Fithian Gift from the start. Years ago, Beavert was a jockey, and they share a love for horses. As a member of the Women’s Army Corps in World War II, she helped land airplanes. Fithian is a pilot.
What inspires a gift? The reasons are as diverse as the donors who give them. For Dr. Taylor Fithian ’66, the inspiration to give $250,000 to the UO’s Northwest Indian Language Institute (NILI) began in New Mexico more than four decades ago. And it culminated in a friendship with the UO’s oldest-ever graduate. A psychiatrist and emergency room physician, Dr. Fithian earned his UO biology degree in 1966. He is president and medical director of California Forensic Medical Group, the first privately owned West Coast provider of health care to correctional facilities.
But it was Beavert’s wisdom and commitment to preserving endangered languages that inspired Fithian’s a big difference. For instance, NILI has been able to fund a new transformational gift. distance education initiative for “Languages are national Sahaptin-speaking communities, treasures,” says Fithian. “Once a including the Yakama Nation language is lost, you can never in Washington, as well as the get it back. It’s like a species.” Confederated Tribes of Warm Fithian’s wife, Margie, Springs and the Confederated teaches prekindergarten in Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Monterey, California. “Language Reservation, both in Oregon. represents culture for young Fithian’s interest in Native American health began in the 1970s, when he was in medical school. As an extern working in the emergency room at Holy Cross Hospital in Taos, New Mexico, he worked with many Taos Pueblo and Navajo patients.
Decades later, Fithian met Underriner, who shared “We’ve never received a gift her vision for NILI. She also this large,” says NILI Director introduced him to Virginia Janne Underriner. “It’s exciting. Beavert, PhD ’12, an elder of the Now we get to dream about what Yakama Nation who is dedicated the next steps could be. We are to NILI’s mission. so grateful.” Last spring, Beavert received NILI was created at the University of Oregon in 1997 as an answer to tribal requests for Native language teacher training. The institute works to preserve and restore Indian languages— training language teachers and reaching out to tribal communities. The gift is already making
her doctorate in linguistics at the age of ninety. She speaks six Native languages, has written a Yakama Sahaptin dictionary, and is currently working on a second edition. “It was an honor to meet her,” says Fithian. “And I consider it a privilege to call her a friend.” The two hit it off
6 NILI - The Northwest Indian Language Institute
people,” she says. “For instance, speaking these languages enables children to interact with their elders. NILI is working to preserve not only languages, but also cultures.” —Ed Dorsch -article was first published in Oregon
Outlook : News for and about People Suporting the University of Oregon. Fall 2012