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Norma Roberts: Thoughts from a proud Pawnee

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time I celebrate on this blog with something special. This year, I’m sharing some correspondence from Norma Roberts, a proud Pawnee who for years was the R.N. on duty at Fort Worth’s legendary Stock Show. Norma’s retired now and as sharp as ever. Highly intelligent, kind and perceptive.

There's a great picture of Norma on her Facebook page.

I first heard from Norma several years ago while I was the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s ombudsman. She contacted me after reading a column I’d written that was focused on a Native American issue. She treasures her Native heritage. She mentioned that as a little girl she’d been a student at the Pawnee Indian School in Oklahoma where children were not allowed to speak their language and were not treated with the dignity they deserved. She didn’t go into detail, but Norma’s mention of her experience touched me deeply and has continued to do so. Here’s another alum’s personal memories of the place and some photos. 

If there was a biography of Norma, I’d buy it in a second. It would trace her exceptional life on an Oklahoma farm and in the Pawnee school before she went on to graduate from TCU’s vaunted nursing program and pursue a medical career. Took a lot of courage and spiritual strength. Many people and many important leaders know Norma and respect her.

When Norma e-mailed me last August, I was on a road trip conducting some research for what I hope will be a book about my mother, the late songwriter Jewell House of Texarkana, Texas. My Cherokee blood comes from my mother and her mother, the late Minnie Mae Treece Hancock who was born and reared on Sand Mountain in Jackson County, Ala., and on back. My paternal grandfather, Roy House, was Indian as well, but he was killed in El Paso in 1925, and never shared any information with the family about his heritage, which was a very common practice rooted in fear of vicious prejudices that were and continue to be deeply rooted in white culture. I don't know his Nation. Maybe he was Cherokee, too. Looks to be. Just not sure. There's a picture of him on my Facebook page.

So there in August I got an email from Norma, which led to a few more, which rekindled my interest in Norma’s story. Over the months, as we’ve had time we’ve exchanged some thoughts. I’ve kept them, hoping to post them to mark Native American Heritage Month. Here, with Norma’s permission, are Norma's e-mails virtually unedited so as to keep that good sense of Norma that one gets from reading her correspondence. They stir compelling thoughts to help keep Native American Heritage Month going long after November's behind us.

Aug. 14

David, if you've checked the INDIAN NEWS I mentioned, there is an article about a young Navajo Indian, JACOBY ELLSBURY, baseball player, noted as a CANDIDATE for A.L.MVP.! It mentions he's from the Colorado Indian Reservation; I had worked on that reservation in the USPHS Indian Hosp.! It's about time our young Indians are being recognized. Not since JIM THORPE, has anyone been mentioned; I had gone to the Indian School in Pawnee with some of the Thorpe boys.!! I'll be checking on Jacoby's career.
Also THANK YOU for the prayers, I appreciate that and likewise to you and family. ( : ) ++

I knew about Sam Bradford, just failed to mention him. There was another Indian Q.B. Sonny Six Killer played Pro, but don't recall for what team. I do try to keep up with the different athletes. My father
taught me a lot about sports when I was a teenager. I was the oldest of us 4 girls; no boys at home. I like to think I was his favorite; he always called me by my Indian name.
The Indian school was not a great place to be, but my parents sent my younger sister and me there when my Father joined the Army and my mother went to work in the Defense Plant in Okla. City. I think they thought we would be well taken care of/go to school. WRONG.!
I consider you Indian, David, so don't dwell on the "mixed blood" thing. I'm also proud of our Indian men.....I've never heard of any of them refusing to enlist or burning their draft card. If it happened I never knew it.
Not sure if I ever told you, both my Grandfathers were chiefs in our tribe. Lot of info about them.
I'm just rambling on, but I like people to know about my heritage.
Later.....CHUTUKSEWAH. we don't have an alphabet, so we try to write what we hear*****That's my Pawnee name

August 15

I sometimes write when I've thought of something.

My Grandfather, Wm. Mathews, was the Medicine Man/Doctor in the tribe. When he performed some healing on a person and the family could not pay monetarily, they would pay him with horses, cattle, other livestock. That's how he/family built up the farm/ranch. He was my mother's father; she did tell us SOME things that he did. His Pawnee name was translated as BUFFALO CHIEF.He died when I was 18 mos. old, so I don't remember him. Don't know why my mother wouldn't tell us more. However, she did tell us that when he was called to perform the healing on a person, it was quite unique. He always danced in the circle while the men sang his special religous song; he took on the image of a horse. No one else could do that and when he finished his dance, the Tribe always remarked, "OK, it's finished." Then people could talk again and leave the ceremony. I do remember my Grandmother (his wife ) telling us he put a SACRED BUNDLE in the upstairs of the house. We were not to bother it or untie the blanket around it, it was placed on a Buffalo robe on a trunk filled with some of his personal things. I would have liked to see him perform his special dance. It was called appropiately THE DOCTOR DANCE. He never spoke English and mother told us he would speak Pawnee to all the animals and they seemed to understand and obey him. He was from the Kitkehauke and Chaui bands. Our tribe is or was divided into 4 bands: Kitkehauke, Chaui, Pitahaurerat and Skidi.

