org right now. A complete report card is now accessible for the 50 states. In addition, connect with PRI's editorial team for help in framing local follow-up stories. Discuss story angles and get contacts for local sources. The State Integrity Investigation represents a collaborative effort between PRI (Public Radio International), The Center for Public Integrity and Global Integrity. For more information, please contact Aly Colón, Minority Outreach Consultant for PRI, at alycolon@gmail.com.
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Marei Spaola I like how the awards are 'similar' to how the Oscars would do their awards but on a budget. Good times.
Onica N Makwakwa I like the part at the banquet where gifts are collected on a blanket. I'm not sure why but since my home is in South Africa, somehow this part always makes me feel homesick while at the same time I still feel so at home. Maybe it heals my homesickness, there that's it! NAJA is homely!
Doug Mitchell There are many... from being humbled by The NAJA Lifetime Achievement Award in '09 in ABQ to Patty T and the NAJA tv students in San Diego working in "the kitchen."
Nancy Kelsey My fave: my first student project in Green Bay in 2003. As a college sophomore, I got to meet some of the most talented Native journalists in the country. Very inspiring and a true testament to the power and impact of the student projects. It's 2011 and this is still my career of choice :) (Nancy is also on our Board of Directors)
John Christian Hopkins visiting New Echota, Ga. as part of 1994 Unity in Atlanta
Abbey Thompson UNITY convention in D.C. easily...
Lee Longhorn The G-rated version is being around talented journalist and feeling inspired to keep telling stories.
Vi Waln 1999 UNITY convention in Seattle WA was a great gathering
Louis Montclair Washington DC. It was the greatest! I remember this because our group got to question President Bush first, and Mark Trahant asked the tribal sovereignty question and the President sounded like an ass trying to answer (didn't make any sense). Then later that night, I heard that the clip of the tribal sovereignty question was a viral video on ALL national news networks, even made #1 on Countdown with Ketih Olbermann.
Susan Arkeketa too many to list as favorite, jut add there were some classic moments.
Ishmael Agnimitra Elias 2007 in Denver. Worked on the student project, learned tons, and made bonds stronger.
So what would YOU say was a great memory of a NAJA convention? We want to hear from you! Go to our Facebook Group page and tell us! And don't forget to "Like" us on the Fanpage! You can follow us on Twitter too @NaJournalists.
As we venture into 2012 and the UNITY conference, NAJA is dedicated to our mission: to empower our Native journalists, enrich journalism and promote Native cultures. We ask that all our members, new members and interested parties submit panel session ideas. This conference is all our responsibility that we have those sessions that meet our needs.
As Native journalists we are dedicated to our journalism work as well keeping our own tribal stories alive and educating others about our people. I look forward to the future with great motivation from NAJA’s past leaders.
I would also like to invite you all to keep in contact with me via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and/or my blog. NAJA can only get better with your contributions.
Thank you,
Rhonda LeValdo, Acoma Pueblo, President, Native American Journalists Association
facebook: www.facebook.com/rhondalevaldo
twitter: www.twitter.com/rhondalevaldo
blog: http://skycity1.wordpress.com/
The following is the Form990 of Fiscal year 2009-2010.
The following is the Form990 Return Summary
"All our board members are fully committed to raising funds that are needed for NAJA along with our Executive Director. While we didn't make our budget for last year, we know that it was because our usual funders have reduced the amounts given and many of our members could not make our conference due to the economy we are in. All our finances were completed with 990's submitted every year and we realize that an audit needs to be done.
Again our board understands the position we are in, we are working together to remedy the situation. We also look forward to working with our alliance partners as we plan for UNITY 2012."
-- Rhonda LeValdo, NAJA President
NAJA CURRENT FINANCIAL REPORT ENDING 10/31/11
Bank Statements as of 10/31/11
BancFirst Checking Beginning balance 10/1/11 $19,999.66
Ending Balance 10/31/11 $19,999.62
BancFirst Sweep Account Beginning balance 10/1/11 $31,173.02
Ending Balance 10/31/11 $1,945.94
Bank2 Checking Beginning Balance 10/1/11 $7,125.78
Ending Balance 10/31/11 $6,303.58
Bank2 Money Market Beginning Balance 10/1/11 $44,778.46
Ending Balance 10/31/11 $44,803.18
Bank Statement as of 10/21/11
Bank of Oklahoma Money Market Beginning Balance 9/22/11 $10,018.93
Ending Balance 10/21/11 $12,521.25
Minneapolis Foundation (Protected funds) Balance as of 10/31/11 $85,234.19
