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Joseph Standing Bear Schranz (White Earth Ojibwe)
President
Joseph is an enrolled member of the White Earth Reservation located in
Minnesota
. He is the Founder and President of
Midwest
SOARRING (Save Our Ancestors' Remains and Resources Indigenous Network Group) Foundation, an organization that facilitates repatriation, works to protect sacred sites and promotes education of the Native American culture and environmental issues.
Joseph has worked extensively in
Illinois
and beyond on repatriation and sacred site issues.
He is the founder of the New Lenox Honor Guard, which consists of Native and non-Native people who stood in unity in 1994/95 at the New Lenox site out of respect for the village and burial ground there.
On February 21, 1998, he was responsible for the removal of the last publicly displayed human remain which was in a glass case at the
Grundy
County
Courthouse in
Morris, IL
.
Joseph is responsible for the start of both
Midwest
SOARRING Foundation’s pow wows. The Honor the Eagle Pow Wow was started in 2005 and is held at Starved Rock State Park in Utica, Illinois and the Harvest Pow Wow started in 1995 and is currently held at the Naper Settlement in Naperville, Illinois.
He was responsible for Midwest SOARRING Foundation's sponsorship of the historic Kickapoo Reunion at the
Grand
Village
, held in May of 1998 at the
Grand
Village
site in
Leroy, IL
.
In 2000, Joseph agreed to work with the
Batavia
Plain
Dirt
Garden
Club to help bring an exhibit of a
Native
Village
Scene to
Chicago
's Annual Flower and Garden Show. The exhibit received two first place awards. Members from the native community joined in by being in the exhibit bringing life to the village!
Joseph has been a consultant to the Brookfield Zoo for many years, but historic strides were made when he collaborated to bring in Native American Performers for their Rhythm and Root's Festivals. This was the first time in the zoo's history, that the native culture was part of any of their programs. Joseph was invited back to be part of a charrette seeking ideas for the zoo's new 10 million dollar permanent Great Bear Wilderness Exhibit.
Joseph won the first award given to a private citizen, by the Will County Forest Preserve District for his concern of the environment and the help of obtaining 117 acres of land in Joliet, IL. The acreage is adjacent to
Pilcher
Park
and was number one on
Will
County
's Land Acquisition list. Joseph has been instrumental in helping to save over 1400 acres of land in
Illinois
.
Joseph led SOARRING members to support the efforts made to save
Plum
Island
and keep it from being developed. The efforts were joined by many including the Audubon Society and Lt. Governor Pat Quinn.
Plum
Island
is currently a dedicated eagle sanctuary.
Joseph was appointed by Governor Blagojevich to attend the Governor's Interstate Indian Council Conference, both in 2006 and 2007.
Joseph has worked over thirty years on native issues and has worked extensively with different native communities throughout Illinois and the
Midwest
.
Joseph is available for speaking engagements to schools, civic groups etc. He is also available to act as a consultant regarding native issues, environmental issues or to bring the native culture to your area! Please contact him for further details.
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last edited: 4/14/08 3:15 PM |
