I
reviewed the NAJA website; NAJA stands for the Native American Journalists
Association. I had never heard of this
organization before, so it was very interesting to sift through the site.
NAJA
was inspired by writings such as those found in The Cherokee Phoenix, a newspaper
that started in 1828 (the first bilingual Native newspaper). The actual association has been around since 1984,
starting with a conference of thirty journalists at the Choctaw Nation of
Oklahoma. Back then it was known as the
Native American Press Association (NAPA), but in six years it had transformed
into the Journalists Association. The first
meeting of the thirty original NAJA journalists was actually at Penn State one
year before the gathering in Oklahoma, but the organization was not concrete
until ’84.
 |
| The Cherokee Phoenix |
Pamela
M. Silas has been a part of NAJA for twenty-five years, and is now the
executive director of the Association. There
is quite a bit of information on her as well due to her community leadership
and influence in NAJA.
The
NAJA base is still the University of Oklahoma.
They have built the organization enough to be able to supply students
with many resources, including scholarships and projects in media, as well as
the community, the goal being to “enrich journalism and promote Native
cultures.” The website even contains
information about upcoming conferences: they list dates, locations, and registration forms and information for people who are interested in getting
involved.
I
was surprised and pleased to see that the site also has links to job listings
and a legal hotline (for anyone with legal questions), two more ways in which
the organization provides for the Native American community.
 |
| The Beginning of NAJA |
What made you interested in this paper Melisa? Is it the fact that it is bilingual or that it provides a variety of perspectives? Please clarify.
ReplyDeleteThe primary reason I was interested in the Cherokee Phoenix is due to the different perspectives that it did provide; it was the first source that the Cherokee people had to present their ideas and feelings to the public in written form. What is also so special about this paper is that it was the result of Sequoyah's alphabet; his achievement raised his people from "savagery" and "barbarism" to "civilized" (Sutton 324; 13). Not that this completely resolved the issues with the whites, but it did allow them to view Native Americans as more than what they originally would allow.
ReplyDeleteCite: Sutton, Mark Q. "An Introduction to Native North America." 4th ed. New York: Pearson, 2012. Print.
Excellent response! Thank you for the clarification!
ReplyDelete