Section A·Page 8
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, March 8, 2000
Speaker stresses education
Native Americans face challenges with stereotypes
By Ryan Blethen
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Brad Hamilton has dedicated his professional career to the betterment of life for Native Americans.
Hamilton, who is Apache and Yuma, spoke yesterday at the Holiday Inn Holidome, 200 McDonald Drive, as part of the Kansas Association for Native-American Education conference. He has worked in many different capacities with Native Americans in Kansas since his graduation from Kansas Wesleyan University in 1975.
"I've been involved in the advocacy for Native-American groups for 20 to 25 years." Hamilton said.
Hamilton was named the first director of the Kansas Office of Native-American Affairs when the office was created in October. In addition to that job, Hamilton also serves as the vice governor's Interstate
Indian Council, as a state representative for the National Congress of American Indians and as a member of the business advisory committee for curriculum at Haskell Indian Nations University.
When the office was created, Hamilton thought it would be a great opportunity to be the first director and work in an office where the parameters were not yet established.
"You don't have a road map, but you get to help build the road," he said. Gov. Bill Graves created the office because he saw a need for state government to have daily contact with the Native Americans of Kansas, Hamilton said.
Hamilton said the office worked as an embassy for Native Americans in Kansas.
At yesterday's convention, a crowd of about 105 educators, students and people concerned about the education of Native-American youth listened to Hamilton at a lunch-time speech. The topics he tackled were the state of Native-American affairs in Kansas and the challenges facing Native-American youth.
"I can truthfully say this -- that the state of Indian affairs in Kansas is better than it has ever been," Hamilton said.
Hamilton stressed the importance of education for Native-American youth. He also said Native-American students shouldn't listen to people who told them they couldn't succeed.
Cornel Peeweardy, assistant professor for teaching and leadership, who introduced Hamilton, addressed the crowd when Hamilton finished speaking.
"I was one of those students who was told to go to trade school or the military." Pewwardy said.
He said his high school counselor told him he should go into the military.
"Your people are good at that," he said his counselor told him.
Donis Tucker, a Lawrence graduate student who taught school on a Native-American reservation in Arizona, said she thought Hamilton's speech was inspiring and that each person could help a student.
"I think we, as individuals, don't see the impact we have," she said.
Having an office that deals with Native-American issues is important, said Dave Cade, director of the Pelathe Community Resource Center, 1423 Haskell Ave.
"I think it's long overdue," he said. "It will be helpful for programs like ours that work in urban areas."
VATICAN CITY
Fulfilling a major goal of his papacy, Pope John Paul II plans to deliver a historic, sweeping apology for the sins of Roman Catholics during the centuries, Vatican officials said yesterday.
The Associated Press
Pope to excuse past Catholic sins
It was unclear how specific the pope would be, although the very idea has drawn opposition from some cardinals and others in the church.
The pope's homily for the Day of Pardon Mass on Sunday in St. Peter's Basilica is apparently still being written.
But a document prepared by an international group of theologians released in Paris last week, and statements by officials yesterday, suggested the pope would at least allude to responsibility by the Catholics in the Holocaust, the Inquisition, the Crusades and acts against other Christians in wars of religions.
Lapses by present-day Catholics, including sins
against women, the poor and failure to defend against abortion also could be included.
Officials also appeared to be setting limits on how such an apology should be viewed.
"It cannot assume the aspect of a spectacular self-flagellation," said Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president of the Vatican's 2000 Jubilee Committee.
No pope has ever gone to such lengths to seek forgiveness for past sins, Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said.
When the pope was planning celebrations for 2000, the Vatican acknowledged that some cardinals wanted him to look ahead and not backward through the church's history.
The document also spoke of reservations raised by those worried that an admission of fault by Catholics might look like acquiescence in the face of accusations made by those prejudicially hostile to the
church.
It is instead intended to provide the context for the pope's call for a "purification" of the church.
On the Holocaust, the document said it was important to keep a moral and religious memory of the injury inflicted on Jews.
Some Jews were upset that the Vatican's landmark 1996 document on the Holocaust did not condemn the church hierarchy for any failures to save Jews.
The Vatican and John Paul have consistently defended Pope Plus XII, who served during World War II and is a candidate for beatification.
Israeli Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau said the latest reference to the Holocaust was disappointing.
And an italian gay rights group complained that the document failed to ask forgiveness for the treatment of homosexuals, calling them the most numerous victims of theocratic violence, in the past as today.
The church condemns homosexual acts.
Most KU students drink moderately or not at all when they party*
*0-5 drinks
*Based on survey responses from 1,600 KU students. Survey administered by the Office of Institutional Research & Planning (1999).
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