Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation's Young Native Writers Essay Contest Winners Announced for 2014
WASHINGTON (May 15, 2014) - The winners of the ninth annual Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation's Young Native Writers Essay Contest have been announced. The Foundation partners with the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) and the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) to sponsor this national writing contest. The 2014 winners are:
- Elizabeth Guerino of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
- Lindsey Hancock of the Choctaw Nation
- Womsikuk James of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) & Lakota
- Tristan Picotte of the Cheyenne River Sioux
- Kasie Apo Takayama who is Native Hawaiian
Students were asked to write about one or more of the cultural images, symbols or art forms that have been historically developed by their community (American Indian, Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian) to communicate a particular message or value or serve a specific purpose. The winning essays can be viewed at http://www.nativewriters.hklaw.com/ESSAYS/2014/index.asp.
During the week of July 20, 2014, the contest winners will receive an all-expenses-paid "Scholar Week" trip to Washington, D.C. The group's activities will include an honor ceremony at NMAI; a tour of the NMAI Cultural Resources Center where tribal objects can be viewed and studied; educational symposia for students and their teachers; and a tour of the U.S. Capitol. Winners will also receive a $2,500 scholarship to be paid to the college or university of their choice.