You are cordially invited to attend the second annual NASA Ames Native
American Advisory Committee (NAAC) retreat on Saturday, June 8, 1996. Apart
from the opportunity to network and interact with other Native Americans in
the area, your participation in the retreat will provide valuable input for
helping us plan new directions and goals for the NAAC in 1996. We are
looking forward to a day filled with interesting activities, including talks
from local tribal leaders and educators.
In the planning for this event, an important theme that has emerged again
this year is educational outreach. We would like to encourage student
representatives from local university chapters of the American Indian
Science and Engineering Society (AISES), the newly formed California
Professional Chapter of AISES, and Bay Area Native American educators to
attend and participate in our discussions. This seek to strengthen our ties
to these organizations while helping to educate other groups about what NASA
has to offer in the way of educational and cultural outreach opportunities.
We plan to have a facilitator on hand to help structure the retreat and
develop productive pathways for future interactions.
One goal identified by the NAAC this year is to create more opportuntities
for local cultural activities, such as researching family hertitage,
opportunities to learn Native languages and ceremonies and to sponsor trips
to visit sacred sites and Indian lands. We will be seeking ideas from
meeting participants about how we can best accomplish these and other
objectives over the next year.
We have enclosed a brief history of the NAAC for those who don't know about
us, some information about our invited speaker, a retreat agenda and
location map. Please mark your calendar for June 8 and plan to attend for
all or part of the day. If you can bring a dish or beverage for the potluck
lunch, we would appreciate hearing from you at your earliest convenience to
coordinate the menu. We are hoping that attendees will be willing to share
Native American recipes they are familiar with. As last year, we plan to
serve fry bread tacos.
Please feel free to invite other Native Americans in the area and have them
get in touch to assist in planning. For further information please contact
Mike Liu (NAAC Chairperson) at 415-604-1132, or Jack Farmer (NAAC Vice
Chair), 415-604-5748, Fax: 415-604-1088; email:
jack_farmer@qmgate.arc.nasa.gov.
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What is the NASA Ames Native American
Advisory Committee (NAAC)?
The Native American Advisory Committee began as an advisory group to NASA
Ames Research Center in November 1993. Our primary goals were defined as
educational outreach to Native American youth and increasing cultural
awareness on behalf of Native Americans at Ames Research Center and NASA as
a whole. In working to achieve these goals we worked on two primary
objectives: 1) To develop relationships with the Bay Area Title 9 (Indian
Education) Centers/Directors; and 2) To lead Ames' participation in
American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) at national and
regional conventions. We are still working to maintain relationships at the
local and national level with American Indian educators and the Ames
community.
Guest Speaker:
Dr. Otis Morgan (Arapaho/Kiowa), Dept. of Multicultural Studies, Cal State
Univ., Sacramento.
Retreat Location:
Clubhouse
Village Lake Apartments
777 W. Middlefield Road
Mountain View
(415) 968-1571
Directions:
Take Hwy 101 to the Moffett Blvd exit and head West toward Mountain View.
Turn right at Middlefield Rd. and head north. Half way down the block, you
will see Village Lake Apts. on your left. Drive on past the complex to
first pocket lane and make a U-turn on Middlefield heading south. Turn
right into the first driveway for Village Lake Apts. (it will be just past
tennis courts on right and at a bus stop with a bench). Please feel free to
park in any uncovered space. The clubhouse is located centrally on the east
side of the swimming pool area. If you need additional information on
Saturday morning, call 415-968-1571. If you would like us to Fax a map,
please call 415-604-5748 work hours or 415-968-1571 evenings and we will
send you the information.
____________________________________________________________
Retreat Agenda
NASA Ames Research Center
Native American Advisory Committee (NAAC)
Saturday, June 8, 1996
9:00 AM: Continental Breakfast
9:30-10:30 AM: Introductions/Blessing
Blessing, welcome to guests
10:30-11:00 AM: What is the NAAC?
Purpose, mission, values, goals
11:00-12:00 PM: Dr. Otis Morgan
"An Indian perspective on Custer's last stand"
12:00-1:00 PM: Lunch
Pot-luck of Native American dishes
1:00-1:45 PM: Traditional Story Telling
1:45-2:45 PM: '96 Goals and Objectives
Brainstorming with elders, California AISES Student Chapter representatives,
Title 9 educators and other local Native American outreach groups to define
cultural and educational activities for 1996.
2:45-3:15 PM: Define Action Plan for '96
3:15-3:30 PM: Break
3:30-4:00 PM: Long Term Goals/Planning
4:00 PM: Close