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Global Indigenous Nations Studies Student Assoc.

www.myspace.com/ginssa

Excited for the upcoming Thanksgiving break...then we're back on the grind again w/finalizing semester projects....Mood: Excited ExcitedPosted at 4:50 PM Nov 17 view more

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  • Global Indigenous Nations Studies Student Assoc.

  • Female
  • Lawrence, Kansas, US
  • Last Login: 11/23/2009

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    The Global Indigenous Nations Studies Student Association is thankful for the wonderful support and encouragement of our new advisor...

    ~ Professor Jay T. Johnson!~



    ABOUT JAY!

    It has been 12 years since Jay was last employed at KU as an instructor in the School of Social Welfare and he is glad to be back settling again to familiar surroundings.

    He is transitioning from two years on the tenure-track at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where aside from teaching geography and anthropology courses he co-directed the university’s Human Rights and Human Diversity Initiative.

    At KU, in addition to his full-time appointment in geography, Jay has a courtesy appointment with the Global Indigenous Nations Studies program.

    During the fall semester, Jay taught a jointly listed graduate course, Indigenous Peoples of the World, between the Global Indigenous Nations Studies program and geography department, in addition to Intermediate Human Geography at the undergraduate level.

    Jay chairs the Indigenous Peoples’ Knowledges and Rights Commission of the International Geographical Union. The Commission is currently working on two special journal editions, one for GeoJournal and the other which Jay will co-edit with Renee Louis and Albertus Pramono for Cartographica.

    In addition we are planning a Commission meeting on urban Indigenous people’s issues at the University of Saskatoon in 2009.

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Announcing our 2009/10 GINSSA officers:

Sonya Ortiz (President)
Vicky Walsey (Vice President)
Margaret Stevens (Secretary/Treasurer)
Jason Hale (Community Representative)

~CONGRATULATIONS!~

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GINSSA would like to welcome the new GINS students beginning this 2009 Fall semester: John, Ilona, and Philip ~ as well as our returning students...Micah, Margaret, Jason, Vicky, Valerie and Sonya!

Congrats to Philip and his new lil family!!!

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WELCOME TO THE MYSPACE PAGE OF THE:

GLOBAL INDIGENOUS NATIONS STUDIES STUDENT ASSOCIATION!!!

About GINSSA:

GINSSA is a student association comprised of graduate students from Global Indigenous Nations Studies Program at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

GINSSA students, representing more than 39 Indian nations, meet monthly to plan study groups, socials, and fund raisers. Over the past year, students have held potlucks, pool, bowling, and movie nights, traveled to Kansas City for roller skating, visited haunted houses in October, and camped.

GINSSA also provides student representation on the Program’s executive, curriculum, and retention committees.

The mission of GINSSA and its graduate students is to be an active voice for the empowerment of Indigenous peoples through education and outreach. Also, we work closely with the faculty and staff of the Global Indigenous Nations Studies department to voice student concerns and ideas.

For further information, contact GINNSA president, Sonya Ortiz

Check out the Global Indigenous Nations Studies online at: www.indigenous.ku.edu

(In class GINS pictures courtesy of: KU Student Relations)

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SONYA ORTIZ
GINSSA President

Sonya is half Winnebago (Nebraska) and Acoma Pueblo (New Mexico) and a graduate from Haskell Indian Nations University. Sonya received her Bachelor's in Elementary Education in 2005. After receiving her degree Sonya began teaching in Omaha, Nebraska with the Native Indian Centered Education (NICE) program teaching grades K-8th in academic achievement (Reading/Math) and Cultural Enrichment.

Sonya has four boys, her second eldest propelled her originally into special education (for he was diagnosed with autism at at the age of three). Sonya became active in bringing awareness about autism and special education rights into her Winnebago community through her involvement with a state-wide parent advocacy organization, PTI Nebraska.

Sonya began organizing workshops which led to annual SPED conferences targeting Native American families w/special needs children within the tri-state area of: Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. Sonya has lobbied at the national level in Washington DC to allocate tribal set aside funding for special education for rural Native communities in Nebraska and is working on developing transitional supports within the Winnebago community to accommodate to the needs of special populations.

Currently, Sonya is serving as an intern for the Four Winds Native Center assisting with grant writing and community education development. Sonya is looking forward to building collaborative ventures within the Lawrence community and aboard.


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VICTORIA WALSEY
Vice President

I am Victoria A. Walsey and a member of the Yakama Indian Nation. I have a Bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas in Environmental Studies and an Associate of Arts in Science from Northwest Indian College. I plan on pursuing my PHD and then returning to the Yakima Indian Nation to work.

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MARGARET STEVENS
Secretary

Hello, my name is Margaret Rose Stevens. I am a member of the On^ yote: aka (People of the Standing Stone), also known as the Oneida Nation of the Iroquois Conferderacy. I was born and raised on the Oneida reservation in Wisconsin.

After graduating from high school I received a scholarship to play basketball at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, ND. In December of 2004, I graduated from UTTC with my Associates of Science in Tribal Management. Upon my success at UTTC I was recruited by Haskell Indian Nations University where I finished my basketball career. In May of 2008, I graduated from Haskell Indian Nations with my Bachelor's of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Tribal Management.

My motivation and inspiration is my daughter, MarjaRia Morning Song Stevens. MarjaRia is half Oneida and half Mandan/Hidatsa/Arikara and Dakota. Unlike myself, MarjaRia is a true Kansan. We moved here in August of 2005 when she was only five months old. She has been raised, for the most part, here in Lawrence. She has spent most of her life on the Haskell campus and on the sidelines of Haskell's basketball court.

Currently I am a graduate student in Global Indigenous Nations Studies at the University of Kansas. My emphasis within the GINS program is Environmental Studies. I also serve as the Secretary for the Global Indigenous Nations Student Association. I envision myself working with tribal governments in becoming environmental stewards in light of climate change issues.

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JASON HALE
Community Representative


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GINNSA Board Members:

Valerie Switzler


Originally from Warm Springs, Oregon, Valerie is Wasco-Warm Springs-Yakima. She graduated from Haskell Indian Nations University with her Associates of Arts in Business in 2006, then, her Bachelors of Arts in American Indian Studies in 2007. Valerie is enrolled in the Global Indigenous Nations Studies program focusing on Language Preservation.

Valerie has four daughters, Ashley and MayAnne who intend to graduate in May 2009 with their bachelors degrees at Haskell. Georgianna and Evelyn are working on their high school diplomas with plans to attend Haskell.

Valerie has worked in the language revitalization field for 10 years and hopes to return to Warm Springs to build a language immersion school for the three languages upon her reservation.

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Micah Swimmer

My name is Micah Swimmer I am Eastern Cherokee from Cherokee North Carolina. I graduated from Haskell Indian Nations University with my AA in Liberal Arts and my Bachelors degree in American Indian Studies Dec 08. During my time at Haskell I lettered in football all four years, kept my GPA at 3.0 or better and was apart of the Cherokee Club. My area of interest is Language Doc and Preservation. With my Education I plan on returning home and finding a job that allows me to put my skills to the test with my language.

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Temashio Anderson
Nasbah Ben
Maynard Honanie
Phillip Duncan
Ilona Spruce
John Pepion
......
..

Who I'd like to meet: