Which graduate linguistics programs should I look into/How can I make myself a stronger candidate?

[CawingKro]

I am currently nearing the undergraduate career (I graduate in two semesters), and I was going to have to start applying to graduate schools for their Fall deadline (AND take the GRE, eep!). I am an English major with a Linguistics minor, and I have taken 4 semesters of American Sign Language, and by the time I graduate, I will have taken 2 semesters (10 credit hours--it's an intense class) of Filipino (I'm learning it for personal reasons--my partner and his family are first-generation emigrants from the Philippines). I have a 3.9 GPA. I am on the elected board of my school (Northern Illinois University)'s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honors Society, as the Historian and Webmaster. I am also active in two other clubs (one a religious organization focused on paganism, and the other focusing on the mythologies from cultures around the world).

I am not the best at standardized tests, so I was wondering how much weight programs actually placed on your GRE scores--is your statement of purpose more important? What scores on the GRE should I shoot for? I'm worst at the quantitative sections (reading those confusing graphs will be the DEATH of me; I stink at math, but by comparison to that skill-level, I'm an algebra genius).

A little about my course history: I've taken several linguistic classes (Fundamentals of English Grammar, a general linguistics class, a linguistic anthropology class, and one specifically on the structure of modern English). I aim to take more--specifically, Phonetics and Phonology, and Linguistic Anthropological Research Training (an independent study class--I will have to develop a thesis, run experiments, and my final grade depends on how I organize and present my findings), and possibly Language and Gender. 

A little about my work history: I'm currently an Undergraduate Research Apprentice, helping a linguistic anthropology professor with a research project of his, analyzing data. I start an online internship in March, (more info here: http://linguistlist.org/internship/browse/intern-browse-announceProcess.cfm?id=4552122 ), helping transcription work to revitalize a dead Native American language. I also hold a more mundane student-worker job in the campus computer labs.

Taking my current course history and work history into account, is their anything else I can do to make myself a stronger candidate? As an undergraduate applying to doctoral programs, I will be competing with people who have Masters degrees for these programs.

The problem is, I'm not terribly certain WHICH programs would be the best fit for me. My ultimate goal is learn and study endangered Native American languages (especially Apsaroke--Crow Nation--and Ojibwe, though I'm open to others as well), and help with documentation and revitalization efforts. My greatest interest is in Linguistic Anthropology. I really want a program that has a good working relationship with the local Native peoples.

I would very much like to jump straight into a PhD program (or a doctoral program that has an MA option after the first few years of study), though I realize that may be impractical; I am open to getting an MA first. I am also limited in the respect that I will only consider schools that offer funding (given my financial situation, loans are not an option). I understand that PhD programs are more likely to be funded than MA programs. 

Another problem is my geographical constraints. I would prefer not to stray too far from Illinois and my long-term partner, and we both have family in and near Chicago. I'm looking at Montana (though I'm a bit dubious because of the distance, and I would definitely like to return to the Midwest after finishing their MA program), University of Wisconsin at Madison (they offer Ojibwe), University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (also offers Ojibwe), and University of Indiana at Bloomington (they offer Lakota, though their MA-to-PhD program may not offer funding for their MA levels, in which case I need to cross them off the list). Are there any other programs I'm overlooking?

NOTE: I have emailed these programs for more information and browsed their websites and course listings, but still remain somewhat in the dark about the questions I've raised above. I'm also arranging advising interviews with some of my school's linguistics faculty, but they've been out of school for a long time, and I fear the system may have evolved since their stints in grad school, and their advice may not be as valuable. I'm seeking advice from many sources, not just the internet (lol).

[this_is_a_wug]

I sent you a PM, CawingKro.