Alex Meraz as Paul, Chaske Spencer as Sam Uley, Bronson Pelletier as Jared and Kiowa Gordon as Embry Call are the Quileute Wolf Pack in Summit Entertainment's The Twighlight Saga: New Moon.

The careers of a handful of Native actors are being catapulted forward by the phenomenal success of the Twilight film series, based on the books by Stephenie Meyer. The initial film, Twilight, did $191 million in box office sales worldwide. On Nov. 20, the second film in the saga, New Moon, hits the silver screen.

Among the Indian actors in New Moon are several young men representing members of the Quileute Pack, including Kiowa Gordon (Hualapai), Alex Meraz (Purepecha), Chaske Spencer (Lakota) and Bronson Pelletier (Cree/Métis), who secured their roles following auditions with hundreds of other actors. The 19-year-old Gordon, of Arizona, plays Embry Call, who leads a double life as a member of a werewolf pack that protects his tribe from vampires that live in the area. The pack's alpha male is the 34-year-old Spencer, of New York City, who plays Sam. Pelletier, 23, of British Columbia, plays Jared; while 24 year-old Meraz, of Mesa, Arizona, plays Paul. Meraz is also an accomplished painter, martial artist and contemporary dancer (he's a founding member of the troupe Dancing Earth, led by Rulan Tangen).

One of the series' most prominent stars, Taylor Lautner, who plays tribal member Jacob Black and female lead Bella Swan's close friend, is of French, Dutch, German and Ottawa/Potawatomi heritage. The veteran actor Graham Greene (Oneida) also has a prominent role in the series, as Harry Clearwater, a tribal elder; while Tinsel Korey (Anishinaabe) plays Emily, Sam's fiancée and a friend of Bella's. Gil Birmingham (Comanche) does a fine job as Billy Black. The third film in the saga, Eclipse, will be released on June 30, 2010. Details: www.twilightthemovie.com

Alex Meraz as Paul, Chaske Spencer as Sam Uley, Bronson Pelletier as Jared and Kiowa Gordon as Embry Call are the Quileute Wolf Pack in Summit Entertainment's The Twighlight Saga: New Moon.

Off the Rez and Into the Spotlight

LaDonna Harris, Founder of Americans for Indian Opportunity and UNRESERVED Co-Founder Michael Chapman.

The fashion runway will never be the same following the creation of an organization titled Unreserved: American Indian Art and Fashion Alliance designed to elevate the stature, prominence and opportunities for Native apparel designers and artists. The nonprofit group, launched with a $400,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, held its first public reception at the August 2009 Santa Fe Indian Market.

Co-founders of the group are Michael Chapman (Menominee) and Gail Bruce. Chapman, former chairman of the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin, is an authority on corporate and nonprofit fundraising. He has served on the President's Commission on National and Community Service and as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs. Bruce, a serigraph artist, worked as a model for Diana Vreeland, Coco Chanel and photographer Irving Penn, and was a founding board member of the American Indian College Fund. "This enables us to dream big and deeply explore opportunities (for Natives) in art and fashion," notes Chapman. "The grant will help bring Native visions and voices to the forefront of these two arenas."

The group has already established a mentoring relationship between the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and a group of students from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. It will also play a role in bringing designers Virgil Ortiz (Cochiti Pueblo), Patricia Michaels (Taos Pueblo) and other Native fashionistas to New York Fashion Week in January. Details: 212/206-6580 or www.unreservedalliance.org

Teeing Off for Native Youth

Tiger Woods holds up his trophy, a piece of Pueblo pottery, at the Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge; Begay is on the far right.

On Aug. 24, professional golfer Notah Begay (Navajo/San Felipe/Isleta) teamed up with his former Stanford University roommate and teammate, Tiger Woods, in a fundraising golf tournament at the Oneida Indian Nation's Turning Stone Resort in New York (see July/Aug. 2006 issue). The $750,000 raised will be channeled through the Notah Begay III Foundation to promote physical fitness, wellness and leadership development programs by and for Native youth, with a special emphasis on reducing the childhood obesity and diabetes epidemics plaguing Native youth.

Joining Begay and Woods were PGA Tour pros Camilo Villegas and Mike Weir. Woods won the 18-hole skins-format tournament after a spirited battle with Begay, the only full-blooded Indian on the PGA Tour. "The whole thing was about bringing awareness to what Notah is trying to do," said Woods following his win. "It's great to see what he's doing. He's put his heart, soul and passion into it."

It was the second annual tournament, with the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians providing financial support. Concluded Begay, "It's through strong partnerships such as these that we can empower all Native American youth to sustain active, productive and healthy lives." Details, including tournament videos: www.notah.com

Shards

A television series based on a book by Paul LaRoche (a.k.a. musician Brulé), Hidden Heritage: The Story of Paul LaRoche, has begun airing on the cable channel RFD-TV, which reaches 69 million subscribers in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. Hidden Heritage is the powerful true story of LaRoche's discovery of his Lakota heritage at age 38. Details: www.brulerecords.com or www.rfdtv.com

Award-winning artist Randall Blaze (Oglala Lakota) is opening an arts education center and demonstration gallery in Cuny Table, South Dakota, on the Pine River Reservation. The Oglala Art Center will include a ceramics kiln and will offer courses in ceramics, painting, drawing, sculpture (all of which Blaze excels in) and other media. Courses will be taught by Blaze and visiting guest artists. Classes are expected to begin in summer 2010. Details: 605/441-9790 or e-mail blazecat49@yahoo.com

In June, federal agents arrested nearly a dozen men and women in and around the town of Blanding, Utah for their illegal removal of prehistoric Indian artifacts from public lands. Two of the "pothunters" subsequently committed suicide, bringing national attention the ongoing theft of the nation's archaeological resources. Investigations are ongoing.

