1 AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES McCleneghan, J. Sean, New Mexico State University "African American Media Leaders and America's Social Institution" This descriptive national nonparametric survey describes how N=153 African American newspaper readers forecast 12 U.S. social institutions in our new millennium. An instituitional attitude index score documents their opinions on 1) individual's rights, 2) economics, 3) the Fourth Estate, 4) democratic process, 5) education, 6) religion, 7) equality, 8) technology, 9) agriculture, 10) living conditions, 11) health, and12) crime. African American newspapers leaders in this study, who have dealt with the "backlash" of affirmative action most of their adult lives, are not optimistic. They were the first vanguard of minority reporters hired on mainstream newspapers following civil unrest in the mid-60s. African Americans today represent the largest minority block employed in our newspaper industry. Tekinay, Asli, Bogazici University, Turkey "Amiri Baraka and Black Aesthetics" The two best known black Beat poets of the Post-War era were Bob Kaufman on the west coast and LeRoi Jones in Greenwich Village. However, the most important work of the latter alls to the period following his attachment with the Beat generation. Indeed, the poetic career of LeRoi Jones shows drammatic transformations in such a way that it reminds the reader of the controversial debates of the Harlem Rebaissance regarding the social and cultural responsibilities of the African-American men of letters. As definition of self is the main theme of his poetry in the 1950s, his themes changed in the 1960s. The alteration in his vision and voice is reflected in his dispensing with his "white slave name" and adopting a name in line with his new poetic mission as a black poet: Imanu Amiri Barakaa. The function of Bakara's art is now prophetic, social and revolutionary. His poetry thus serves as a touchstore for post-war black aesthetics. 2 AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES Aldred, Lisa Montana State University "Commodifying Changing Woman: Conflicting Views of Land Religion in the Navajo Relocation Case: This paper evolved form my work as an attorney on the Manybeads case where Big Mountain Navajo sought to block federal relocation from their homelands. The Navajo argued that their spirituality is so integrally tied to their homelands relocation would effectively destroy their ability to practice their religion, thus violating their First Amendment rights. They identify land with their most revered deity, Changing Woman, conceptualizing its geographical feature with her body's living organs. Moreover, Navajo religious practice involves prayers and offerings at the numerous sacred sites permeating their homelands. Manybeads was dismissed on the basis of the Supreme Court's decision in Lyng that the government's commercial interest in lands outweighed any spiritual interests held by Native Americans. This paper examines the case to unpack the following: What does it reveal about the very different conceptions of land, religion, and law held by Native Americans as opposed to Euroamericans? Carpenter, Leah J., The University of Arizona "An Analysis of Tribal Land Ownership Patterns" This paper will examine the history and dynamics of tribal land ownership patterns. I intend to develop an overall time trajectory of tribal land loss and tribal land gain. I will analyze the patterns of increased and decreased tribal land ownership and identify correlations between those patterns and the public policies that have significantly impacted those patterns. Cook, Samuel R., Virginia Tech; J. Cedric Woods, University of C Connecticut "Contemporary eastern Siouan Identities: An Ethnohistorical Assessment" This presentation showcases the authors' collaborative research on the origins of contemporary indigenous communities in the Southeast. Special emphasis is placed on the Lumbee and Monacan tribes of North Carolina and Virginia, respectively. The authors link these groups to a once vast network occurrence of specific surnames in various records while documenting migration and settlement patterns. Finally, the authors focus on how some of these surnames have become identity markers around which each group identifies itself as a unique ethnic nation. Cornette, M.L., University of South Dakota "Electronic Smoke Signals" – TV and VCR This presentation will include showing ELECTRONIC SMOKE SIGNALS, a 26 minutes video documentary on American Indian radio in the Dakotas. The video showcases the four Indian radio stations in South Dakota. The stations serve populations usually not served by mainstream media. They offer local programming and news to listeners located on several North and South Dakota reservations. The video documents how Indian radio helps promote and preserve Indian culture and language. It has been accepted by the Central Education Network and is being offered for distribution to public broadcasting stations in over 20 states. 3 Elvine-Kreis, Greg, Albietz Law Corporation " American Indian Water Rights: Will Promises Be Kept?" Over the last 20 years, water settlements between American Indian tribes, various states, non-government organization, and the United States have taken place, and continue to take place. In the next 20 years, conflicts over these agreements may arise in the Southwest pertaining to the allocation of water between non-Indian agricultural interests, and Indian tribes. The question which must be addressed is: Will these agreements stand the test of time? This paper will investigate the effectiveness of past and current water settlements apportioning water allocations between non-Indians and Indians in the Southwest. It will also address the inevitable confrontation which will arise between non-Indians agricultural interests and American Indian tribes. In addition, this paper will examine the trust responsibility that the federal government owes to the Indian tribes regarding these future confrontations. Fox, Mary Jo Tippeconnic, Martin, Bob, Eagle, Stephanie Charging, The University of Arizona "American Indian Higher Education Programs" This presentation will focus on the ways in which culturally relevant higher education programs designed for American Indians are essentially different from those planned for mainstream society. An introduction to the historical development of American Indian Studies Programs at mainstream universities and the tribal colleges will be presented. In addition, the uniqueness of the missions of both the University of Arizona's American Indian Studies Programs and the tribal college will be discussed. As a result, programs are provided that support the preservation and appreciation of American Indian/Alaska Native cultures and languages, tribal sovereignty, self-determination and economic development. Profiles for students attending the University of Arizona's American Indian Studies Programs and the tribal colleges will also be examined as well as the institutional program implications for addressing the unique needs of these students. Hailer, Julie, The University of Arizona "Reservation Law Enforcement: Can the Melding of Traditions and Contemporary Policing Reduce Crime Rates on the Reservations?" This paper is an exploratory study of policing in Indian Country with a focus on three questions: can non- Indian policing practices meet the needs of the reservation communities, particularly in light of the high levels and serious nature of crimes on the reservations? Can community-controlled policing reduce native involvement in the criminal justice system? Can there be a melding of traditional social controls and non- Indian policing practices as a way of decreasing these high rates of crime? This exploration is currently based on literature research with the intent of expanding to field research which will explore tribal police agencies (taking into account the different between communities with stronger ties to tradition and those agencies in more assimilated communities) as an attempt to answer these questions. 4 Haladay, Jane, The University of Arizona "The Last Laugh: Humor as Subversion in the Literature of Carter Revard and Simon Ortiz" Since earliest contact, Europeans have projected myriad qualities onto the being they erroneously named "Indian." Through written representations, Euroamericans have constructed and reproduced profound distortions of indigenous people that have shaped political and material realities for Native Americans by reducing them to delimiting "types." Simultaneously, Native writers have had a parallel history of representing whites as the embodiment of confusing and "uncivilized" strangeness, in order to assert authentic representations of American Indian experience in their own voices. Twentieth century Native writers have increasingly recast historically racist representations by depicting whiteness as "other" in their fiction, poetry and mixed-genre writing. This paper examines the manner in which two contemporary Native authors—Simon Ortiz, Acoma, and Carter Revard, Osage—use humor as a literary strategy for subverting particular Euroamerican stereotypes of "Indians" in order and reconstruct authentic Native identity from the true center, that lived by American Indian people themselves. Kershner, Monica, University of Nebraska at Omaha "Stories from the Choir: An Exploration of Narrative Voice in N. Scott Momaday's A House Made of Dawn" "Stories from the Choir: An Exploration of Narrative Voice in N. Scott Momaday's A House Made of Dawn" will offer an alternate