Ahfachkee students win Intertribal Agricultural Council essay contest Community News by Beverly Bidney - January 7, 2020January 7, 2020 BIG CYPRESS — The idea of farming fish in cattle ponds was a winner for Makayla Torres in the Intertribal Agricultural Council’s youth essay contest. She celebrated the win at the IAC annual conference Dec. 9 to 12 in Las Vegas. The theme of the student essay contest was “Agriculture: Investing in
FGCU ‘Native American Festival’ celebrates patchwork Community Editorial News Top News Top Story by Beverly Bidney - January 6, 2020January 6, 2020 FORT MYERS — Florida Gulf Coast University commemorated Native American culture in November by highlighting the art and culture of the Seminole and Miccosukee Tribes. The last event of the school’s second annual “Native American Festival” on Nov. 21 focused on patchwork. Seminole Tribal member Jessica Osceola, Miccosukee Tribal member Khadijah Cypress
Healthy cooking class teaches how to combat diabetes Community Health News by Beverly Bidney - January 6, 2020January 6, 2020 IMMOKALEE — The statistics about diabetes are chilling. More than 30 million Americans have diabetes and about 25 percent (7.2 million) don’t know it. Native Americans have a greater chance of getting diabetes than any other racial group in the U.S. They are more than twice as likely to get the disease
US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo visits Big Cypress Arts & Entertainment Community News Top News Top Story by Beverly Bidney - January 6, 2020January 6, 2020 BIG CYPRESS — As the nation’s official poet, the U.S. poet laureate aims to promote and raise the national consciousness of reading and writing poetry. As the first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo takes it a step further. The most important aspect of her duties as Poet
Tribe’s Veterans Service Organization improves lives of Native and non-Native veterans Community News Top News Top Story by Beverly Bidney - January 6, 2020January 6, 2020 BRIGHTON — U.S. Army veteran Raymond Jolly served in Vietnam from 1965-67 in areas where the herbicide Agent Orange was sprayed. When Jolly returned from service at age 23, he got married. Two years later, after feeling weak and passing out numerous times, he was diagnosed with diabetes. More symptoms
Valholly Frank speaks at UN climate change summit in Madrid Community News Top News Top Story by Beverly Bidney - January 3, 2020January 3, 2020 Although hers is just one voice of many, climate activist and high school junior Valholly Frank isn’t shy about using it to help change the world. In late November and early December, Frank went to Madrid, Spain, to voice her concerns about climate change at the United Nations 25th annual Conference
The ‘1491s’ deliver numerous laughs at AIAC Arts & Entertainment Community News by Beverly Bidney - December 6, 2019December 6, 2019 BIG CYPRESS — The American Indian Arts Celebration’s headlining comedy group the “1491s” made lemonade during their performance on Nov. 1. As it is every year, the first day of the AIAC is school field trip day. More than 600 school kids attended every event in the tent which included
Florida Gulf Coast University celebrates Native Americans Community Education News Top News Top Story by Beverly Bidney - December 4, 2019December 4, 2019 FORT MYERS — Native American culture was celebrated at Florida Gulf Coast University throughout November. The second Native American Festival centered on the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes, their involvement in the arts and how their values and cultures are passed along. “This year we wanted to focus on people in our
PECS students create videos to spur activism Community Education by Beverly Bidney - December 4, 2019December 4, 2019 BRIGHTON — At the beginning of the school year, a group of Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School sixth-graders read some current event articles in class and decided they needed to do whatever they could to change the world. Living in the digital age, it was natural to use a digital platform to
ERMD manages water levels in Big Cypress Community News by Beverly Bidney - December 4, 2019December 4, 2019 BIG CYPRESS — In preparation for the possible landfall of Hurricane Dorian in early September, the Environmental Resource Management Department (ERMD) released water in canals across the reservations to lower water levels, thus avoiding the possibility of flooding due to excess rainfall. To accomplish the task, the department worked with the