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News
Trail of Tears Park May Go In Near McMinnville posted January 26, 2006 [drawing] Trail of Tears Park A
Trail of Tears Park is being planned east of McMinnville, according to a website about the development. The site does
not list contacts, but a source said the park would be at an extensive site along Highway 8, which leads to Dunlap. The
source said the park is being financed by Chinese investors and is planned to be "the size of DisneyWorld." The designs
on the website include a Great Spirit Arena, a Sacred Ground Pavilion and a Flaming Arrow monorail system. It will
have a National Trail of Tears Museum that will house Native American artificats, Trail of Tears artifacts and Native American
inspired artwork. It is to be an interactive museum. The museum building itself "will be the largest Native American
monument in the United States." Charles Johnson, of the Southern Standard newspaper at McMinnville, said a local commissioner
is familiar with the project. But he said he had not been informed of details. He said there is extensive available
land along Highway 8 - much of which has been clearcut. The website said miles of the original Trail of Tears are on
the property and will be preserved. The Trail of Tears was the name given the route of the forced exodus to the West of Native
Americans in the 1830s. It says the group will be acquiring other sections of the trail to be placed in a non-profit
conservancy. It says it will be an interactive learning park that will include animatronics depictions of Trail of
Tears history, replicas of period town, village and farms, mule train adventures, replica camping and overnight sites, flora
learning trail and a children's farm animal petting zoo. The park will construct an agricultural and environment showcase
that will trace the history and development of agriculture in America. The state-of-the-art exhibit will show agriculture
of the past and introduce visitors to agriculture of the future. The arena is to be used for concerts, conferences,
pow-wows and conventions. There is also to be a conference center and a destination point resort and spa that will
be constructed, operated and managed by a major hotelier. There is also to be an indoor water park to include activities
for all ages such as water slides, wave pools, swimming and diving areas. The water park will have the ability to qualify
as a swimming and diving competition site. The park will set aside several areas as wildlife zones. The website says
for every acre that is developed, there will be at least 10 acres preserved. The park is to provide educational opportunities
in the areas of history, agriculture and environmental science. It will "provide opportunities for visitors to experience
and learn artesian crafts both from the past as well as modern artesian crafts." The site is http://www.trailoftearspark.com/link_park/designs.aspPhoto by Mapquest
Preserving Traditions through the use of technology
Native American Family Technology Journey Seeks to Preserve Heritage
Through Innovation and Encourage
Internet Access Today
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=99861
ARMONK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 11/01/2005 -- While technology is hailed
by many for its potential
to advance today's society, Native Americans
are encouraged by the promise it holds to help sustain languages and
cultures
several centuries old. The 2005 Native American Family
Technology Journey (The Journey), launching on November 1, will
offer
Native People across the United States a chance to explore what
technology and innovation can mean for their families
as they embrace
the full potential of the Internet.
A study released by the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, titled Falling Through The
Net: Defining The Digital Divide, found that Native Americans "are
not
able to access the important information resources via computers and on
the Internet that are quickly becoming essential
for success."
"With studies indicating that access to computers among many Native
American households lags behind
the national average by 15% and access
to the Internet by roughly 19%, it's clear that more has to be done to
make Native
American families aware of the advantages and opportunities
that are associated with bringing technology into their lives,"
said
Terry Braun (Seneca Hawk), Director, Americas Solution Design Center,
IBM Global Services and Native American Family
Technology Journey
national co-chair.
"The Journey is providing American Indian families with an opportunity
to
not just hear about technology, but also to experience it. I've seen
children delight in constructing bridges out of steel
on a computer,
and
adults marvel at how easily they can access information on the
Internet.
Technology can make
a tremendous difference in the Native community. As
we reach these young people, IBM is hoping to inspire them to not only
learn
about the benefits of technology but to also consider careers in
technology," said Braun.
"We are truly honored
to work with IBM and Career Communications Group
on The Journey," said Marcella Perrano, a member of the
Ramapough-Lenape
nation and director of Title VII Indian Education. "We
are very excited and believe that the events comprising this national
initiative
will provide a fun-filled learning experience for all of the
participants. Our goal is to increase technical education
and computer
literacy among Native American Families, by assisting them in
incorporating science and technology into
their daily lives. With this
in mind, it is our hope that these events will encourage our Native
American students to
pursue university degrees in science, technology
and/or business."
Sponsored by IBM and Career Communications Group
(CCG), The Journey
will
play host to computer and Internet workshops, educational and career
seminars, and interactive
demonstrations, which will provide Native
Americans residing in urban centers, rural areas and on tribal lands
technology
access and training.
The Journey will also establish a forum in which Native people can
learn
more about technology's
potential to help pass the languages, stories
and customs that distinguish their tribes from one generation to
another.
IBM, for example, is partnering with the Indigenous Language
Institute to establish a Language Materials Development Center
that
will assist various tribes in preserving, teaching and sharing their
language.
The company has also developed
the Native Keyboard Input Method Editor,
which allows a user to switch from English to another language with a
simple
"hotkey" or command. In addition, IBM is partnering with the
Abenaki Tribe in Swanton, Vermont to offer Native American
families
classes covering basic to intermediate computer skills, including
Windows, the Internet, web page creation
and using business
productivity software. The classes will take place in the computer lab
IBM gifted to the community.
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