An Update & Some Fun, Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas

Aanii!

I hope your studying is going well!

On December 5th, we elected new positions for NASA's executive board for the upcoming semester.

The following people will be holding positions until the end of the Winter '12 semester when we hold elections again:

External Co-Chair: Forrest Cox, Junior in LS&A, Public Policy

Internal Co-Chair: Andrea Hebner, Senior in LS&A, International Studies

Treasurer: Don Wilkerson, Junior in Ross School of Business, BBA

Secretary: Rayna Caskey, Sophomore in LS&A, Sociology

Additional Positions for this semester:

Programs Chair: Michelle Saboo, Senior in LS&A, American Culture

Social Chair: Haley Mandoka, Junior in LS&A, Communications

We will resume meetings for NASA/powwow planning in January after the break. Be on the lookout for emails about meetings!

I wish you all a happy, stress-free finals week! Good luck on your exams!

Alas, I'll leave you with a list of fun, inexpensive holiday gifts that I have compiled over the past few weeks.

Also, I'm thinking the truffles (first on the list) might be a good fundraiser for NASA in February near Valentine's Day. I made my boyfriend oreo, nutella, and peanut butter truffles for Valentine's Day last year.

They were a huge hit! I spent about $15-20 on ingredients for 120 truffles last year.

I didn't intend on making so many, but I ended up with lots of extras for friends!

Similar truffles sell at chocolate shops downtown for $20 to $25 PER POUND, and people sell them at the farmer's market for 50 cents each.

Perhaps we could make some and sell them in Mason Hall? We'll see...

And finally, the list:

(each item on the list is a link to a tutorial or recipe for that gift)

Food Gifts

Delicious Oreo Truffles

Homemade Cookie Dough for your friends to freeze

Infused Vinegars

Flavored Hot Chocolates

Homemade Vanilla Sugar, Smores Kits, & Chai Tea kit

BBQ Rubs

Spa Gifts

Oatmeal Bath & Cookies

Homemade Peppermint Foam Soap

Homemade Body Scrubs

Warm Rice Packs/Heating Pack

More Rice Packs

Home Décor & Photos

Classy Wooden Photos

Personalized Photo Coasters

Easy Christmas Potpourri

Kids/Family

Holiday Themed Play-dough

Classic Fleece Tie Blanket—no sewing required

DIY 2 in 1 Toy Car Mat & Backpack

The “Question Jar”

Other kids’ gifts

Lots of these are links from my favorite blog, MoneySavingMom.

She posts lots of great deals and freebies. Like today- $8 Mossimo jeans at Target!

Other:

Gifts In A Jar- Free E-Book

Creative Gift Card Wrapping Ideas

Enjoy! Have a great vacation and a merry Christmas!

Miigwetch!

Fall Feast 2011

It's that time of year again...

Smoked Lake Michigan Fish

Harvested by Skip & Bill Derusha, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians

Wild Rice (Manoomin)

Harvested by Emmanuel "Doc" Poler, Sokaogon Chippewa Community

Traditional Hominy Corn Soup

Beef & Pork Roasts

Join us for our annual Fall Feast and a Traditional Cooking Workshop with our very own Howard Kimewon. Howard is orginally from the Wikwemikong Unceded Reserve on Manitoulin Island, Ontario and has been teaching Ojibwe at the University of Michigan since 2007.

The cooking workshop will be held on Sunday, November 13th at Trotter Multicultural Center at 1443 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 on U-M's campus beginning at 12 PM. Free parking is available in the lot on the S. University side of the building.

Howard will be teaching students & community members how to prepare Traditional Hominy Corn Soup, Wild Rice, Beef & Pork Roasts, and Fish.

The workshop will continue until the Fall Feast begins that evening at 5 PM. We will be eating around 6 PM. Everyone is welcome to attend the workshop and the feast; come and stay for a couple of hours or the entire day.

These are both free community events, but we ask that you bring a side dish or dessert to pass if you are able to as the Fall Feast is traditionally a potluck. (Not required to attend.) The main dishes mentioned above will be provided.

**Vegetarian options will be available.**

While the food cooks, we will be doing some simple beadwork. Learn the basics of Native beading and enjoy fellowship & conversation!

Join us for these and our other Native American Heritage Month Events listed on the poster above. For a larger, online version of the poster, click here: http://imgur.com/E0xmx

If you have questions please contact Jaimee Marsh at jaimeem@umich.edu or 734.763.9044.

