Blog

By Muriel Ammon It was wonderful going down to Davis this past weekend, for the University of California Land Grab: Accounting for the Past and Actions Towards Justice. This symposium was brought about by U.C. Grand Challenges, moving towards “addressing the harmful origins” regarding the U.C. system’s ongoing benefit from colonial acquisition of Indigenous lands.…

By Muriel Ammon Translated in part by Verdena Parker Voiced by Danny and Muriel Ammon ‘E:wa:k whita’. De: do:ng nahx no:nundila:t. Xong-’e:n’, hay no:nila:t do:-ch’iwehsyo’. My poor dad, he hates February. Łe:lding Xo’osday “Oh no, nahx no:nila:t xola:n. ‘Ijibeh.” Xosa:k’ “Xwe:di ma:n nilgit?” Łe:lding Xo’osday “Xoljeh yehya:winde’tł’-tehł.” Xosa:k’ “Duxwe:d? Daydi ding yehya:winde’tł’-te hay xoljeh?” Łe:lding…

BERKELEY, CA—The Berkeley Public Library Foundation proudly presented the Fred and Pat Cody Award at its 22nd Annual Authors Dinner on Sunday, February 23, celebrating literary excellence and cultural contributions. This year’s Cody Award was given in recognition of Heyday publisher’s 50th anniversary to the editors of News from Native California magazine and the Berkeley Roundhouse for their exceptional dedication to amplifying the voices and experiences of…

By Muriel Ammon “We didn’t have a word for Valentine’s Day,” Verdena likes to tell us. “So I guess you have to make a name for it and say ‘Yikyun-sa’a:n xehł ya’ułchwe je:nis.‘ That’s the day they send out hearts.” Over the past few years, Valentine’s Day has been a source of inspiration for my…

The Rou Dalagurr: Food Sovereignty Lab & Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute at Cal Poly Humboldt is honored to announce that co-directors and Native American Studies professors Cutcha Risling Baldy and Kaitlin Reed received the 2025 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award.  Each year, Irvine’s Leadership Awards recognize innovative leaders whose breakthrough solutions to critical state challenges…

By Muriel Ammon Keep your eyes out for a new Scholastic Reader, written by Northern California’s very own Geena Talley (Karuk, Yurok). The Land We Love follows a Karuk girl who goes swimming in the creek, accompanied by her grandmother and brother. Their serenity is interrupted when visitors arrive, littering and causing noise pollution. The…

By Muriel Ammon Ring ring. Me’-ch’ixine:wh me’, nohma:lyo’ noh-ch’ing’ ch’ixe:ne:wh:  “Do:-whił łe:na:k’iwidilaw-te xay miqude’?”  Noh-’e:n, xodilyo’. Łe:na:k’iwidilaw xay miqude’ xoł niwho:ng silin-te! Diye, diye! Me:de:didin ‘o:dilts’it duxwe:di-q’ ‘a:wilaw. Ts’ehdiyah nohwung nikyung na’way. “Q’ut niwho:ng, me:dindin diywho’ch-me’-silay, xola-yehk’iwilt’ow, mił-yunt’us. Miq’it ch’iwich’iwh q’ina. Q’ade’!” Our friend rang us, “Do you girls want to come gather spruce roots…

Poem Project by Muriel Ammon Someone once told me that a poem is your dearest message, boiled down to its smallest parts. The minimal meaningful messages. These phrases, often contained in a single word, are poems to me. They carry memories of habitual practices that have emerged through our relationships to the land and to…

By Muriel Ammon What a year for Native art markets! We saw the ‘first annual’ of quite a few markets, vendors rocked the house new desgins and handcrafted jewelry, crocheted caps, and streetwear styles galore. This is the time to catch up with friends, browse the gems and jewels, and see what trends are hot…

Review by Jeanne Ferris Directed by Arthur James Editor’s note: Potentially triggering content. Whatever path one may seek, be it spiritual, physical, or emotional, the enduring pillars of courage, self-respect, and profound prayer are the tools to finding the way. Believing in this system, bolstered by the knowledge that others are on the same journey,…

By Muriel Ammon “I stopped teaching people the language, and started teaching people how to use the language.” -Zalmai Zahir, Lushootseed language teacher and specialist on Language Nesting ‘Language nesting’ is an immersive method used in language revitalization to create new speakers and support language use. One such nest, demonstrated by Zalmai Zahir, dedicates a…

By Muriel Ammon We are living through a period of great innovation in Indigenous language revitalization. Indigenous communities, “are rising to the challenge of keeping their languages alive, of regaining a relationship to the language in whatever ways they can, re-establishing traditions where the language is used, finding new functions for the language, and trying…