For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Sammye Meadows
Cultural Awareness Coordinator
National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial
(970) 641-1355
jermond@pcrs.net

HONORING NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH

The Circle of Tribal Advisors of the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Releases

Newest PSAs in Cultural Awareness Campaign

St. Louis, MO––The National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Circle of Tribal Advisors (COTA) has released the final two Public Service Announcements in its cultural awareness campaign. Timed to coincide with National American Indian Heritage Month (November), the campaign invites viewers to experience and celebrate vibrant American Indian cultures.

Endorsed by The Advertising Council, the campaign is designed to involve people in the richness and diversity of American Indian nations. The four PSAs emphasize cultural understanding, respect for American Indian cultural and historical sites and artifacts, environmental conservation, and Native language preservation and revitalization. Created by G G Advertising of Albuquerque and Billings, owned and managed by enrolled members of the Blackfeet Nation, the four-part PSA campaign informs and inspires all Americans about our shared heritage.

“For the first time American Indians are sharing our own stories about America’s history, as well as our perspectives on and hopes for its future,” said COTA Chairman Allen Pinkham (Nez Perce). “We want all Americans to understand that we are still here; we are proud of our cultures, histories and visions for tomorrow.”

Launched in the fall of 2004, the COTA cultural awareness campaign introduces mainstream Americans and American Indians to each other through the lens of the National Lewis & Clark Bicentennial. The campaign is supported by a leadership grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

The Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration began in 2003 and continues through 2006. It offers 15 national signature events in communities across the nation; some have already taken place. All of the events were developed in concert with the tribes whose homelands those communities now occupy and include American Indian perspectives and cultures. Three events in particular, planned and hosted by the Great Sioux Nation, the Nez Perce Tribe and the Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara Nation respectively, will commemorate the lives and experiences of American Indian ancestors who encountered Lewis and Clark 200 years ago and celebrate the peoples and cultures still here today. For event details please visit www.lewisandclark200.org.

The Circle of Tribal Advisors (COTA) is an American Indian advisory group and partner in coordinating the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration. Consisting of 40 contemporary tribes who represent most of the 114 tribal nations encountered or studied by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, COTA commemorates the contributions and goodwill of tribal ancestors and plans for the well-being of future generations.

In cooperation with the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial and local, state, federal and tribal partners, COTA promotes educational programs that celebrate the important contributions of tribes, cultural sensitivity, perpetuation and stewardship of natural, cultural and historical resources, including the protection of sacred sites along the expedition’s route, and revitalization of Native languages. For more information about the COTA PSA campaign, please contact Sammye Meadows, jermond@pcrs.net or 970.641.1355.

The National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial is the private, nonprofit organization Congressionally recognized as the national coordinating body for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration. The National Council is recognized by a presidential proclamation, and its Circle of Tribal Advisors has resolutions of support from the National Congress of American Indians. As noted in its mission statement, the National Council’s goal is to "re-kindle [the expedition's] spirit of discovery and acclaim the contributions and goodwill of the native peoples." Its programs and events seek to commemorate the journey that shaped the boundaries and history of the United States, while advancing a greater understanding of American Indian perspectives of the Lewis and Clark Expedition as well as issues affecting contemporary American Indians. The National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial is supported by a leadership grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. To learn more about the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial and the Circle of Tribal Advisors, please visit www.lewisandclark200.org.

The Advertising Council is a private, nonprofit organization with a rich history of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has effected, and continues to effect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action, and saving lives. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, please visit www.adcouncil.org.