Reminder: NASA/Powwow Meeting TONIGHT

Just a reminder: we are having a powwow meeting tonight, Thursday November 4 at 6:30 PM in 3512 Haven Hall. We will start the meeting by doing a little flyering around campus to publicize Native Heritage Month and then we'll have some snacks while we discuss powwow.

Hope to see you there!

Miigwetch,
Rachel

Gego ina g'wii miizh maage gego daa zhichige (Trick or Treat!)

Taaseong Ikidowinan (Halloween Words)

[Courtesy of Meg Noori, Howard Kimewon, & Alphonse Pitawanakwat, U-M Ojibwe Instructors.]

Gego & Goya - Things & People

ziinziibaakadons - candy

dengwe-kaajigaan - face mask

koosman - pumpkin

biinoojiinh - child

ingo-dibik - one more night

kina goya - everyone

jiibay - ghost, spirit

niijaans - child

Ezhichige-ikidowinan - Verbs

miijin - to eat (inanimate)

zaage - to come out

manaajpindizo - to dress crazy

miizinikidaan - to carve it up

zegizi - to scare someone

miizh - to give someone something

ezhichige - do something

debtaagozi - to yell from a distance

noondaagozi - to yell right near someone

gichinendaamo - to be happy

biiskaan - wear it

baatiindoon - to have a lot of something

Aankesijigansan - Connector Words

dash - then

mii - then, so, now

maage - or

chi - very much

geyabi - still

niibina - lots

Pii-ikidowinan - Tenses

daa - indefinite future

wii - definite future

gii - definite past

For some fun Halloween phrases in Ojibwe & recordings for correct pronunciation, visit:

http://www.umich.edu/~ojibwe/lessons/semester-one/halloween/

Hand Drum Making Workshop with Dr. Meg Noori

We look forward to seeing everyone who registered at the hand drum making workshop this Saturday at 10 AM @ Trotter Multicultural Center. For those of you who were not one of the first 25 people to register, you are invited to come to our feast on Sunday. More details to follow.

Welcome Back BBQ Online Invitation

Just a reminder, our Welcome Back BBQ will be held next Friday at 5 PM at the Trotter Multicultural Center!

For more details visit our:

Online Invitation:

http://new.evite.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fb_share_widget&utm_content=fb_link&utm_campaign=invite#view_invite:eid=00A1AAQZXGL24E6RSEPA3DURO4NP2M&gid=fb

Facebook Event:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188947187843310

Miigwetch,

Rachel

Welcome Back BBQ: September 30th

Aanii! Come celebrate the start of fall with a FREE barbecue dinner hosted by UofM's Native American Student Association! Meet other students, NASA members, the local Native community, and Native American Studies faculty!

When: Friday September 30, from 5:00-7:00

Where: Trotter Multicultural Center, 1443 Washtenaw Avenue Ann Arbor, MI 48109

(Trotter is located near the corner of S. University & Washtenaw, walking distance from campus. Free parking is available on the S. University side of the building)

There will be:
Fry bread!
Indian Tacos!
Hamburgers and Hot dogs!
Vegetarian options and lots of other delicious food!

So, stop by the barbecue and get to know some of the NAS faculty and the Native American Community here at UofM. Learn about NASA, AISES, our annual powwow, the Native heritage month series, the Ojibwe program, and other events and resources on campus.
Everyone is to welcome to attend!

Wisinidaa. Let’s eat.

Izhaadaa Giizhigowaande! Go Blue!

Student Information Request -- Needed for Group Renewal

Aanii,

I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather!

NASA is currently working on renewing our group for the upcoming school

year.

In order for the Native American Student Association to renew our group as

a student organization through the University of Michigan, we must provide

the university with the names, UMIDs (8-digit U-M ID numbers), and

uniqnames of at least TEN current students, undergraduate or graduate.

Renewal through U-M is crucial in order for us to continue to "exist" as a

group and to receive funding for events and other group expenses.

We would appreciate it if you would send an email to

rderusha [at] umich [.] edu and include the following information:

- Full Name (first, middle, & last)

- Year in school and your individual school or college (e.g. 2nd year

undergrad, College of Engineering or Class of 2013, LS&A)

- 8-digit UMID number

- uniqname

Please be assured that your personal information will be kept private; I

will only be sharing this information with University administration for

student group renewal purposes. Your uniqname will not be added to the NASA

mailing list or any other listservs unless you request that I do so.

Please also note that providing this information does not obligate you to

be involved with NASA in the upcoming school year. We would love to see all

of you at meetings and events, but you are welcome to be involved in

whatever capacity is right for you, whether you provide this information or

not.

Thank you for your help! Please contact me if you have any questions.

