Prairie Public Television                       Circle of Nations Publishing

207 North 5th St.                                                         P.O. Box 12017

Fargo, ND                                                                    Grand Forks, ND

 

 


For Immediate Release

 

Janice Jessen

Blue Earth Marketing

Winnebago, NE

(402) 878-2407

jjessen@blueearthmarketing.com

 

13-Part Television Series Showcases Unique Native American Cultures

 

Fargo, No. Dakota, August 28, 2006 – Production schedules have been set for Indian Pride, a 13-part cultural magazine to be aired on PBS stations in February 2007.  Indian Pride will spotlight the diverse cultures of Native American people throughout the country.  Prairie Public Television of Fargo, North Dakota will produce the weekly magazine in cooperation with Circle of Nations Publishing of Grand Forks, North Dakota.

 

“This unprecedented series is the first venture of its kind to be produced for a mass United States audience, stated Bob Dambach of Prairie Public Television.  “Previous attempts to tell the story of Native culture have been limited to one or two-part episodes that have only been able to provide a small glimpse of the rich history and culture of our Native peoples.  We are very pleased to partner with Junikae Randall of Circle of Nations Publishing to bring this historic event to the American public.  As host for the magazine, Junikae will bring a personal perspective to the stories we tell.”

 

Each 30-minute episode will include three distinct segments:  mini-documentaries shot on location at Native American events and Indian reservations; in-studio segments featuring discussion of current Native issues by nationally-known guests; and original and historical Native performances featuring drummers, singers and dancers, storytellers and artists.

 

 

Indian Pride

News Release (Cont’d)                                                              Page 2

 

The 13-week magazine will focus on a specific theme each week that will be of interest to both Native and non-Native audiences.  Future programs will highlight Indian Treaties and Sovereignty, Spirituality, Health and Healing, Culture and Celebrations as well as coverage of critical and timely issues of government, economic development, politics and education.  Each show will wrap with a special entertainment segment featuring the performance arts of prominent Native American artists.

 

Indian Pride is the vision of Junikae Randall, Founding Director of Circle of Nations Publishing.  Randall is a member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa and grew up on the reservation in North Dakota.  Randall left the reservation shortly after high school to pursue her dream of success.  That journey led her to pursue a higher education to accomplish her goals.  She holds a Masters Degree in Education Administration from the University of North Dakota and is a motivational speaker, songwriter and performer.  Through all her life experiences, she has not forgotten her Indian Pride. 

 

As she perceived the role of media in our culture, she was disappointed to find no place in the media’s coverage of news, entertainment and sports that included Native Americans.  No program provided consistent information on the American Indian and yet there were programs and series on other minority Americans – Hispanics, Blacks and other ethnicities.  “I wanted to change the landscape.  I wanted to create a television program that would showcase the 562 Indian Nations and profile our rich heritage with current accomplishments,” Randall stated.  “Innovative and in-depth content that would receive national distribution and fully integrate with schools via a website so teachers could share the knowledge with their students.  Indian Pride was the natural title for this idea.”

 

 

 

Indian Pride

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The development and production of Indian Pride is a major undertaking on behalf of several prominent members of the Native American community throughout the country.  Harold “Gus” Frank is the Chairman of the Forest County Potawatomi of Wisconsin.  Frank has been selected to serve as Board Chairman of the Indian Pride Advisory Board.  “The Indian Pride TV Series is a great opportunity for Indians, Native Americans, Indigenous people to tell in their words why and how we got to be where we are today. With JuniKae’s vision, Prairie Public Television can use the media to share our history with the world,” stated Frank. 

 

The Honorary Chairman of the Advisory Board, Chief Earl Old Person, Chief of the Blackfeet Nation, welcomes this broadcast opportunity because “…It is education and communication that builds bridges, open hearts and creates greater harmony among people. As American Indians, we are known for our strong value of sharing. It is a good time to share our beautiful culture from every corner of Indian Country with the world.”

 

The Advisory Board for Indian Pride includes:

 

Honorary Chairman                                                                Board Chairman

Chief Earl Old Person                                                               Harold “Gus” Frank

The Blackfeet Nation                                                                Forest County Potawotami

 

Board Members

 

John “Rocky” Barrett                                                                 Kenneth Dalen

Citizen Band of Potawatomi                                                     Sara Lee Corporation

James Delacruz                                                                                    John Echohawk

Quinault Tribe                                                                          Native American Rights Fund

Joe Garcia                                                                               David Gipp

Ohkay Owingeh & NCAI                                                                       United Tribes Technical College

 

Dwight Gourneau                                                                     Scott German

National Museum of the American Indian                                 Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate

Joseph Gray                                                                            Danny Jumper

The Mohegan Tribe                                                                  Seminole Tribe of Florida

 

Indian Pride

News Release (Cont’d)                                                              Page 4

 

Board Members (Cont’d)

 

Lance Morgan                                                                          Max Osceola

Ho-Chunk, Inc.                                                                         Seminole Tribe of Florida

Cheryl Seidner                                                                         Pending

Wyot Tribe of California                                                            Navajo Nation

Karen Starr                                                                              Edward Thomas

Otto Bremer Foundation                                                                       Tlingit & Haida Tribes of Alaska

Mary Thomas

Gila River Community of Arizona

 

Production schedules and locations along with more information on topics and guests will be announced within the next few months.  The program will reach out to a number of reservations and tribes throughout the country as the segments are shot and produced for broadcast this winter.  Indian Pride will be distributed to PBS television stations nationwide through NETA.  The world premiere of the 13-week series is scheduled to begin February 3, 2007.  Contact your local PBS station for local dates and times.

 

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Prairie Public Television is a premiere broadcaster of public television, radio and on-line services throughout the prairie region encompassing the state of North Dakota, northwestern Minnesota, southern Manitoba Province, Canada, eastern Montana and northern South Dakota.

 

In addition to a roster of PBS programs, Prairie Public has been a leader in providing locally produced award-winning programs that examine important issues that affect the lives of viewers in the United States and Canada.