NOW, comes my paternal Grandfather, Rush Roberts, Sr. he was the principal chief of the tribe until his passing at the age of 99! He comes from the north and was an orphan at the age of 15 or 16. He survived the Sioux massacre by grabbing onto a horse running by and made himself lay straight against the horse. The U.S. govt. intervened and transported the remainder of the tribe to Nebraska. I'm sure you've heard stories about Indians dying of cholera and other diseases. The tribe lost a lot of the people and once again the Sioux traveled to Nebraska & killed a lot of my tribe. So the govt. sent the remainder to Oklahoma on the reservation. I guess the Sioux decided not to go there.

A short time after the tribe was settled, the U.S. Army went to Pawnee to recruit for scouts to go up north to fight the Sioux. My Grandfather's aunt/uncle persuaded him to enlist, though he was the youngest scout. The Pawnee were long-distance runners and great scouts. They helped to capture some of the Sioux chiefs. Grandfather was the youngest scout and lived to be the oldest. When he died, a lot of the Sioux came for his funeral. They told the family they had a lot of respect for him and wanted to be there. Grandpa was Skidi and some elders who have long passed away said our tribe was closely related to the Arikara tribe up north; they were able to speak/understand each other whereas no other tribe could. My Grandfather's Pawnee name: LATAH-COTS-KAH-LAHARA was known as FANCY EAGLE, CHIEF OF THE GRAND PAWNEE. He was also the only tribesman to give someone a Pawnee Indian name. He gave me mine***CHIEF'S DAUGHTER.

The Skidi band of the Pawnee are considered the Top/Superior-more sophisticated of the 4 bands.!!! I was given the choice of which band I wanted when I was a teen-ager and I chose the Skidi. Riled my mother throughout the yrs.!! My father and I would tease her and she didn"t like that!! there were times when my parents were speaking in Pawnee, my father would say a word or phrase my mother didn't understand and he would have to explain to her. Must have been a hold-over from the Arikara side.

I do have one regret among many: Every morning, my father would go outside, facing towards the east and sing Pawnee songs. I never thought to record him. He had a great voice. Another regret, I could speak Pawnee and Wichita at a young age and when I went to the Indian school, we were not allowed to speak our native tongue, so I lost all that. If we ever got caught by the Matrons at the school, we were severely punished. I sometimes remember words or phrases, have forgotten how to carry on a conversation.

Incidentally, the Indian news report that an Oglala Sioux youngster shot some police this afternoon. Apparently, he was drinking!

More later....

August 15

Did I ever mention the govt. issued the names to the Indians because they could not pronounce or spell their Indian names.? My father was named after his father/my grandfather. His name was Rush Roberts, Jr., Pawnee name was GOOD HAWK. I don't know how to pronounce his Pawnee name. He was an hereditary chief of the Tuhitspiat clan of the Skidi Band of the Pawnee. He died in Fort Worth, All Saints Hospital, Dec.4,1975. He always wanted me in the hosp. room with him so he could call me; he would call CHUTUKS.

I stayed with him night/day. He helped me go to TCU-HARRIS COLLEGE OF NURSNG and I was so greatful. When he sensed he was dying, he spoke to us individually. Most of the Oklahoma relatives came to say their good-byes. When he started talking to me, I started crying so hard, almost made myself sick. He told me not to cry but to help take care of my mother and sisters. He went very peacefully; I was a complete Basket Case. There was a very nice writeup in the Star-Telegram. A lot of people came to pay respects; lot of them we didn't know. He was dressed in his full Pawnee clothes for his trip back home. He was at Harveson-Cole. My mother's brother came from Anadarko to dress him. We always dress our own family; don't know if other tribes do that. One of our traditions is the deceased will wear moccasins.
Just a little " history info " for you.
Later....

August 16

My computer CRASHED last eve., after my last msg. to you. I managed by myself to re-start it and I know absolutley zilch about these monsters!

August 18

If you ever have time to ck your computer, you might like to read up on the Pawnee tribe history, etc. Go to Pawnenation.org. I've been reading/learning about my own people!! The Skidi are called the Wolf band. I signed up on Twitter and tried to add your name/email address......

August 18

Sorry, just noticed I didn't spell Pawneenation correctly

August 18

This fact /info is true and I hope you'll remember it always***the Pawnee were noted to be the most cunning,famous HORSE THIEVES known all over. They could take a horse from a sleeping person without making a sound; the horses would co-operate and not make a sound either.!!!!

