UPDATE OCTOBER 2010: The VOICE, THE VISION CD was just nominated for THE RAP/HIP-HOP category for the NAMMYS (Native American Music Awards 2010)! Thanks for your SUPPORT! Please visit the NAMMY Website, take a minute, and VOTE FOR US! http://www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com The awards are on NOV. 12, Niagara Falls, NY and the last day to vote is Nov. 11. Pilaymaya ye / thank you! The following is an excerpt from "The Sheridan County Journal Star", Issue No. 12, 119th Year, March 24, 2010, Gordon, NE 69343, by Marcia Bon Fleur: "Kelly Francis, a resident of Gordon, NE, is a single mom who leads a Young Life youth group and works as a nurse at Pine Ridge Schools. Arielle Tiensvold, a 2009 Gordon-Rushville High School graduate, is a freshman at Cottey College majoring in Music Education. Billy Janis, a young Lakota entrepreneur, is busy balancing his new sign and screen printing business, Image-X based in Whitecly, as well as producing the newest release from his recording company, Native Era. What could possibly bring these three individuals, with such diverse backgrounds, together? The answer is "Niobrara," a song about the death of Matt Shangreaux, a 25 year old Martin, South Dakota man who committed suicide just south of Gordon on the Niobrara River in March of 2008. Moved by Shangreaux's death, Kelly wrote the lyrics and part of the melody to "Niobrara" as an attempt to shine a spotlight on the issue and to offer her faith in Christ as the answer to the acute problem of suicide on the Pine Ridge Reservation. 'I had known Billy and supported his work with Native Era for quite some time,' Kelly said, 'and I had also heard Arielle sing in the Gordon-Rushville spring musical and knew what a great voice she had, so I got the two of them together to see if we could work something out.' In the end, Arielle provided the vocals, Billy added his hip-hop lyrics and beat, and Kelly contributed a narrative part to the song. 'After we completed the recording, we were so pleased with it that Billy suggested that we work together on a CD,' Kelly continued. 'There are so many issues that need to be addressed on the reservation. Things just took off from there.'"