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Community Futures Collective is the Administrator for, not fiscal sponsor of, The Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival.

The Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival is an organization devoted to implementing and supporting the revitalization of indigenous California languages. Its mission is to assist California Indians in language maintenance and renewal. California was and still is one of the most linguistically diverse parts of the world. Estimates as to how many indigenous languages were spoken here before contact range from 80 to 100. There are presently 50 indigenous languages that still have one or more native speakers, though these numbers are dwindling fast. There are also at least 30 languages with no native speakers left with descendents who desperately want to regain their languages. The Advocates mission is to make their efforts successful. It is the dream of the Advocates that California Indian languages will once again be spoken in native communities.

When Native American languages die, we all lose part of our heritage. Beyond the linguistically important loss of grammatical, semantic and cognitive aspects of these native languages so much more is being lost. Unique world-views, oral literature and whole bodies of knowledge disappear with each vanishing tongue. More importantly, language loss is a human rights issue. The native communities of California have had their languages taken from them involuntarily. Indigenous people view their languages as the bearers of their culture, transmitter of their ceremonies and record of their history, their way of life and their very identity.
Efforts to revitalize or regain lost languages are complex and difficult, in most cases there are only a few elderly speakers left, none of whom are trained to teach the language. There are also no pedagogical materials for most languages and only rarely written records. Even extant speakers have little or no opportunity to use their language, so the language is never even heard.

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Community Futures Collective is pleased to announce that Common Ground Relief has acquired  independent non-profit status and no longer needs to utilize our services as fiscal sponsor.  CFC’s director will continue to work with Common Ground Relief as the treasurer of the organization's board of directors. Community Futures is proud to have supported the development of Common Ground and its grass-roots efforts in the city of New Orleans.  This has been a monumental recovery effort that will last for more years. Community Futures is honored to have worked with Common Ground over the last two years to seek out the root causes of social problems in New Orleans and pose new solutions that are equitable and sustainable.  We have been inspired by the remarkable outpouring of energy, time and resources from the 12,000 volunteers and 3,000 donors that have been the life-blood of Common Ground’s efforts. Community Futures wishes Common Ground the best of luck in continuing their important work.
Please visit Common Ground's website for more info www.commongroundrelief.org

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Women's Shelter

In October 2007, Community Futures turned over the fiscal sponsorship of the Common Ground Women's Shelter to New Orleans' based Congregation, Gates of Prayer.  Now called the New Orleans Women's Shelter, the project has separated into its own operations and is independently run by Gates of Prayer.

For more info on the women's shelter please contact the Gates of Prayer Congregation in Metairie, LA.
www.gatesofprayer.org

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Longest Walk 2

On February 11, 2008, Longest Walk 2 participants embarked on a five- month journey across America from San Francisco, CA to Washington, D.C. arriving on July 11, 2008. In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the historic Longest Walk of 1978 that resulted in historic changes for Native America, hundreds of communities are participating in the Longest Walk of 2008 to raise awareness about issues impacting our world environment, to protect Sacred Sites and to clean up Mother Earth. The Longest Walk 2 is an extraordinary grassroots effort on a national level to bring attention to the environmental disharmony of Mother Earth. The Longest Walk 2 intends to create educational awareness about the health and wellbeing of Our Mother Earth, The health and wellbeing of our people and communities and the protection and preservation of Sacred Sites.

Community Futures Collective is acting as the Longest Walk fiscal sponsor. To make donations please visit the Longest Walk website.