August 20

If you ever check your msgs., I have another Indian story to e-mail about the Crow Indians in Montana. We are supposedly distant related via Grandfather Fancy Eagle, then there are the Arikarah tribe I told you about being closer relatives. I guess the Crow nation helped at Little Big Horn and got the best of old Custer.!! The celebration is 5 days/5nights, if you can pull up the info on the Crow Celebration, it displays how the tribe sets up their Teepees; it's very elaborate. CK. IT OUT.! When the dances are completed for the yr.,they take down their Teepees and throw all their poles away. They never keep them to use again; it's always new poles for the next time.

Later ( : + )

November 20

David, I'm so glad to hear from you, I couldn't imagine what happened with you; and I'm certainly sorry to hear about your (illness). ... My nurse background and training sometimes take over. I hope I never lose that.

The Crow celebration is usually in August before the harsh winter sets it, since the reservation is so close to Canada. That wind comes with vengeance.!!! The tribe usually starts preparing for the winter right after the celebration. It's referred to as " The Crow Fair."

The Pawnee would always build their Living Quarters on the side of a high hill, and is known as an EARTH LODGE. They built them so large that their horses/livestock lived in there, too, with several families. They took great care of their horses. That's just a small info for you!!

I kinda got off the subject when you asked about the Indian School & I told you other things.
About the Indian School, I remember 2 things that could have been a tragedy for me. I contracted measles with 2 other young girls about my same age.....9 or 10. We were put in one room, 2nd floor of the "little girl's dormitory." One small bed that we shared, taking turns on the floor. The door was locked from the outside. Our meals were brought to us on trays, set on the floor, and the person left after knocking on the door. They treated us like we had leprosy.!! And we were let out about 3 times a day to go to the bathroom. What if there had been a fire? We had one small window to look out.

The other I remember.....I got very ill with pneumonia; my parents were working.....Think Mom was in OKC working in the defense plant, father was in the Army. We were allowed to march to town on the weekends. My Grandmother would come from the farm every weekend to see me and visit. That one weekend when I didn't show up in town, Grandmother asked some of the girls where I was...the girls told her I was sick in the dormitory. She got very upset. She called for the taxicab and went out to the school. Once again no adult ever checked on me; G-mother scooped me up in her arms and carried me out to the taxi ( she told him to wait ) and they took me to the Indian Hosp., which was nearby. The Dr. checked me and told G-mother I had pneumonia and I might die. I was put in an oxygen tent. I heard G-mother singing Pawnee songs, praying and crying. So you see, I guess I was too ornery/mean to die.!! I had always had a strong attachment to my Grandmother and after that incident I had a stronger, loving respect for her.

So David, I had a tough childhood; there are so many things that happened and I had not thought about them until now. This may not be what you wanted to know about the Indian School.

Later******

November 22

I had mentioned to Norma in a Facebook exchange that Andra, my wife, had given me a 1-hour Discovery Flight in a Cessna 172 as a birthday gift and how excited I was, because I'd always dreamed of flying like my dad, Charles House (who was a commercial pilot), but was denied that dream by a baseball injury when I was about 15. Always had thought it would be impossible to ever get my private pilot's license, but now, at age 67, had learned that it may be possible. Norma's reply: 

I think one should live out their dreams before it's too late and I know you're happy with your wife's gift. I'm glad for you.

My Father worked at Convair and was fascinated with the planes. I never heard him say he would like to fly. He did work on the B-36 and entered a contest to name the plane; he was 2nd with his entry of GOLIATHAN. That plane interrupted our class at school. I went to C.F. Brewer. Seems like I told you before about my Father/planes; did I ? None of the family was allowed to use his tools out of his toolbox. He knew exactly where the tools belonged! I guess most mechaniclal engineers are like that. My favorite was the B-38, the HUSTLER. I wished I could fly when I was a lot younger, but I didn't pursue that.

About "the school," it was called Pawnee Boarding School; and other tribes went there. I don't know when it was built. It's a brown-stone building ( girl's dorm ), 2-story. The "little girls" stayed in the bottom and the "big girl's" were upstairs. I don't know about the boy's dorm; never went inside. The 2 dorms were seperated by the dining hall. We had to line up in front of the dorms, including the boys, and MARCH to the dining hall.!! The school acquired the name GRAVY U.!!! That's what was served most of the time. Whenever an Indian met another and asked, "Did you go to Gravy?," they knew what they were talking about. The school is about a mile east of the town of Pawnee. It's still there, but the buildings are now used for Govt. business.

When my parents had to leave for the Army (Father), mother had to go to work. I was taken to the boarding school for "safe" keeping since almost all the children stayed there all yr. I did learn to take up for myself.! Prior to that school, I spent about 2 yrs. with my mother's Uncle/wife in Anadarko. I started school there and when I went back with my parents in Pawnee, I went to the boarding school. When I enrolled, the teacher decided I was more advanced than the others. I was promoted to the next grade, so I skipped a grade. Then when my parents changed my school again, I went to a country school -- STAR-A-STAR.! Once again I was promoted to the next grade. Seems like I was more advanced than the class. Even when my Father took me to T.C.U., I was too young to start college. Spent that year downtown in a business college.