The National Congress of American Indians has purchased a building and opened an Embassy of Tribal Nations in Washington, D.C. It won't offer Indians a free place to sleep in the nation's capital, but will serve as a focal point for political campaigns. "It sends the message that tribal nations are serious about working closely with members of Congress and federal agencies on issues important to Indian Country," notes NCAI President Joe Garcia (Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo). It's located at 1514 P St. NW. Details: www.ncai.org

The Wilton Miwok Rancheria of California has been recognized as an Indian tribe by the federal government. It was stripped of this status in 1970. There are some 600 tribal members.

A new music awards entity has been launched, the National Academy of Native American Arts Society, led by Native musician Red Hawk. The group plans to host it first awards event in late 2010, which will also cover short films and music videos. The group, which is accepting new members, joins a crowded field that includes the longstanding Native American Music Awards, the Indian Summer Music Awards, the Indigenous Image Awards, the First Americans in the Arts Awards and two events in Canada: the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards and the Juno Awards. Details: www.nanaas.com

Honoring

From left: Jewelry by Leah Shenandoah. Macklin Becenti (Navajo). National Indian Education Association 40th-anniversary commemorative blaket designed by Steve Premo (Mille Lacs Ojibwe).

The Heard Museum in Phoenix has selected Dr. Letitia Chambers to serve as its new director. She follows Frank Goodyear, who is retiring after a long and notable career in museum administration, including 10 years at the Heard helm. Among other roles, Chambers found and ran a Washington, D.C.-based policy consulting group for 20 years, worked in higher education administration, was a U.S. representative to the United Nations, and a board member at the Institute of American Indian Arts. She begins her duties at the Heard in January.

A design by painter Steve Premo (Mille Lacs Ojibwe) was selected by the National Indian Education Association to serve as the motif for the organization's 40th-anniversary commemorative blanket. The blanket, woven by Pendleton Mills, was unveiled at the group's recent convention in Milwaukee.

Musician Joanne Shenandoah is not the only artistic talent in her family. The Rochester Institute of Technology selected a purse and necklace with hood by her daughter, Leah Shenandoah (who is a graduate student at the rigorous school), for donation to the National Museum of the American Indian. The work was bequeathed in a ceremony on Sept. 26 during the school's annual alumni weekend. Leah graduated cum laude from Syracuse University with a bachelor of science degree in textile design.

Actor Adam Beach (Salteaux) has nabbed a role on the Emmy-nominated HBO series Big Love, which is entering its fourth season. He will play Tommy Flute, the son of an Indian casino manager (played by Robert Beltran).

Macklin Becenti (Navajo) of Houck, Arizona was selected as the first-ever high school participant in the National Museum of the American Indian's Emerging Artist Program. More than 600 students from 30 states entered the competition. He was awarded a free trip to visit NMAI facilities, as well as art training, grant-application assistance and other benefits. Details: www.americanindian.si.edu/icap/leadership.html

The important Native community development and asset-building organization Oweesta of Rapid City, South Dakota has selected Tracey Fischer (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) as its new chief executive officer. Fischer obtained a law degree from Yale Law School in 1999.

Rebecca and Darryl Begay took the Best of Show award at the August 2009 Santa Fe Indian Market for a charming tufa cast silver concho belt portraying important historical moments of the Navajo people. Best of class winners were as follows: Dominique Toya in pottery; Jason Garcia in paintings, drawings, graphics and photography; Vincent Kaydahzinne in sculpture; Barbara Ornelas in textiles and basketry; Therese Tohtsoni in diverse forms; Jamie Okuma in beadwork and quillwork; and Danielle Weahkee in the youth category. Taking the prestigious Artists' Choice Award was Jackie Bread, while Wallace Nez took the award for miniatures.

The Bush Foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota has chosen dancer, storyteller, theatrical producer and flute player Kevin Locke (Lakota/Anishinaabe) and storyteller and language educator Mary Louis Defender Wilson (Dakota/Hidatsa) as recipients of its Enduring Vision Awards. The awards come with a grant of $100,000 to encourage the recipients' continued artistic efforts.

The Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (formerly known as the IAIA Museum) in Santa Fe has brought on Ryan Rice (Mohawk) as curator of exhibitions and programs. A practicing artist and writer, Rice has held a number of museum positions in the past, including roles at the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Iroquois Indian Museum.

The docudrama Trail of Tears Cherokee Legacy, produced by Rich-Heape Films, was picked as best documentary at the 2009 Indie Fest USA International Film Festival. It was narrated by James Earl Jones and hosted by Wes Studi.