Flathead Reservation resident Chaney Bell, of Montana, is taking what he learned about digital storytelling during his KLCC fellowship and using it to help preserve the language of his ancestors, which is on the brink of extinction. The following are excerpts from his conversation with KLCC Bridge correspondent Laura Hart.

KLCC Bridge: How many individuals speak the Salish language?

Bell: There are only 60 fluent speakers left who speak Salish.

Bridge: What was your introduction to digital storytelling?

Bell: I started little by little, not really knowing what I was doing. But I kept at it because I knew the technology would be useful to preserve the language. I was a KLCC fellow in Session I and I went to Llano Grande for a digital storytelling workshop. The Llano Grande training changed everything. I remember Francisco [Guajardo, executive director of the Llano Grande Center for Research and Development] telling me to ‘just pick up the camera and start shooting.’

Bridge: How will your application of digital storytelling help to preserve the Salish language?

Bell: I knew it was important to record our elders speaking the language. Our language is the foundation of who we are and the basis of our culture... When people lose their language, they take away from the culture. The loss of language has a lot to do with the loss of culture and the loss of identity. I want everyone to know who they are and the best way is through language.

Bridge: What other ways have you used digital storytelling and other technologies?

Bell: The People’s Center [an educational development center for the confederated Salish, Kootenai and Pend d'Oreille tribes] received a grant for their curriculum for a language immersion program. I’ve worked on a video and CD with children’s songs in Salish. I’ve also filmed videos for children in Salish with English showing our tradition of cooking camas root into the ground and of hide-tanning. I also want to create CD’s and CDROMs as introductions to the Salish language. Digital storytelling is opening doors and has made me want to be a video person for the language, especially to interview the last 60 elders who still speak Salish.

Bridge: Tell us about the non-profit organization you started with a primary goal of preserving the language.

Bell: Nkwusm is the name of this 501(c)3 I started with three other members of the tribe. Nkwusm means family and relates to a tradition of family gathering around a fire. One of our most important programs is the language immersion school which currently has kids age 3-9 years old. We started the immersion school to have young kids around the language all day. The program has three elders, two teachers and curriculum development; it’s located in Arlee [Mont.]. While the tribe, colleges, individuals and elders are important in preserving the language, I think the only way to bring back the language is with little kids. Nkwusm has a website which is www.salishworld.com.

Bridge: Are you fluent in Salish?

Bell: No, I’m in my fifth year of learning and it’s a challenge because there are a lot of deep-in-your-throat sounds. Personally it’s important because we are told that when you pray, you’re given language from the creator. So I like to use it when I pray.

Best Practices:
Building Toward Collaboration

An essential key to collaborating across boundaries is building trust. As the KLCC Session II fellows begin their journey, trust building will be a core component of their initial work. Each fellowship will use a variety of trust-building models and exercises to fortify relationships among the fellows. The following article about the Johari Window model offers examples of how trust can be built between individuals and groups. The article is an excerpt from Gracious Space: A practical guide for working better together, written by Patricia M. Hughes, a senior associate with the Center for Ethical Leadership. For more information about Ms. Hughes and her book visit www.ethicalleadership. org.

The Johari Window, named after inventors Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham, is a useful model to describe the creation of trust between individuals or groups. A four-paned “window,” as illustrated below, divides personal awareness into four different types: open, hidden, blind, and unknown. The lines dividing the four panes are like window shades which move as an interaction progresses. Trust is built by opening our windows to others, and by allowing others to open the windows to ourselves.

The window labeled “open” contains information you know about yourself that others also know. These are public aspects of our selves, such as name, gender, skin color, approximate age, and an accent. It does not require a lot of trust to share these things. When we first meet a new person, this window is small because there has been little time to exchange information. As we get to know each other, the window opens downward, uncovering information that was hidden; or to the right as others give us feedback about our blind spots. As the “open” window grows larger and more information is shared, trust builds. With increased trust, our relationships are more open, we work better together and we are willing to share more information.

The “hidden” window contains information you know about yourself, but others do not. There are many things about us that no one can tell just by looking. These include experiences, beliefs, hopes, fears or accomplishments. Family dynamics, other languages we speak, political views, hobbies, religious beliefs – essentially our whole life story – falls into this window. The information here forms a wide spectrum, from fairly innocuous and non-threatening (a favorite color or the last movie we saw), to increasingly personal and intimate (religious beliefs or health problems).

When we disclose this information, we open the “hidden” window, creating a more candid relationship and leaving less that is concealed. When we divulge secrets about ourselves we build trust in the relationship. We decide what to share, with whom and when. It is not necessary to reveal everything about ourselves to anyone who comes along. When the purpose of sharing is to build trust, select the relevant stories and experiences and share them with the intent of inviting the other person closer.

These “blind spots: occur on many levels of complexity and intimacy. A neighbor may observe that we are good with children in a way we never realized; our colleagues may notice our habit of putting ourselves down when speaking in front of a group; the boss might see potential for growth that we had not realized. There is an endless amount of information in the blind window.

The opportunity for building trust by opening the “blind” window lies in our willingness to receive feedback. We do not need to accept every piece of feedback that is offered nor is everything offered truthful or helpful. But when someone we trust has our best interests in mind, their perspective can be enlightening. These are rich opportunities to learn in public. Both parties take a step toward building trust: one by giving the feedback respectfully and the other by hearing and learning from it.

In the final unknown window are the mysteries— things you don’t know about yourself and no one else does either. What is in this window?

The future certainly fits here. Consequences to actions, possibilities of collaboration and long-forgotten beliefs could be included here. In this window is everything we cannot know without exploration with and through others. We need other people to unlock the mysteries of this window. The more differences that exist between us, the more there will be to uncover in this window.