The boarding school took in students from the first grade through 9th grade, I believe. I don't know how many students were there.

The farm was the homestead, not quite 100 acres; Govt.-issued to my maternal grandparents. I think it was called an allotment. I remember a lot of good things on the farm. Learned to ride horses---Indian style---no bridle or saddle. We did put a rope in the lower jaw of the horse, that's all.

You can ask me most anything about our tribe. I think my grandfather was ahead of planning the building of the house. It was 2-story with a commode, bath tub and there was NO running water. we had to pump the water and carry the water into the house. Thank goodness, the windmill /pump was a few feet from the kitchen.

I never got to know my Grandfather. He died when I was about 20 months old. He was the Medicine Man of the tribe.

Writing this has brought back a lot of memories. TAKE CARE.......STAY HEALTHY.

One little tidbit: Did I mention I have a brother? His name is Bob Moline, western artist, lives here in Fort Worth.

November 26

Nowah, David.!!!!! (Osiyo, Norma)

I think I forgot to mention Bob is my adopted brother. Yrs. ago the Inter-Tribal club was trying to get their club together and put on dances and my parents voluntered to help them. Most of them lived close to Dallas. That was how the POW-WOW began at Trader Village. My Father was the tallest person, thus he stood out among the dancers. Bob became very curious/fascinated and asked to do sketches of him. Bob is self-taught. The mutual admiration started over 30 yrs. ago. My parents soon became attached to him and decided to adopt him into the family. They took him back to Pawnee and introduced him to the tribe and told Bob if he went among other tribes to mention he is from the Roberts' family. When he did go to Santa Fe, he was surprised how welcomed/treated he was. Grandfather Roberts was the stable master at the Indian school and a lot of the older Indians remembered my Grandfather and his wife, my father's mother; she was the "dining room matron." My father even went to school there. Bob has many paintings of father and he gave me one for my birthday, few yrs. ago and another for just being his sister!!!

Bob told me he had gone up north last summer and stopped at a museum in Nebraska and was surprised to see a large picture of Grandfather. I asked him if it was authentic and he said yes. I asked him if he told the curator he was his Grandson, said of course said they were glad to meet some of the family. They gave him a lot of pictures and sent him more when he got home.

Incidentally, Bob is Comanche! He wants to be considered PAWNEE. He wants a Pawnee name and asked me to help him. I told him we would have to ask the person that gives names. I asked him which Band he would like to be and he didn't hesitate and said SKIDI.!

Bob is a renowned saddlemaker and has made saddles for several Country/Western entertainers. He has his own designs and he's not cheap!! He also does bronzes, used to do watercolors, charcoal, but I don't know if he still does those. Have to brag on him....he did several oils of Father and they were on display in the COWBOY HALL OF FAME IN OKLAHOMA.

Well, David, i'll sign off for now; that pecan pie is calling me. I trust you and famiy had a great Thanksgiving.....

Yes, Norma, we did. And we all are doubly blessed this November, having these great stories from you. Thank you for taking the time to write them and for your permission to share them. To me, it's so very important for us to share stories about our heritage.

Respectful comments from anyone who reads this are most welcome. If you're Indian, what are some of your heritage-related memories?

-- David

NCAI webcast this morning

 Go here for this morning's live webcast of the National Congress of American Indians State of Indian Nations address, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Fort Worth time, from the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

I'd be tweeting this as well, but Twitter says it's over capacity at the moment.

 

Mourning the loss of Phil Record

Today's Star-Telegram carried news I've dreaded -- an obituary about the death of a Fort Worth newspaper giant, Phil Record. Phil was 81 and had lived a full life blessed with loving family, admiring colleagues and many honors during his long journalism career.

Phil's legacy will go on for centuries, maybe forever. His resume on TCU's website provides far more perspective than today's story could offer. It's worth reading and contemplating. Thanks to TCU's skiffvideo, there are two interviews with Phil that are on YouTube. There he is in his Notre Dame sweatshirt (he was a proud alum), talking about his career. As compelling as ever. The interviews are here and here.

No one loved journalism and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram more than Phil. I was amazed at the level of S-T ownership he felt. He was known literally around the world in newspaper circles as a champion of ethical practices. He was a lead player in the Society of Professional Journalists' development of an SPJ code of ethics and was one of the primary writers. He was a leading voice as well in the Organization of News Ombudsmen (ONO).

I'd always heard of Phil wherever I worked -- Dallas, Denver, St. Pete, etc. But I never got to meet him until I began work at the S-T in 2000. That was three years after he had retired, but nothing kept Phil out of the newsroom for long. He maintained a close relationship with the paper. And what a delight he was to meet. Jovial, charismatic, sharing questions and thoughts with a contagious laugh. Several times a day every day, S-T editors gather in the Phil Record Conference Room just off the newsroom to go over the news budgets and decide content for the next day's paper and the online product.

