American Indian Studies Association–Student Association

Many generations ago, along the Klamath River, there lived a wise woman who wove the most beautiful baskets known to mankind. Her baskets were woven so tight that water could not penetrate them. She was aging and had many experiences to share. Through prayer, she began to weave a basket for the people. The wise woman worked day after day, weaving, praying, and singing. As her strong hands moved gracefully over her materials, she shared a story to be retold, a song to be sung again, and a lesson to be learned. When she finished, she had created a large beautiful basket bowl. She placed the basket in the river at Weitspus, where two rivers join together, and stood silent as the basket began its journey. The basket seemed to tip-toe across the gentle breakers, it moved along more quickly as it hit the swift currents, and swirled ever so purposeful into the eddies. Round and round, the basket turned through the trials and tribulating water and then burst free into the swift, shallow flow of the river. At times, the basket glided gently atop the deep holes of the river. All life that swam below watched with great interest. Although the villagers lived within their own unique environment, each village anticipated the basket's presence. The old woman understood the human need for knowledge and contribution. As such, the people picked up the basket, rejoiced in the lessons, and they too added prayers and allowed the basket to continue its journey. After many stops, the basket reached Requa, the mouth of the Klamath River. It made three final spins, reflecting a ceremonial journey, and drifted its way over the rough water of the mouth and into the belly of the Pacific Ocean. All that the basket had to offer made its final journey into the sunset, where it exists eternally.

This story has been with the Yurok people since time immemorial. As with many oral traditions, we are constantly learning from these intricate pieces of knowledge. In one of the many interpretations of this story, the river mirrors time and the villages symbolize each generation with its own unique environment. When listening to this story, one must ask, "What might have been if villagers would have sat back and watched the basket travel by? What would have been missed if there was neither learning nor contribution?" This story serves as a challenge to "pick up the basket," to learn, to contribute, and to protect our history while nurturing our future.

With this philosophy in mind, the American Indian Studies Association–Student Association (AISA–SA) was formulated. We would like to acknowledge our ancestors who fought for our survival, our grandparents who fought for our inherent rights, our parents who fought to maintain those rights, and scholars such as Elizabeth Cook Lynn, Gregory Cajete, James Riding In, Michael Yellow Bird, and the late Vine Deloria Jr. who have dedicated their lives to contributing to the field of American Indian studies. We value the strength, resilience, experiences, and knowledge of these generations. We recognize the importance of the flow of information from one generation to the next, as well as the significance of learning and contribution. Therefore, it is the goal of the AISA–SA to learn, to contribute, to support undergraduate and graduate native scholars, to identify individuals who believe in the ideals and goals of American Indian studies/Native American studies, and to establish a national community of like-minded scholars.

At the American Indian Studies Association Conference held at Arizona State University, the Student Association nominated and elected a chairman: D. J. Worley (full-blooded Dine'/Mescalaro/ Ilokanos/German/Irish) from the University of California–Davis; a vice-chairman: Jerold Blain (Benton Paiute) from the University of California–Davis; a board member representative: Ki-Shan Lara (Hupa/Yurok) from Arizona State University; and five board members: Elise Boxer (Dakota) from Arizona State University, Leo Kills Back (Northern Cheyenne) from the University of Arizona, Dina Barajas (Hopi) from the University of Arizona, Lori Laiwa (Pomo) from the University of California–Davis, and Amber Bill (Pyramid...