August 2006

Native American Public Telecommunications (NAPT) celebrate thirty years of pioneering Native broadcast programming and media development in conjunction with the American Indian Film Festival (AIFF) in San Francisco, November 11, 2006. At the same time we salute the broadcast career of Frank Blythe, as NAPT's Founding Executive Director.

On Saturday, November 11, from 4 to 6 p.m. a reception will be held at the Ninth Street Independent Film Center, co-hosted by the Center for Asian American Media. Festivities continue at the American Indian Film Festival's awards ceremony, 7 p.m., at the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts.

For more information visit www.nativetelecom.org

The Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) Convention featured a five workshop track on Public Television production, sponsored by NAPT. Held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, August 9-12, the conference track featured nationally known lecturers and experts in public broadcasting, including, Attorney Sylvia Strobel; Kade Twist (Cherokee), Technology Consultant; NAPT Project Coordinator Penny Costello; Producers Dustinn Craig (White Mountain Apache), Lily Shangreaux (Oglala Lakota), Mary Kim Titla (San Carlos Apache), and Dan Bigbee (Comanche); Shirley Sneve (Rosebud Sioux); and from ITVS MaryAnn Thyken and Kathryn Washington. Topics included: Writing for the Ear, Integrated Media, Producing for PBS and NAPT, Gettting it Funded, and Legal Issues for Producers. NAJA plans to continue training topics in TV/Film/Radio at its annual convention in 2007.

NAPT Executive Director Frank Blythe (Dakota/Cherokee) presented a screening to the NAJA conference of "Spiral of Fire," part of the Indian Country Diaries series. Wisconsin Public Television producer Patty Loew (Bad River Ojibwe) presented a workshop, "Documentaries and the Vietnam Era" about her film (funded by NAPT), "Way of the Warrior." NAPT Director of Radio and Television Shirley Sneve (Rosebud Sioux) was on a panel, "Celebrating 178 Years Of Native Journalism" with Dan Littlefield, American Native Press Archives director; George Benge (Cherokee), Gannett news executive; and Mary Kim Titla (San Carlos Apache), Native Youth Magazine.com publisher and former TV reporter.

Producers sponsored by NAPT include Cihuapilli Rose Amador (Yaqui/Mesheeka), Phillip Blanchett (Bethel Yupik), Arlene Bowman (Dine), Marcella A. Ernest (Ojibwa), Patricia Gomes (Purepeche), Andy Harvey (Navajo), Terry Jones (Seneca Nation of Indians), Kimberly Lawson (Paiute/Tlinget), Patty Loew (Bad River Ojibwe), Sundust Martinez (Yaqui/Papago), Ian Skorodin (Choctaw), Jonathon Stanton, and Minnie Two Shoes (Ft. Peck Assiniboine/Sioux Montana)

Kade Twist (Cherokee) and Dustinn Craig (White Mountain Apache) presented a workshop on Integrated Media at NAJA

MaryAnn Thyken, ITVS; Shirley Sneve (Rosebud Sioux), NAPT; and Dan Bigbee (Comanche) of Big Productions presented workshops at NAJA on funding and producing for public television.

Producer Ian Skorodin (Choctaw) with Kade Twist (Cherokee), Technology Consultant

Frank Blythe (Dakota/Cherokee) meets with some of the twelve producers that NAPT sponsored to attend the Native American Journalists Association convention in Tulsa, OK through funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. From left: Kimberly Lawon, (Paiute/Tlinget), Patty Loew (Bad River Ojibwe), Blythe, Minnie Two Shoes (Ft. Peck Assiniboine/Sioux Montana), and Marcella Ernest (Ojibwa).

Shirley Sneve (Rosebud Sioux), NAPT's Director of Radio and Television was elected to the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) Board for a three year term. President is Mike Kellogg (Navajo), Vice-president is Ronnie Washines (Yakama), Treasurer is Cristina Azocar (Upper Mattaponi Tribe), and Secretary is Bryan Pollard (Cherokee Nation). Other board members are Christina Good Voice (Creek Nation) and Minnie Two Shoes (Ft. Peck Assiniboine/Sioux Montana). Kim Baca (Navajo) is NAJA’s executive director.

Headquartered in Vermillion, SD, NAJA serves and empowers Native journalists through programs and actions designed to enrich journalism and promote Native cultures. NAJA recognizes Native Americans as distinct peoples based on tradition and culture. In this spirit, NAJA educates and unifies its membership through journalism programs that promote diversity and defends challenges to free press, speech and expression. NAJA is committed to increase the representation of Native journalists in mainstream media. NAJA encourages both mainstream and tribal media to attain the highest standards of professionalism, ethics and responsibility.