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Human remains found at Multnomah Falls identified after 42 years

Samantha Swindler

February 15, 2021 |

The Oregonian |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oregon

Oregon law enforcement agencies partnered with a Virginia laboratory, Parabon NanoLabs, to use genetic genealogy to learn the identities of people whose remains were found long ago but never identified. To give peace of mind to families who never knew for sure of their loved ones' deaths, researchers use DNA samples taken from the human remains to compare to publicly available DNA profiles shared by people using home DNA tests. This can identify a victim's family tree. So far, Parabon has identified six of the 10 people it has tested for Oregon. The state has more than 150 unidentified skeletal remains.

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How the Indian Stammering Association has empowered thousands to find self-acceptance

Priti Salian

February 12, 2021 |

The National |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India

In India, where stuttering is not recognized as a disability, The Indian Stammering Association (TISA) offers "free online courses, counseling, communication workshops, and daily virtual meeting" to help those who struggle with a stutter. Although the offerings are limited to those who have access to a computer, more than 4,000 people have joined TISA with many reporting stories of success.

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‘What's at stake is the life of every being': Saving the Brazilian Cerrado

Peter Yeung

February 11, 2021 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Brazil

The National Campaign in Defense of the Cerrado coalition of Indigenous peoples and organizational partners is fighting political challenges to preserve the region’s native vegetation and biodiversity. The Cerrado is a tropical savanna In Brazil that is home to about 5 percent of the planet’s animal and plant species, yet only 3 percent of the land is under “strict protection” regulations. Pressure from the campaigners has led to a public hearing and proposal with more than 500,000 signatures to declare the region a World Heritage site.

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As COVID-19 Damages Black Appalachian Communities, This Mother, Daughter Team Are Working to Save an Unexpected Casualty: Black History

Kristen Uppercue

February 09, 2021 |

100 Days in Appalachia |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Uniontown, Pennsylvania

The Fayette County Traveling Museum collects, preserves, and shares Uniontown’s Black history. The owners sift through archives, libraries, and donated boxes of materials, which are displayed as educational resources. The museum, which before COVID-19 was set up at schools and churches, details the early history of African Americans, both enslaved and free, the town’s Underground Railroad stop, prominent Black community figures, and the area’s Klu Klux Klan presence. Video and oral histories of older residents also encourage young people to explore their history and make the information more accessible.

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Smallpox used to kill millions of people every year. Here's how humans beat it.

Kelsey Piper

February 05, 2021 |

Vox |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

The eradication of smallpox offers lessons and insight for health officials and governments focused on containing the novel coronavirus and avoiding future pandemics. Although COVID-19 presents unique challenges – such as asymptomatic transmission – lessons from the smallpox era show that "a well-funded, well-supported public health system" was a key to success.

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Community-driven project keeps unique dialect alive

Dariya Baiguzhiyeva

February 05, 2021 |

TimminsToday |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Moose Factory, Ontario

The Moose Factory’s Community Language Project is part of a decade-long program to maintain the "L" dialect of the Moose Cree people alive. Through phone calls, in-person visits, the project's leaders are compiling as many words as possible, and have already published four versions of a dictionary, the last one was a digital version and contains around 27,000 entries. There are also children's books and grammar books available as well.

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By Telling New Stories, Youngstown's Historical Society Is Reinventing Itself for the 21st Century

Zeb Larson

February 04, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Youngstown, Ohio

The Mahoning Valley Historical Society reached a broader local audience "by asking tough questions and reshaping itself for the 21st century," bucking the traditional historical-society model of focusing only on white pioneers' history. The society has thrived, even in the face of its region's dramatic population drop amid industrial decline, because it embraces discussions of uncomfortable topics concerning racial and ethnic diversity and neglected histories. It partnered with other local groups to focus on African American history topics, which has helped draw crowds and donations.

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The Tribe that's Moving Earth (and Water) to Solve the Climate Crisis

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Alex Blumberg

February 04, 2021 |

Gimlet Media |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Yurok Nation, United States, Yurok Reservation, California

The Yurok Tribe is tackling climate change through the use of a carbon-offset program, sustainable forestry principles, watershed and river recovery methods, and even beaver restoration practices. Over the years, the Indigenous community has worked to restore their territory using sustainable land management initiatives and because of their efforts, they were awarded the Equator Prize from the United Nations Development Programme in 2019.

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Reviving the Cherokee Language Is a Full-Time Job – Literally

Kristi Eaton

February 04, 2021 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Cherokee Nation, United States, Oklahoma

The Cherokee Language Master Apprentice Program is an immersion program that pays adults to learn the Cherokee language, which is quickly disappearing yet important for preserving Cherokee culture. The program requires 40 hours a week for two years and participants are paid $10 per hour as an incentive to focus on their studies. When creating the curriculum, the Cherokee Nation looked to other Native Nations with initiatives to preserve Native cultures and languages. The program has grown over the past six years and now, when fully filled, has 32 participants taking part in the two-year program.

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On the Columbia River, something stirs beyond the dams

Ted Alvarez

February 02, 2021 |

Crosscut |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Colville Indian Reservation, Washington

The Grand Coulee, a 500-foot-tall dam on the Columbia River, nearly eradicated the salmon population that the Colville Tribes relied on, but the Indigenous community initiated a restoration effort to save the fish. They released by hand 100 adult Chinook salmon and scientists were able to confirm that the species was spawning on the upper part of the dam for the first time in 80 years.

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