I like to think I had a special bond with him. Phil and I each had 7-year tenures as Star-Telegram ombudsman. He was the paper’s first (1990-1997). I was the paper’s last (2001-2008). In between were Paul Harral (the last fulltime ombudsman) and Lance Murray. Phil gave me plenty of advice, much of which is included in this column he wrote in 1996.

My memories of Phil are a massive jumble –- like the piles of odds and ends in every drawer of the huge old wooden desk that all of we ombuddies had used. Phil was always generous in his response whenever I needed guidance, ideas or encouragement.

We shared deep concern about the toxic erosion of news media credibility and some newspaper organizations' lack of response. We shared concern about newspapers' selling out to soft entertainment news and pop culture at the expense of giving strongly focused attention to hard-news coverage.

We shared the same view of the ombuddy role: it’s a ministry. It’s aimed at caring about people and trying to help them. Humility is essential. You check your ego at the door.

We had the same practice: we would pray for strength before and throughout the workday, and we would pray for the intolerant souls we had to deal with, a problem that increased markedly during my tenure as civility in political dialogue vanished and strident denunciation of the free press increased.

Phil was a man of faith. One spring day in 2001 not long after I’d stepped into the ombudsman role, I was cleaning out a bookcase in the ombudsman office and came across a Bible that was Phil’s, according to the filled-in “This Bible belongs to” line.

I called Phil to see if he wanted me to mail it to him. “Keep it,” he said. “You’ll need it.” And remember, he added (I don’t recall his exact words, but I remember his point): Jesus listened. So do good ombuddies.

Got a memory of Phil you'd like to share? Or a complaint or commendation about today's journalism? 

 

You tell 'em, Leonard

I’m a huge fan of Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts, Jr. His op-ed column today in the Star-Telegram is a good example of why I admire his work.

As usual, Leonard writes about a compelling issue with impressive thoughtfulness and clarity that anyone can understand. Today, he’s venting about why “citizen journalism” isn’t journalism at all. What his view boils down to is an argument that deserves a standing ovation:

“You cannot be a journalist -– citizen or otherwise -– if credibility matters less than ideology.”

I can’t think of a simpler, more effective way to speak that truth.

Amplified by the Web’s awesome power and other new media, ideology and propagandists infest our society and culture at a toxic level, focusing destructive energies on divisiveness instead of dialogue. For instance, have you ever heard talk-show propagandist Sean Hannity tear into someone who challenges one of his views? Hannity tears them apart. So goes ideology's attack. It takes to a new level the impact of the lies, rumors and shuck 'n' jive that have plagued humankind since Day One.

 “Every Tom, Dick and Harriet with a blog is a ‘citizen journalist,’” Leonard writes. Well, obviously, not all bloggers view themselves as journalists, but many do, and as I’ve read them, I’ve noted that rhetoric, not verified facts, fill their work. Yes, it's important to share thoughts and reaction. Just don't call that journalism.

There's an entire universe of good blogs that reflect informed work and are worth reading. Check here and find some guidance here. And there’s an excellent local blog -– Fortworthology.

It’s too bad that more “citizen journalists” can’t be authentic journalists digging for and reporting facts -- from pursuing government documentation with Freedom of Information requests to exposing the scandal of potholes. This country of ours needs all the real journalists it can get.

If you’re not a journalist but would like to be, go for it.

I’d suggest, though, that first you read the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics.   Might want to note that the preamble speaks of “enlightenment.” Facts and transparency (and good journalists), not mere opinions, provide the light for that state of being.

What do you think?

Spreading our wings

I’ve had pretty much a lifelong dream -- learning to fly. That notion was inspired by my dad, a policeman and parttime commercial pilot. Flying was his passion. He would sneak away from school when he was 16 (c 1935) and take flying lessons from a barnstormer in an OX-5 Swallow, an open-cockpit biplane.

 “Kinda hard to land,” I remember dad saying. “It just wanted to float along. You had to make it land.” But he learned to fly that plane and flew many others before he was grounded in the late '60s by heart problems. My dream was grounded in the ’60s, too.

I was a pitcher. Got a line drive to the forehead, resulting in a scar on my brain that gave me epilepsy, meaning I couldn’t pass a flight physical. Over time, I outgrew the epilepsy, as the doctors had said. But it was part of my history and continued to carry the stigma that has prevailed through the decades. Bypass surgery a while back probably was the final nail in my dream, but I don’t know for sure.

I’ve always rejoiced at news that someone has earned their private pilot certificate. I enjoy surfing websites devoted to airplanes and aviation. One of my all-time favorite poems is "High Flight." I follow Cessna Pilot Centers (CPC) on Facebook, and it was there earlier this week that a CPC post stunned me.