Miigwetch,

Rachel Derusha

Native American Student Association

University of Michigan Class of 2013

Congratulations everyone!

Aanii!

First, we would like to congratulate our very own Alys Alley who is one of only twelve students in the nation selected for the Udall Foundation's Native American Congressional Internship this summer. Alys will be working in the Office of Representative Dale E. Kildee (D) from Michigan's fifth congressional district. What an honor!

In addition, two of our graduating seniors Adonia Arteaga and Seann Smith have been offered teaching positions through Teach for America, a corps program that places college graduates from various disciplines in urban and rural classrooms. TFA teachers often work with students who fall into the "opportunity gap," including many minorities, and we are so proud that Seann and Adonia will be able to inspire young people, make a difference, and represent the Native community through this program. Placements have not yet been finalized, but it looks like Seann will be going to California and Adonia will be going to Colorado. We will miss them but this will be a great experience!

All of our 2011 graduates have accomplished so much, and as a way to honor ALL of our graduates, there will be a Native Graduation ceremony on Friday night, April 29th. More information will follow and invitations are being printed as you read this. Everyone is welcome to attend and we would love to see community members there; we will be celebrating our graduates' accomplishments and a feast will follow the ceremony!

Our very own Dance for Mother Earth Powwow was featured yesterday on USA Today's list of "10 Great places to be wowed by American Indian culture". This is great publicity and a testament to all of the hard work that we did this year and in the past to make the powwow an exceptional community event.

Finally, we've realized that a lot of our Native undergrads were spring babies and to celebrate our birthdays that fall into the spring, the undergraduates will be getting together on Saturday, April 23 to have a little celebration. Location, time, and activities are to be determined. If you would like to come, please contact Elise McGowan for details.

March, April, & May birthdays:

Elise McGowan, Don Wilkerson, Andrea Hebner, Rayna Caskey, Rachel Derusha, Jasmine Pawlicki, Michelle Saboo, Forrest Cox, Seann Smith, Matt Hillyer, and Tony Menard

Happy Birthday to all!

We survived!

So in honor of us all being done with the 39th annual jiingtamok...lets do something fun! Who wants to watch Black Cloud? Come on over to Michelle and my place tonight from 8till it ends --- we need suggestions for next weeks movie! :D

PLUS Rayna's play is Friday and Saturday....

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=143349489063929

<3 Diindiisi

Powwow Week!

Aanii! Powwow is next weekend! :) Here are some updates about meetings and some last minute things before the event. Please check back as there will be more updates throughout the week.

Now/ASAP: Follow the Volunteer Link and pass it along to your friends to sign up for volunteer shifts and positions for Saturday and Sunday on Powwow Weekend (NEXT WEEKEND!)

Tomorrow (Monday, March 14th): We will be meeting in the Student Activities Building at 7:30 PM to stuff packets, make tobacco ties, and get some final things wrapped up. Exact room number will follow.

Each committee member can add four people to the list for free admission to the powwow. Native high schoolers are also eligible for free admission for recruiting purposes but their names must be added to the list in advance. You MUST submit all names, including high school students, to the committee by Monday, 3/14! Bring your names to the meeting with you or email them to powwowtaskforce@umich.edu!

Friday, March 18th: Art Brandt will have security at Saline Middle School by 12 noon so we can tape the floor and begin setting everything up. We would like committee members and anyone who wants to help set up to be at the school as close to early afternoon as possible.

Saturday, March 19th: POWWOW! Doors open to the public at 10 AM. Grand Entry at 12 PM & 7 PM.

Sunday, March 20th: POWWOW! Doors open to the public at 10 AM. Grand Entry at 12 PM.

A FREE shuttle service will be running from the Michigan Union on State Street on both days of the powwow from 10 AM-8 PM on Saturday & 10 AM-6 PM on Sunday on the hour.

Head Veteran: George Martin Arena Director: Dave Shananaquet Head Male Dancer: Emanuel Poler Head Female Dancer: Patty Gardner Host Drum: Crazy Spirit Co Host Drum: Painted Rock  General Admission: Adults - $10, Students with ID - $7, Seniors over 60 - $7, Children    (6-12) - $5, Children under 5 - free 

Keep working hard! We're almost there!!

Pre-Spring Break Update

Aanii,


Powwow is officially THREE WEEKS AWAY!! If you are interested in volunteering and have not signed up yet, please contact a committee member as soon as possible. 


We had a meeting yesterday afternoon to go over some things before spring break, and many of us went to Audra Simpson's lecture afterward on her new book Mohawk Interruptus.


