Charly Edsitty
The UNITY News Online

Friday night’s Native American Journalist Association banquet was all about community.

Instead of hosting a lavish party at a five star hotel, NAJA opted for a simple event with good food and music surrounded by local Native Americans Friday night.

NAJA members packed into a tiny auditorium at Chicago’s American Indian Center.  The transformed Masonic temple still has subtle hints of what it used to be, but now welcomes an eclectic community of Native Americans.

Planning for this year’s banquet started last Aug. 1, explained Ron Evans, office manager for NAJA.  Evans was a part of  a three-member committee that took on the challenge.

Once plans for the Chicago location were finalized, the search for a location began.

“We thought it would be great to showcase (the center), it’s a great little community,” Evans said. “We wanted to do something closer to the community, closer to the heart.”

The building, originally built in 1926, spreads over an eighth of a block the Uptown Square Historic District and once served as a nuclear fallout shelter during the Cold War.  It was purchased by AIC in 1967 and is the only Indian center in the state of Illinois.

Guests dined on traditional cuisine, listened to the rhythmic beat of a drumming performance and came together celebrate the journalistic accomplishments of fellow members.

The location was suggested by member Minnie Two Shoes, who has been a member of NAJA since its start 24 years ago. She watched the transformation of the center from the very beginning and has a personal connection with the site.

“I learned how to pow wow (dance) in that auditorium,” said Two Shoes of the room where guests sat during the two-hour event.

Two Shoes explained that the center is the one of the oldest and largest Indian centers in the United States and was pleased to see money going from the event helping support the center and their need for renovations.

Paul DeMain, past president of both NAJA and UNITY, attended the event and explained that the decision to move the location farther away from the downtown area is symbolic and shows that NAJA isn’t hesitant to mingle with the locals.

“It was a good chance to have a meal together,” DeMain said. “Coming here is good for the people of the community. “ 

First place:


Click here to return to “Photo ShootOut Brings Out The Big Guns”

Second Place:


Click here to return to “Photo ShootOut Brings Out The Big Guns”

BY KEVIN DU
THE UNITY NEWS

There’s an old saying: a picture is worth a thousand words. However, during the 2008 UNITY Photo and Multimedia ShootOut, not only are they worth a lot more, the meanings behind them are just as heavy.

Being the first ever converged shootout, both still photographers and multimedia producers had a chance to flex their photojournalism muscles in this year’s theme; Diversity in Chicago.

The prize money was massive this year with the amount being estimated to be more than $6,000.

Photography ShootOut Chair Milbert Brown, who has won this competition for NABJ 5 times, chose this year’s photo assignment. Each participant had to go into the city of Chicago and shoot a different diverse group other than themselves. This theme gave participants a chance to experience a different culture.

From families, barbershops, violence and even feet; these were just some of the subjects that were shot and submitted. With shots ranging from indoors to out, night and day, they all gave the judges and the crowd a diverse layout of Chicago and the people who inhabit the city.

The judging began at 1:30 p.m. with judges consisting of photographers and photo editors. Both the panel and audience screened all of the entries, first the still photos and later the multimedia productions.

The still judges included Philadelphia Enquirer’s Hai Do, Michael DuCille of the Washington Post, Santiago Lyon of the Associated Press, Jose Osorio of the Chicago Tribune and Arizona Republic’s Nick Oza.

Accompanying Do and Lyon in the multimedia judging was Ben De La Cruz of the Washington Post, St. Petersburg Times’ Boyzell Hosey and Dai Sugano of the San Jose Mercury News.

After each entry was viewed, the judges slowly narrowed down their favorites, critiquing each one. They looked for good composition, actions within the picture, if it followed the assigned theme and of course, the picture’s caption.

The elimination process consisted of an “in” or “out” answer from the judges. The entries were finally narrowed down to first and second place. Taking their time, viewing each entry repeatedly, checking every detail and reading each caption carefully, the judges made their decisions.

For the still photography portion of the contest, first place went to freelance photographer Ariel Zambelich for her shots of a Chicago barbershop. She won a Canon 40D camera set, $500 from the NABJ Visual Task Force, Quark Xpress software and a Canon camera bag.

Second place went to The Oakland Tribune’s Ray Chavez, who won a Canon G9 camera, a Canon camera bag, $250 and a Sandisk 8GH card. Third place went to David Trotman Wilkins of the Chicago Tribune. Honorable mentions went to Michelle Le, a student from San Francisco State University and University of Central Florida student Marie D. Dejesus.

In the multimedia portion of the contest, the first place winner was Adam Sings In The Timber of the University of Montana. Adam’s subject of choice, “Street Violence”, won him a Canon HD30 video camera, $500 and accessories. Second place winner Heather Charles won a Canon G9 camera, $250 and a Canon camera bag.

With Eric Shelton from Southern Mississippi University coming in third, the group of winners was completed with honorable mentions for Roxana Vasquez of the University of Arizona and San Francisco State’s Michelle Le.

The judges were impressed with the entries that were submitted and the effort the photojournalists and multimedia producers put in. They look forward to seeing how this industry will evolve in the future.

To view the first place winners for both the still and multimedia competitions, click on the links below.

Still photography first place winner
Multimedia first place winner

8:30 - 10 a.m.
How to Produce Multimedia on a Budget
McCormick Place, W181

10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Gays, Guns and God: Covering the Culture Wars in Presidential Politics
McCormick Place, W178

1:15 - 2:45 p.m.
Beyond “Illegal Alien”: Toward Fair, Ethical and Accurate Immigration Coverage
McCormick Place, W192C

Fade Out: What Does Media Consolidation Mean for Journalists and Consumers of Color?
McCormick Place, W196

Solid Sound: Getting the Highest Quality Audio
McCormick Place, W193

7 - 10 p.m.
NABJ Salute to Excellence Awards Gala
Sheraton Hotel, Chicago Ballroom

9 - Until
AAJA Karaoke Night
Sheraton Hotel

10 p.m. - Until
NABJ Tampa Kickoff Party
Sheraton Hotel

9 p.m. - Until
NAHJ Vamos Pa’ Puerto Rico!
Sheraton Hotel

Sunday, July 27, 11 a.m.
Sen. Barack Obama
McCormick Place, Skyline Ballroom