“Here's a thumbs up,” the item read, “to Michael Boland, deaf/amputee pilot who got his ratings at Marcair (one of our CPCs in the DFW area), and who just checked out at Sonoma's Skypark Aviation, our CPC in Sonoma County, CA! Yes, deaf can fly.”

I had no idea that folks with those sorts of disabilities could qualify for flight training much less for private pilot certification. My heart soared for them. Then I Googled “disabled private pilots,” and a new world of information opened up. One website, Flight-Ability, lists 91 disabled aviators around the world, including Boland.

I was amazed. I was encouraged as well. Maybe I could learn to fly after all. I’ll look into it.

I contacted Marcair, a CPC headquartered at Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke north of here, to ask about Mike Boland and disabled aviators. Charlie Yates returned my query. He remembered Boland and was glad to hear about him getting checked out in California. And he told me about going to the Oshkosh airshow last year and meeting a woman aviator with no arms. She puts her headset on with her feet, he said, and she flies a specially designed Aircoupe, which has no rudder pedals to begin with.

Then I contacted Boland, who’s a mechanic for American Airlines and a North Texan. Very nice fellow with hopes to become a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) so he can teach other disabled folks to fly. I asked if he would let me blog about him, and he agreed, so here in the next few days, watch for a Q&A with him.

I thought I had a passion for airplanes, a love of flying and a dream of learning to fly, but all of that pales in the light of aviators like Boland, that woman at Oshkosh and the pilots on Flight-Ability’s website. I’m sure each has an incredibly inspiring story to tell. I’m looking forward to this blog sharing a little bit about Mike Boland.

Perhaps reading about his achievements against such odds will inspire anyone to reach for a dream, whether it's learning to fly or whatever. They've certainly given me enough hope to look into whether my dream's possible.

 Any thoughts? Your comments are always welcome.

One way to light up the switchboard

Interesting play art on today's Your Life cover in the Star-Telegram: a photo illustration for the lead story, "Fall books preview." The art was a collage of photos of famous people whose books will be coming out soon.

Take a long look. Is there anything about the photo illustration that bothers you? Perhaps not. But I imagine that the paper's reader advocate phone line quickly filled with furious, outspoken conservatives provoked by an illustration that, in their view, deliberately slighted icons Ronald Reagan and George Bush.

Instead (I can hear them say, because in my ombuddy days I got so many calls like this) the illustration by the liberal media glorified "arch liberals" -- Jon Stewart, Steve Martin, Barack Obama, Barbra Streisand and some brunette who's probably just as bad as they are. And I can imagine the readers' accusations:

-- Your liberal editors deliberately tried to obscure Ronald Reagan and George Bush.

-- George Bush looks like a ghost. George should've been where Jon is.

-- I'm not letting my kids see this liberal-media propaganda.

-- I'm not letting my grandkids see this liberal-media propaganda.

-- I'm cancelling my subscription to the liberal media. I've had it with your liberal bias.

-- Rush Limbaugh's right. There's a "media crisis" in America.

-- This is a sad day in America.

There's no escaping political aspects of anything anymore, it seems. Not even authors. Perhaps there never has been.

In this area, the heaviest conservative market in Texas, the most provocative aspect of this photo illustration, I think, is not just the secondary place given to Reagan and Bush but the near-transparent treatment of Bush's photo. That's asking for trouble. I imagine trouble followed.

If you had been the editor in charge of pulling together this photo illustration, how would you have handled it? Would politicization issues have crossed your mind? If so, would that have made any difference in how you would have designed the piece? What other aspects would you have considered?

Given the demographic with which papers aim to connect (younger readers in general) and given Stewart's popularity among them, I may have kept Stewart as the dominant image for a boost in relevance.

But given the demographic of subscribers (older conservatives) and readers who expect fairness, I would've strengthened Bush's picture somehow to provide as much relevance as possible for them. I'm not sure I would've replaced that brunette, whoever she is, with Bush, because there are only two women in the collage and five men, and correctness dictates that some sense of equivalent prominence be given to the women.

Whatever. I'm sure those and Lord knows how many other issues got a thorough airing today on the reader advocate's phone. Did you think about calling? 817-390-7692

   

     

Consider Chief Seattle's prophetic words

Another quote from "The Wisdom of the Native Americans," compiled and edited by Kent Nerburn (see links in previous post).

From Chief Seattle, Suqwamish and Duwamis nations, who was familiar with whites' broken promises and other abuses:

"The whites, too, shall pass -- perhaps sooner than other tribes. Continue to contaminate your own bed, and you will one night suffocate in your own waste."

See any evidence of that happening? Financial institutions, political organizations and other socioeconomic groups these days should hear his words.

What do you make of the chief's view?

