Seattle Indian Services Commissions

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Seattle Indian Services Commissions

• 2007
• Report to Our Community

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Who We Are and What We Do

• SISC was created in 1972
• It is Seattles first Public Development
  Authority or PDA

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The Commission- Who We Are -

• The Commission is made up of eight Commissioners.
  Two are appointed by each of the following
  organizations.
• The American Indian Womens Service League
• The Seattle Indian Center
• The Seattle Indian Health Board
• United Indians of All Tribes Foundation

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The Commissioners
And Staff
Commissioner Andrina Abada AIWSL
Chair Rosalee WALZ SIHB
Vice-Chair Iris Friday AIWSL
Treasurer Augustine McCaffery UIATF
Commissioner Howard Hansen Not Pictured SIHB
Secretary Les Liggins Not Pictured SIC
Commissioner Jackie Swanson Not Pictured UIATF
Commissioner Joseph Catania Not Pictured SIC
Mike Marshall Executive Director Carol Peloza
Assistant Executive Director
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What We Do

• The Commission was created to serve as a focal
  point for the Native American Community in
  Seattle.
• It was created to support that Community.
• The Commission does this in a variety of ways.

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• The Commission has developed 3 buildings on
  behalf of the Community.
• It owns and operates 2 of those buildings today
  -- The Leschi Center and The Pearl Warren
  Building.
• The Commission developed and operates a summer
  youth program called Options.
• The Commission operates the craft shop Traditions
  Beyond.
• With a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant,
  the Commission developed and operates a Community
  Technology Center.
• Spirit of Culture Program is a Commission program
  that is an effort to remember, teach, and pass
  on Native American Crafts to future generations
  and to revive a sense of Community pride.

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The Commission also - Grants scholarships up
to 1,000 per year to Native American students
Donates to other Native American activities and
agencies Makes annual academic awards to
outstanding Native American Students Offers
free income tax preparation to the Native
American Community
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The Commission has developed 3 buildings. One --
the Leschi House -- was turn keyed to SHA. The
other two, the Leschi Center and the Pearl Warren
Building the Commission still owns and operates.
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The Leschi Center

• Was the first building developed by the
  Commission. It was financed with tax-exempt
  revenue bonds guaranteed by the City of Seattle.
  It was completed in 1987.

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Leschi Center

• Is home to the Seattle Indian Center and the
  services element of the Seattle Indian Health
  Board

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Pearl Warren Building
Is also financed with tax-exempt revenue bonds
guaranteed by the City of Seattle . It was
completed in 1995.
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Pearl Warren Building

• Is home to the administrative offices of the
  Seattle Indian Health Board, the American Indian
  Womens Service League and the Seattle Indian
  Services Commission.
• It also houses the Community Technology Center
  and the Community Space.

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• For over a decade, the Commission has offered a
  summer youth program called
• OPTIONS

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Options Program 2007
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The Options Program

• Is Open to high school aged students.
• It focuses on cultural knowledge.
• It focuses on technology skills.
• And it focuses on job experience, life skills and
  critical thinking.

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Cultural Component
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For the Cultural Component

• Each participant researched information about
  their tribe and created an artifact appropriate
  to that tribe.
• The design and color choices were based on
  symbols and designs of participants tribe.
• Carol Peloza presented a lesson on making
  dream-catchers.
• Every participant made at least one
  dream-catcher.

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Technology Component
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During the Technology Component

• Each participant learned the basics of graphics
  and web design.
• Each student created a web site (posted on
  http//www.optionsprogram.org).

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Focus on Job Experience, Life Skills and Critical
Thinking

• Participants create resumes.
• They explore career choices.
• They learn the basics of budgeting and investing.
• They research and discuss current native related
  issues and news stories.

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For more than a decade Options has been

• helping urban native students to learn the
  skills needed to succeed,
• helping them better understand their own
  cultures,
• and helping to support the next generation of
  native leaders.

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Traditions Beyond

• Over ten years ago, the Commission took over the
  operation of the Craft Shop from the American
  Indian Womens Service League. Originally
  located in the Broderick Building at 2nd and
  Cherry, the shop was forced to move due to
  increasing rents. It is now located with the
  Commission offices in the Pearl Warren Building.

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Traditions and Beyond
The proceeds from sales at the shop go to
scholarships for Native Americans and to support
a variety of Native American Activities.
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Traditions and Beyond

• Traditions Beyond was started to support Native
  American Crafts and crafts people.

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Community Technology Center
The Commission applied for, and received, a grant
from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to
develop and operate a Community Technology
Center. The Center is equipped with 14 Apple
computers, a scanner, two printers and a full
suite of programs for both graphics and
business. We are currently involved with updating
the computers in the Center.
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Community Tech Center

• The lab is used by the Options program and by the
  American Indian Elders. It is normally open for
  general use Monday through Friday from 1030 AM
  to 40 PM.
• Courses are taught whenever there is a need. The
  courses cover everything from Turn It On - Turn
  It Off to How to solve the Mystery of E-mail
  and Photoshop for the Beginner.
• Advanced courses on web design, HTML, computer
  graphics, and advance Photoshop are offered. One
  on one sessions to help improve your computer
  skills are also available.
• At this time the programs and classes are free.

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Spirit of Culture Program

• The Spirit of Culture Program is being developed
  to help insure that traditional crafts are not
  lost and that the traditional ways are passed on
  to the younger generation.

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Spirit of Culture

• Classes on crafts such as moccasin making, cedar
  weaving, button blankets, and the creation of
  dream catchers will be taught by master
  craftspeople and videoed. The videos will then be
  available at no cost to tribes and Native
  American Individuals and for a fee to all others.
  Various materials and tools will also be made
  available.

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And in the future

• The Commission has plans to expand and enhance
  the Pearl Warren Building. This will require
  raising funds, the support of the Community and
  is clearly a future project.

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Better Community Space
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An Artistic and Traditional Focus
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More efficient use of the existing building and
land
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Additional Space for the AIWSL, the Elders, and
the Spirit of Culture Program
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A Commitment to the Future While Honoring the
Past

• Seattle Indian Services Commission

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• Seattle Indian Services Commission
• 606 12th Avenue South
• Seattle, WA 98144
• [phone]
• web address - sisconline.org
• e-mail -- staff_at_sisconline .org