The “unknown” window is an ideal place for Gracious Space and learning in public. It is this quadrant we can hunt for assumptions breakthrough ideas, buried opinions and innovative possibilities. A trusting relationship is necessary to venture into the unknown, but the converse is also true—uncovering the unknown together can build trust.

Using the Johari Window to build trust raises several questions about vulnerability and control. Who do we open up to? What do we tell them? Is it important to remember that we are in charge of what we share. We cannot, however, control the reactions others will have to the information we disclose, even if we ask them to respond in a certain way. Choose the listener carefully. Choose someone who holds our best interests at heart, who can lend insight and an opportunity to learn and grow. It is an unfortunate fact that not everyone in our organizations or neighborhoods can be trusted with information from the “hidden” quadrant.

We also control when and from whom we accept feedback. When we invite others to comment on our blind spots, we need to be clear about the type of feedback we are looking for and how we want to hear it. We can request advice or not, a friendly ear, or to hear about their similar experience. Clarify any confusion and ask for examples. Getting feedback on our blind spots, especially if it is hard to hear, may make us feel inadequate, incompetent, rejected or misunderstood. It is important to be in a good emotional state before asking for feedback. The feedback can also be something that empowers and enlightens us, uncovering fresh possibilities and options. This is the time to accept compliments, not just wave them aside. Listen deeply and think about how to build on this strength.

With the establishment of a trusting relationship by partners who are willing to learn in public, we have a ripe environment for inquiry.

Qualitative Evaluation Report for KLCC Session I Available Online Soon
An interactive summary version of the KLCC Session I National Qualitative Evaluation soon will be available online at the KLCC Web site (www.klccleadership.org). Authored by KLCC National Evaluators Maenette Benham, Matthew Militello and Patrick Halladay, the report provides a detailed overview of the lessons learned during Session I on a variety of topics, including: how collaborative leadership is developed; how it can enhance public will to improv e teaching and learning; the role leadership plays in effecting sustainable, systemic social change; and how organizational structures can enhance community building and leadership for change. Featuring detailed case studies from each of the Session I program sites, the report is a valuable resource for those seeking to understand the possibilities and challenges of collaborative leadership as well as the potential impact diverse groups of positional and non-positional local leaders can have when they work collaboratively.

W. K .Kellogg Foundation Names New CEO

Sterling Speirn

Sterling Speirn of San Mateo, California, has been named the new president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Speirn, who is currently the president and CEO of Peninsula Community Foundation, a leader in Peninsula and Silicon Valley community philanthropy and one of the Bay Area’s largest foundations, will replace William C. Richardson, who will retire from the Foundation December 31, 2005.

“We believe that Sterling Speirn has the proven ability to continue the Foundation’s mission in new and exciting ways,” said Hanmin Liu, Kellogg Foundation Board chair. “Speirn understands that much of the change we see today happens at the local level. Importantly, he brings to the Foundation experience and understanding of giving at the local level. This experience, coupled with his unique combination of professional and personal strengths makes him extremely well-qualified to lead one of the world’s largest philanthropies.”

“Being asked to serve as the Foundation’s president and CEO is both an honor and a privilege,” said Speirn . “The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has a well deserved reputation as an exemplary leader in the field of philanthropy. Its record of innovation, its commitment to the values and vision of its founder, its stewardship of resources, and its partnership and support of strong leaders and institutions have created a truly unique record over the past 75 years. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to the Kellogg Foundation’s work and the success of the Foundation embodied by its grantees. For me, there is no more important or meaningful work.”

For more information about Mr. Speirn visit the Foundation online at www.wkkf.org.

Mark Your Calendars!
The dates for the first Session II National Gathering have been selected! The meeting will be held March 23-26, 2006, in a yet-to-be-determined location. The gathering will bring together all of the Session II fellows and local leadership teams; representatives from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation; members of the national coordinating organization as well as other interested parties. Participants are asked to arrive by dinner on Thursday evening, March 23 and plan to remain until noon on Sunday, March 26. More details will be made available in the coming months.

Fall Conference Urges Intergenerational Partnerships for Healthier Communities
On November 3-5, 2005, national and international asset builders will gather in Dallas, Texas, for the 2005 Healthy Communities Healthy Youth Conference. This one-of-a-kind conference brings together people from different community sectors who share a common goal: to work together to promote positive youth development through asset building. This year's theme, "Creating Intergenerational Community, " was chosen to showcase the ways youth and adults are building bridges across generations and across differences within communities to create healthy communities.

"Intergenerational" asset building work is youth and adults, older youth and children and elders taking new roles in the asset movement, each generation collaborating with another.

During the conference, youth, educators, parents, community leaders, youth-serving and family-serving professionals, policy makers, congregation leaders, prevention specialists, health professionals, counselors, and more will learn with and from each other, make connections that will prove beneficial in their work and lives, and renew their commitment to asset building through hard work and fun. Early Bird Rates end September 16. Online registration, fundraising possibilities, scholarship opportunities, and exhibiting information can be found at: www.search-institute.org/hchy.

KLCC Bridge Goes Monthly!
Beginning this month, (September 2005), the KLCC Bridge will adhere to a monthly publication schedule. The increased frequency provides an opportunity for those inside and outside of the program who share an interest in collaborative leadership a chance to stay abreast of KLCC developments, lessons learned and other trends in the field. Questions, editorial suggestions and comments about the electronic newsletter should be directed to the editor at: info@klccleadership.org

Items for inclusion in future editions of News & Notes should be sent to KLCC Bridge editor Cheryl D. Fields at: cfields@langhummitchell.com

Keeping it Real