Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Annie Dodge Wauneka, first Native American recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom

Annie Dodge Wauneka, born April 11, 1910 in Arizona Territory, is the first Native American to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  She was a member of the Navajo Nation.  She survived the 1918 Spanish influenza epidemic and helped care for other flu victims.  This experience helped inspire her interest in public health. 

She traveled the Navajo Nation with her father Henry Chee Dodge and noticed the lack of medical treatment and poverty.  She translated medical terms into Navajo.  She hosted a radio show explaining health issues and better care for the Navajo community.  Her work improved care for expectant mothers, babies, alcoholism, sanitation, and housing.  

She went on to serve on the advisory boards of the US Surgeon General and the US Public Health Service.  

President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963.

She passed away in Arizona in November 1997.

"The Incredible Hulk" debuts 1977

The Incredible Hulk, starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno as the titular character, debuted on November 4, 1977.  Susan Sullivan appeared in the two-hour premiere.  At one time three superhero series existed simultaneously.  The Amazing Spider-Man premiered just two months prior and Wonder Woman debuted in 1975.   

The Incredible Hulk ran for 5 seasons from 1977 to 1982.  It was a ratings success, but was cancelled suddenly at the end of the fifth season. Throughout its run, it garnered three Primetime Emmy awards, winning one for Mariette Harley for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Series.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: N. Scott Momaday, first Native American to win the Pulitzer for Fiction

Navarre Scott Momaday, born February 27, 1934 in Lawton, Oklahoma, is the first Native American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His father was a full-blooded Kiowa. Scott was granted the award in 1969 for his novel House Made of Dawn, which is considered to be the "first major work of the Native American Renaissance."

He is the first professor to teach American Literature at Moscow State University in Russia. He was awarded a National Medal of Arts in 2007 and is one of the first inductees into the National Native American Hall of Fame.

I admit that I could not finish House Made of Dawn because of Momaday's non-sequential style of writing.  However, I think I should try to re-read it, since at the time, I was not aware of its importance.  

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Maria Tallchief, Osage and America's first Prima Ballerina

Elizabeth "Marie" Tallchief, born January 24, 1924 in Fairfax, Oklahoma, became America's first major prima ballerina and the first Native American (Osage) to hold the rank.  She started dancing at age three and when she was eight, her family moved to Los Angeles hoping to advance their daughters' dance careers.  Both Marie and her younger sister Marjorie studied dancing and both became leading figures in the world of ballet.

At 17, she moved to New York City and danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.  There, she met choreographer George Balanchine.  With his difficult choreography and her passion for dancing, ballet was revolutionized.  Her performance as the Sugarplum Fairy in the Nutcracker changed the ballet from obscure to being America's favorite.

In 1949, her role in The Firebird, a work by Igor Stravinsky, put her on top of the ballet world.  She became the first American to perform in Moscow's Bolshoi Theater.

She retired in 1966, and actively promoted ballet in Chicago, serving as the director of ballet for the Lyric Opera of Chicago.  She was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award from the Kennedy Center.  

She passed away in April 2013 in Chicago from complications from hip surgery the previous December.

Expedition One begins aboard ISS 2000

Expedition 1 crew (L-R): Sergei Krikalev, Bill Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko

Expedition 1 mission patch

Expedition One, which began November 2, 2000, marked the beginning of a constant human presence aboard the International Space Station.  Crew members William Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko, and Sergei Krikalev had blasted off just two days before aboard Soyuz TM-31 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.  

The first supply ship, the unmanned Russian spacecraft Progress M1-4 arrived at the station on November 18. 

On December 2, Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-97) arrived at the ISS, bringing more equipment for the station.  The crew conducted three EVAs prior to boarding the station. The Endeavour's crew returned to Earth December 11.

Expedition One's crew was given Christmas Day and New Year's Day off.

On February 9, 2001, Atlantis (STS-98) docked with the station bringing a crew of five for a temporary stay.  By this time, Expedition One had been on board for three months.  NASA had noticed a "three-month wall", a psychological barrier that causes depression in previous astronauts.  To combat this, NASA allowed more time for them to speak to their families and encouraged them to watch movies and listen to music they liked.

Discovery (STS-102) arrived at the ISS March 10, 2001, bringing a new crew for Expedition 2.  Expedition One returned to Earth on Discovery March 21, ending their four and a half months stay in space.

Billy Joel releases "Cold Spring Harbor" 1971

Billy Joel released his debut album Cold Spring Harbor November 1, 1971. A mixing error in post-production caused the songs to be played slightly faster, making Billy's voice sound a little high. It did not perform well and only reached #158 on the US Billboard 200.

He recorded and released live versions of She's Got a Way and Everybody Loves You on his Songs in the Attic album in 1981.  She's Got a Way was released as a single in 1982 and peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Nicole Mann, first Native American woman astronaut

Nicole Aunapu Mann, born June 27, 1977 in Petaluma, California, became the first Native American woman in space when she launched with SpaceX Crew-5 in October 2022 to the International Space Station.  John Herrington was the first Native American in space when he flew aboard Endeavour (STS-113) in November 2002.

She has Wailaki heritage, and is an enrolled member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in California.

Mann is currently participating in Expedition 68 and will continue in Expedition 69.  She is scheduled to return to Earth in March 2023.