Emergency needs in Indian Country

The following alert was sent out by the National Congress of American Indians. The American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Texas sent it those of us who are AICCT members. I share it with you and urge you to consider responding:

Aid Requested for Tribal Communities hit by Recent Snowstorms

A succession of blizzards have ravaged several tribal communities across Indian Country and they are in great need of donated goods (e.g., non-perishable food, water, shovels) and financial assistance in order to purchase medical supplies, propane for heating homes, and gasoline for emergency vehicles.

The National Congress of American Indians is asking that you contact tribal personnel directly to find out specific needs and share your resources with them. Please be aware that there may be other tribes in need and if you have additional information, please contact NCAI and we will send out an update. If you have any questions, please contact Ahniwake Rose at NCAI, 202.466.7767 or [email protected].

**Contributions to a federally recognized tribal government are treated the same as a contribution to a state government under 7871 for purposes of charitable contributions deductibility; as, the contribution will be used exclusively for "public purposes" which in this instance is disaster relief for the ice storm of January 2010.

Navajo Nation, Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management, c/o 2010 Snowfall Operation PO Box 620 St. Michaels , AZ 86511 · Contact: Navajo Nation, Johnny Johnson, Emergency Operations, Center Incident Commander, (928) 871-7848.  Navajo Nation request that all donations come in the form of gift cards which will be used to purchase all needs for community members and tribal responders from local vendors. They are also requesting 50,000 sandbags.

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe/2010 Disaster Account, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman’s Office Attn: Ice Storm Emergency Fund, PO Box 590, 2001 Main Street (Tribal Offices), Eagle Butte, SD 57625. Online Donations: https://secure.piryx.com/donate/0oFFsK8c/Cheyenn-River-Sioux-Tribe/  Contact: Cheyenne River, Robin Le Beau, Chairman’s Assistant: (610) 568-2101.  Medical items needed include: glucose strips, first aid kits, children’s aspirin/pain reliever, and cough syrup.

Oglala Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe Attn: Dean Patton, Treasurer P.O. Box 2070 Pine Ridge, S.D. 57770. Contact: Oglala Sioux, Loretta Afraid of Bear, Public Relations, (605) 867-5074, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe c/o Emergency Preparedness Program, P.O. Box 910 Rosebud, S.D. 57570. Contact: Bill Giroux, Emergency Manager, (605) 747-2559. Items needed include non-perishable goods, heaters, and candles.

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Chairman Charles Murphy, PO Box D, Fort Yates, ND 58538. Contact: Pete Red Tomahawk, Tribal Emergency Coordinator, (701) 854-8500.

Want attention? Fart in public

That’ll work. Even in print. Especially among kids and the forever young who love bodily function humor, particularly anything involving belches and farts.

No one knows that better than the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, a.k.a. the childrens museum.

There’s a perfect illustration in today’s Star-Telegram. Check out the two-color (purple and black) 6x3 ad stripped across the bottom of the Fiesta Bowl commemorative section’s cover. “Fossil fuels. They’re a gas,” the ad’s headlines say. See that dinosaur wearing a football helmet and holding a “Go Frogs!” pennant? See that cloud-shaped burst of flatulence?

Is that any way to cheer? Is that the museum’s comment on all this purple rah-rah stuff? Nationally ranked TCU is going on national TV tonight, and the museum trots out a dinosaur that rips a fart?

I can hear the reader reaction now. Some will be appalled. The bridge club president, chilled and horrified by such open crudeness, will protest. A young and very godly mom will lash out, warning that she won’t be able to show her children the section during home school because farts are not funny and have no place at the table of righteousness. And probably there’ll be some media-hating devotee of Rightness who’ll condemn yet another example of how media filth is responsible for every social ill in the land.

But I’ll bet far more readers than not will laugh as hard as my wife and I did this morning when we saw the dino fart and howled. Struck me as marketing genius with a sense of humor and lightening-up that our politically smothered society desperately needs. The museum knows exactly how to communicate and bond with its market. And is there a better bonding, yea demystifying, agent than farts? What clears the air of pretense and prudeness better than a rowdy fart or a silent, deadly cloud of horror that can empty a crowded space in seconds and force brutally frank discussion. What better example is there of the common ground that humans share with monkeys, bovines and all other sources of greenhouse gas emitters? Farts level the playing ground of life.

I remember the story that a dear friend of mine, the late political consultant Martha Ricks, told me back in the '70s about Sen. John Tower and how he enjoyed standing in the back of a packed elevator in Washington and quietly ripping a deadly burst of flatulence that would send the starchy, snooty occupants into a nervous shuffle and a stampede toward the door at the elevator’s next stop. And who knows? Maybe that resulted in some life-saving exercise for those who opted to take the stairs.

Maybe the museum’s on to something that newspapers should note. They’ve been trying, and failing, for a long time to reach young readers with content that’ll hook 'em on making the daily paper a regular part of their lives. Maybe plain old grossology holds a solution.

