NorthEast Two-Spirit Society, Somjen Frazer, a Researcher and Evaluation Consultant, local NY Native and Non-Native community based organizations, and the New York State Department of Health are working on the first-ever New York State Needs Assessment for the Native Two-Spirit community.

Currently, we are organizing a series of focus groups throughout New York State. At these focus groups, participants will be asked to share their stories, experiences and input on what they hope for our community.

[download flyer]

Here is a list of the locations, dates and time for upcoming focus groups:
Buffalo, NY
Friday, February 12, 2010
5:30pm to 8:30pm

Location:
Native American Community Services of Erie & Niagara Counties, Inc. (NACS)
1005 Grant Street
Buffalo, New York  14207

Partnering organizations – American Indian Community House, Pride Center of Western NY & Native American Community Services of Erie & Niagara Counties, Inc.

Email: harlan@ne2ss.org for more info or to RSVP

Rochester, NY
Saturday, February 13, 2010
2:30pm to 6:30pm

Location:
Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley
875 East Main Street, Suite #500
Rochester, NY  14605

Partnering organizations – Rochester Two-Spirit Society & Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley

Email: harlan@ne2ss.org for more info or to RSVP

Syracuse, NY
Saturday, February 27, 2010
3:00pm to 7:00pm

Location:
American Indian Community House – Syracuse site
120 E Washington St., Suite #400
Syracuse, NY 13202

Partnering organizations – American Indian Community House

Email: harlan@ne2ss.org for more info or to RSVP

New York City, NY
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
5:30pm to 8:30pm

Location:
American Indian Community House
11 Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10004

Partnering organizations – American Indian Community House

Email: harlan@ne2ss.org for more info or to RSVP

Long Island, NY
Saturday, March 13, 2010
3:00pm to 7:00pm

Location:
The Long Island GLBT Community Center
34 Park Avenue
Bay Shore, NY 11706

Partnering organizations – The Long Island GLBT Community Center

Email: harlan@ne2ss.org for more info or to RSVP

NYTIMES
Published: January 20, 2010

After more than a century of obstruction and delays, still another deadline looms for a settlement that would compensate hundreds of thousands of American Indians for billions of dollars lost by a government that failed miserably to manage tribal lands that had been entrusted to it.

A law passed in 1887 conveyed the land in trust to the federal government. The government-controlled trust accounts were mishandled and lost, cheating the Indian owners out of fees from grazing livestock and gas and oil royalties.

(more…)

Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 4-7PM.

American Indian Community House
11 Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10004
212.598.0100 ext. 236

Appointments encouraged, please call or email dallen@aich.org to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins welcome but subject to vaccine availability.

Provided by Callen Lourde Community Health Center, The American Indian Community House, Northeast Two-Spirit Society, and GMHC.

[download flyer]

Presented by Chelsea Art Museum and UNRESERVED
January 15th – February 13th

The Chelsea Art Museum and UNRESERVED Alliance are pleased to announce IN/SIGHT 2010, an exhibition of art by American Indian artists, curated by Clarissa Dalrymple and UNRESERVED co-founder Michael Chapman. The exhibition is a survey of work by both emerging and established artists working in various media. Twenty-four artists spanning several generations are represented in the show.

The work ranges across the entire spectrum of contemporary practice from painting and photography to sculpture, video and mixed media installation. Artists whose work will be included in the show are: Lorenzo Clayton & Timothy Patrick Corbett, Cloud Medicine Crow, Joe Feddersen, Nathan Hart, Lisa Holt & Harlan Reano, Norma Howard, Athena LaTocha, Jason Lujan, Douglas Miles, Eliza Naranjo Morse. Mateo Romero, Sarah Sense, Preston Singletary, Renzo Spirit Buffalo, Gail Tremblay, Kade Twist, Will Wilson, and Steven Yazzie.

For more information contact
unreservedalliance.org

556 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011

e-mail contact@chelseaartmuseum.org
tel 212.255.0719
fax 212.255.2368

Opening Reception: Jan 14, 6-8 PM
open Tuesday through Saturday 11am to 6pm
Thursday 11am to 8pm
closed Sunday and Monday
$8 adults, $4 students and seniors, free for members and visitors 16 and under

Cause of H1N1 Mortality Related to Ongoing Overall Health Disparities

WASHINGTON, DC - A study recently published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report showed that Native Americans and Alaska Natives are four times more likely to die from H1N1 than members of other racial and ethnic groups. This is of particular concern for Native American and Alaska Native adults and adolescents living with HIV - especially those with low CD4 cell counts or AIDS - since people living with HIV may experience more severe complications from seasonal influenza and, quite possibly, H1N1 infection.

“This latest epidemic is just one more disease Native peoples have had to endure,” says Harlan Pruden, Co-Founder and Council Member of NorthEast Two-Spirit Society, based in New York City, and member of the National People of Color HIV/AIDS Working Group (POC). “The unspoken sad reality is that the death of one person could mean the death of one’s people. For Native people, this is a matter of cultural survival. We call on allies, policy-makers, and private and public leaders to stand with our community at this time to confront not only H1N1, but many of the underlying co-factors that create an environment where a simple flu can wipe us from this land.”

(more…)