I never make New Year’s resolutions. I never make resolutions at all. I try to listen; I try to understand if I feel misunderstood, I make promises to others but not to myself. We, myself included, are complicated, constant, and always changing. Yet in this state of flux we depend on the ones who confound us most - our families, our friends, and our communities. It’s give and take, back and forth, love and hate, but, oh, for the love... click here for more...

Frustrated over all the attention the national media had focused on New Orleans while over a hundred thousand working class and impoverished people suffered great losses in Mississippi, Muscogee Creek rap artist Shadowyze (Shawn Enfinger) took action and brought aid to the devastated Native and working class communities of southern Mississippi. Following is a dispatch from the Mississippi Choctaw Indian Reservation, where Shawn and his sister in law, Xuxan, brought some relief to the Native victims of Hurricane Katrina: ... click here for more...

As a man who has documented the rise of hip hop from the mid 70's with a camera I feel qualified to speak on this subject. Born a mixed blood in Brooklyn, N.Y. in the late 40's, my view of hip-hop is filtered by many things. Poverty, homelessness, welfare, war and gang life are not just the popular themes of rap but also the early foundation of my life... click here for more ...

ABUSIVE, OFFENSIVE, HOSTILE | by Don Kills Right

So, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (known by the acronym NCAA) has ruled that 18 of its member colleges in the Division 1 ranks can no longer use any mascot or logo that are offensive to American Indians - or Native Americans, whichever you prefer. The governing body of major college sports ruled that these mascots and logos are “abusive“, “offensive” and “hostile”. On the surface, it would seem that the NCAA is singling out the Florida State University Seminoles and the University of Illinois Illini... click here for more...

Going West | by Kim Basset

This past summer TNT presented the 12-hour original limited series Into the West. And you thought all they show is Law & Order reruns. Produced in association with DreamWorks Television and none other than Mr. Steven Spielberg himself, the production featured a wagonload of A-list TV and movie names (Judge Rheinhold and Gary Busey), and was heralded as major television event... click here for more...

Mind over Matter | Review by Dawn Karima Pettigrew

Prolific Cherokee writer MariJo Moore has written an evocative and effectual volume of poetry.  The title, Confessions of a Madwoman, challenges readers to consider their conceptions of women, Native Americans, and the world at large.  From the mountains of western North Carolina, Moore compiles her experiences, her culture, and her traditions into lush, well-worded poetry... click here for more...