I suppose the most compelling question I have about the museum’s ad is why the colors weren’t reversed. Why wasn’t the fart purple instead of white? A purple fart would’ve had way more visual impact, I’d say. So many people and businesses are saying they bleed purple, which is becoming a pretty worn-out, frayed phrase. But the dinosaur could send a fresh message: “I fart purple!” But maybe that would’ve crossed some sort of line. Something may have hit the fan.

What do you think?

One big, ugly fly in The DMN's ointment

A number of readers and colleagues keep asking what I think about a recent move at The Dallas Morning News that has 11 news department segments reporting to advertising managers instead of newsside managers. Most of us learned about this from Robert Wilonsky’s Dallas Observer blog that reported the decision and carried the Dec. 2 memo that was sent to staff from DMN Editor Bob Mong and senior vice president of sales Cyndy Carr. Plenty of reaction followed on the Web. Google and see.

Mong, to his credit, didn't shy away from questions. And Publisher Jim Moroney was pulled into the discussion as well.

My knee-jerk reaction was alarm. News sections reporting to advertising? That smacked of perverse whoring at its worst until I looked further into what’s going on. Except for the organizational chart, which gags me, I don’t see much that’s new. And I don't like the thought of ad people possibly celebrating the long-desired taking of part of "the revenue-reduction department" as, over the years, I've heard ad- and business-side people refer to news departments that aggressively and effectively serve the public interest, which is what they're supposed to be doing.

Collaboration between soft news departments and advertising departments has gone on for decades, and there are policies that support it. For instance, when was the last time you saw news of an airliner disaster on a page carrying an airline ad? When was the last time you saw an expose on red-lining in the real estate section?

Collaboration shows up often in the development of special sections. But at metro dailies like The News and elsewhere, editors generally have developed news content according to news value and not because some business had bought a huge chunk of advertising in a section. In a situation like that, the ad buy tended to be based on the fact that a story was planned on a trend, a product category or the advertiser or whatever, and the story was planned because editors knew it had news value. The story had news value because of readers’ real or potential interest in the topic and need to know. Professionalism in the reporting and presentation of the story ensured a credible piece. A newsy section filled with content like that ensured a product with high news value, which in turn created high advertising value -- a strong vehicle in which to advertise. Sounds to me like that’s what The News is going after. They know as most of us do that credible news value is the single most vital ingredient in creating fertile territory for advertising in any for-profit news product. Advertising revenue floats the boat but doesn't power it. That's the news department's job.

The only criticism I have of The News' step is the new organization. I don’t like editors reporting to advertising. That creates the perception of advertising running newsside, and that’s a perception that can poison credibility, which The News understands and is an issue the Mong and Carr address in their memo.

Advertising exudes a potent presence. If handled in a tasteless manner, it can project a destructive presence, especially in the minds of that half of readership that subscribe or buy a paper principally for its news content. What would parishioners think if, say, they walked in to mass and hanging up there above the altar was a big Drink Pepsi sign instead of a crucifix? And maybe they’d noticed the holy water font sporting a decal for Ozark water. Obviously, Pepsi and Ozark would never pull such a perverse stunt, because they respect lines that separate sacred and secular. In a for-profit news product (and don’t get me started on that), which to me is still a sacred thing, advertising obviously has its place but it should respect where it is and act accordingly. When advertising muscles in on news space, that’s crossing and disrespecting a line and asking for trouble. Perhaps you’ve noticed as I have those god-awful pages in the Star-Telegram where ads chop into news space like bullies bellying up to a reader’s face. Disgusting and as repulsive as an egotistical airhead at a party who impolitely disrupts personal conversation. But it’s salary-paying revenue, right?

I could go on and on about all this as many of us could without even scratching the surface. There are many other aspects of The News' step that are worth exploring. For instance, the ad managers to whom newsside will report have been retitled as "general managers." Did they get a raise? Any raises given to newsside staff who'll be reporting to them? Whatever. Enough said.

To reiterate my concern about The News’ step, I don’t like editors reporting to ad managers. Why not the other way around to avoid threats to credibility? Mong says he and editors reserve the right to step in and to refuse to cross lines that would jeopardize credibility. That's good, but that’s weird. They’re going to say “No” to their bosses in the ad department? What does that say about perceptions of those ad-side people's news judgment and ethics? Why have them as bosses in the first place? But maybe those ad bosses will learn something about journalism. Maybe content that results will be infused with journalistic professionalism and high-quality news value. We can hope. At least hard-news departments like the city desk, state desk, etc., don’t appear to be part of the plan. As Mong and Carr’s memo says: “To better align with our clients' needs, we will be organized around eleven business and content segments with similar marketing and consumer profiles including: sports, health/education, entertainment, travel/luxury, automotive, real estate, communications, preprints/grocery, recruitment, retail/finance, and SMB/Interactive.”

There are some hard-news categories in that lineup, but they all have consumer dimensions as well that lend themselves to softer but still newsworthy coverage. We’ll see whether writers in soft departments generate the coverage or whether the hard-news gladiators get called up for duty.

What are your thoughts?