Native Americas, the award-winning publication of Akwe:kon Press at Cornell University's American Indian Program, has launched its electronic version: Native Americas Online.

Designed by Brendan White '98, editorial assistant and computer technician at Akwe:kon (pronounced Ah-GWAY-go) Press, Native Americas Online will provide global access and increase the reach and impact of the American Indian Program's communication and extension efforts.

"Native Americas is one of Cornell's most prominent and highly respected publications. It's gratifying to know that issues of concern to indigenous peoples in the Western Hemisphere are now issues of concern for the world," White said. "I'm proud to be part of this endeavor."

White, a Mohawk from the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation, has worked for the past three years in expanding the reach of Native Americas by managing its circulation and fulfillment operations and by spearheading the development of Native Americas Online. As a student of the American Indian Program at Cornell, White's success is consistent with the program's "full-circle approach" to higher education -- by which students are encouraged to return to their communities or work in other capacities in the service of Native people, said Tim Johnson, executive manager for Akwe:kon Press.

"This new access greatly enhances our capacity to reach broad publics," said JosŽ Barreiro, associate director for AIP extension. "More than words on paper, Native Americas is an information hub on Native issues and positions. The Internet offers an interactive capacity that puts our material out in the first current of the information age."

EDITORS: You are invited to examine and review the Website, but you will need a password. To obtain one, contact Blaine Friedlander, Cornell News Service, by e-mail: <bpf2@cornell.edu>.

Individuals and institutional subscribers now can opt to receive an electronic version of the journal at: . In addition to carrying several feature articles, each edition of Native Americas Online will feature departments such as the Hemispheric Digest, Indigenous Rights Watch and The Public Eye. Other departments and sections are in development, including Extensions (coverage of Cornell's field work with Native American communities) and The Open Forum (a site that encourages reader dialogue).

The print version of Native Americas was developed and launched in 1995 with a principal objective -- to communicate information of substance on the issues and events that most dramatically affect Native Americans. Its in-depth coverage of Indian issues, such as casino gaming, taxation and federal trust responsibilities, has drawn great interest and critical acclaim. In addition, the journal routinely features overviews of national trends impacting Indian life in Brazil, Mexico, Canada and any other country where Indian peoples live and work to maintain their land, rights, freedoms and values. The journal also goes one step further by bringing its readers inside the social, cultural, political and intellectual workings and debates of the Indian Nations themselves.

Native Americas was developed by Barreiro and Johnson. Both are journalists who have extensive experience covering Native American issues. Barreiro was a founding member of the Native American Journalists Association, and Johnson was the first Native American news and editorial columnist in New York. They also have been involved in different capacities in international development work with indigenous peoples in Central America and Africa.

"Brendan (White) is to be commended for his initiative and dedication to Cornell's vital communities outreach mandate," Johnson said. "Native Americas Online greatly amplifies the dissemination and impact of our communications and extension work. Cornell University's Akwe:kon Press now has the capacity to reach millions of new readers and students in homes, schools, libraries and other institutions around the globe."