There will not be a meeting over spring break (next week) as many of us will be out of town. We will send out an email as soon as the next meeting is scheduled, but for now, plan on Thursday nights.

Please start spreading the word about powwow! It is March 19th & 20th at Saline Middle School, all day, and there will be free shuttles available from the Student Union at the University of Michigan.

Also, please mark your calendars for Monday, March 14th @ 7:30 PM. We will be stuffing packets for dancer registration and getting some other last minute things accomplished. It will probably be a rather long meeting so if you can't make it until later, we'd love to have you then. There will be FREE PIZZA. Please make every effort to attend; it will be fun and we have a lot to accomplish that week!

Please note that due to privacy concerns, we will no longer be posting the minutes from powwow planning or NASA meetings on this blog and all previous posts with minutes have been removed. Minutes will be available on the powwow's CTools (a U of M online collaboration & document sharing tool similar to Blackboard) page. If you would like access to the CTools page, please contact any committee member. We can also email minutes to group members if any individuals make a request & would prefer that over CTools.


Miigwetch,
Rachel Derusha

Meeting Thursday

Aanii!


We will be having another meeting on Thursday, February 24th at 3 PM in the Ethnic Studies Lounge on the 3rd floor of Haven Hall. 

Miigwetch!

-Rachel Derusha

Zaagidiwin Giizhigad -- Valentine's Day!!

Aanii!

Just a couple of things to share today...

Valentine's Day phrases in Ojibwe!

http://www.umich.edu/~ojibwe/lessons/semester-two/zaagidiwin/

Also, please consider attending this event tomorrow night if at all possible. 

These are useful skills to have in general and could be helpful in future Powwow Planning & NASA work. Besides, why pass up free food?

 Student Organization Roundtable

Tuesday February 15th, 6:00-7:30 PM Michigan Union Room 2105 A

Topic: Obtaining Funding and Grant Writing for Student Organizations

Wondering how to obtain more funding for you student organization?  Looking for new fundraising strategies? 

This roundtable will include presentations from MSA and MESA and information about additional fundraising opportunities on campus that will answer these questions. 

 Student Organization Roundtable (SOR) represents a collaborative effort between members of Mortar Board and the Office of Student Activities & Leadership (SAL).  Student leaders who participate in SOR will be provided important student organization information and updates, a forum for networking with other student leaders and organizations, and an opportunity to identify and address student organizational concerns. 

Food will be provided for all participants!

If you have any questions, please contact Dani Angeli at angelidk@umich.edu.  

Miigwetch,

Rachel Derusha

Volunteers!

Aanii! 

We are still looking for volunteers to help with planning and/or work the weekend of the powwow. Volunteer time counts for community service hours!

 POWWOW IS ONLY FIVE WEEKS AWAY!

FIVE WEEKS!!

Please note that we now have a Powwow Committee phone number: 734.408.1581

If you need to send any information out to the entire committee, please use the following email address:

powwowtaskforce@umich.edu

Thank you for all of your support! 

Miigwetch, 

Rachel Derusha

Meeting tonight!

Just a reminder that there is a NASA/Powwow planning meeting tonight at 6 PM in Haven Hall, room 3773!

This week's meeting includes a visit from Kelly Comfort of U-M Housing Planning and Design who is working on updating  the Vicki Barner Lounge (Native themed lounge in Alice Lloyd residence hall). Kelly will bring a few 11"x17" copies of the   renderings and plans of the lounge design for interested students, alums and community members to look at & give her feedback. She'll also give a short summary of the design.

Directions to Haven Hall (U-M)

Hope to see you there!

Aanii!

Welcome to the new NASA blog! Please check back for more updates. 

In the future, we will post minutes from our weekly meetings to this page for your reference, as well as information about events.

Powwow Update:

We are currently looking for volunteers for powwow planning as well as people who are willing to help during the weekend of the powwow! Vendor applications and artwork submissions are STILL being accepted.

Please visit the Dance for Mother Earth Powwow web page for more information!

Upcoming Events:

NASA/Powwow Planning Meeting -- Wednesday, January 26 at 6 PM in Haven Hall (Room # to follow)

NASA/Powwow Planning Meeting -- THURSDAY, February 3rd in Haven Hall (Room # to follow)
Film Screening- "Our Spirits Don't Speak English"  -- Friday, February 4th from 7-10 PM in 3512 Haven Hall [Discussion to follow with dinner provided from Noodles & Co.]
28th Annual Powwow of Love -- Michigan State University, February 12th

Excerpt from "Our Spirits Don't Speak English"

Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join us for any and all events, community members included!

Miigwetch!

~Rachel Derusha