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Monday, April 20, 2015
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Metis Nation of Saskatchewan in Canada closes its doors after reported political infighting
Alaska Native leaders and advocates praise effort to keep Native children with Native families
Oklahoma tribe to host event in observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
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Lower Brule vice chair discusses leadership after recent death of chairman
Advocates raise awareness of violence against Native women in Oklahoma
Gila River tribe holds event for new low-power digital TV station
Friday, April 3, 2015
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Paiute Chairwoman Ousted After Accepting Gifts From Washington NFL Team
Tribes In South Dakota Praise VAWA
Activists In New Mexico Work To Abolish Columbus Day
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
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A pandemic-era program that helped low-income people keep up with their water and sewer bills is running out of funding.
Montana Public Radio’s Aaron Bolton reports this comes as a federal report shows rural and tribal households have long struggled to keep their taps on.
Congress’ water utility assistance program supported over 8,000 Montana households and ran out of money last year.
A separate pool of water assistance funding for tribes is close to running dry, too.
A federal report found tribal families are more likely to be in debt to their water utilities and owe more money.
It also found that rural households experience higher disconnection rates for non-payment.
Patricia Courchane with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes says the water-assistance program was a lifeline for those families, but adds that it’s also helped households on well water.
“You have bacteria or something like that in your water and you aren’t able to drink it, you can get a bottled water system in your home through this program.”
Courchane says the tribes have about half of the roughly $600,000 they received left.
She says families could struggle to afford clean drinking water once that funding runs out.
Federal agencies are asking for public feedback on five potential plans for managing Bears Ears National Monument in southeast Utah.
KUER’s David Condos reports for the Mountain West News Bureau on the collaboration with tribes.
The plans are the result of a first-of-its-kind collaboration between federal agencies and five tribes to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into the monument’s management.
Ruben Pacheco is with the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition.
He says this is especially historic because public lands across the West often overlap with ancestral homelands.
“So ensuring that tribal perspectives are meaningfully involved in the protection of these lands is a way to respect tribes, and it’s a move towards what we consider repairing historical injustices.”
The plan preferred by the partnership is option E, which would limit some cattle grazing, off highway driving and camping.
Rachel Wooten is with the Bureau of Land Management office in Monticello.
She says the best way for people to make sure their voices are heard is to study the plans before responding.
“Opinions are valuable, but the most helpful comments are the ones that provide new information, provide specific information about a use or an area that we might not have known or considered.”
The agencies will launch a series of meetings to answer questions about the plans starting in April.
In New Mexico, during a ceremony in Albuquerque last week, former Cochiti Pueblo Governor and U.S. Marine Corps and Vietnam veteran Dr. Joseph Suina was presented with service medals he earned in the 1960s.
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) helped retrieve the medals, which were stolen in the 70s in a house break-in.
Sen. Heinrich also honored the veteran last week on the Senate Floor talking about his medals, which included the Purple Heart.
“Dr. Suina also earned the following awards: the Combat Action Ribbon, the Marine Corp Good Combat Medal, the National Service Defense Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Rifle Sharp Shooter Badge, Pistol Expert Badge. He also earned a Gallantry Cross Medal from the Republic of Vietnam. I was deeply honored to help retrieve these medals to recognize Dr. Suina’s incredible bravery and sacrifice.”
Dr. Suina was also recognized for his advocacy, especially for raising awareness of PTSD.
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Friday, March 22, 2024
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Researchers at Avera are working to understand factors underlying maternal health care for Native Americans in western South Dakota.
Most counties west of the Missouri River are considered a maternal health care desert.
As South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s Lee Strubinger reports, that means women live more than 100 miles away from medical providers that specialize in delivery.
Distance, weather, transportation, and trauma are just a few of the barriers standing in the way of pregnant Native American women needing or wanting prenatal health care.
That’s coupled with a lack of providers West River — both in reservations and in the Black Hills.
Dr. Amy Elliott is a chief research officer at Avera McKennon.
She describes the issue bluntly.
“It’s crisis levels. With the lack of obstetrics providers especially on the western side of the state. How do we find solutions, not just for recruiting more people, but also do we have to think a little bit different about how we deliver care?”
According to the South Dakota Department of Health, from 2012 to 2021, American Indians made up 20% of all live births, but 44% of all pregnancy-associated deaths.
Dr. Elliot and others want to fully understand what’s causing that issue, and others.
Dr. Elliot says a lack of data hinders insight into understanding causes or generating solutions.
“An advantage of being in a health system is we have access to quite a bit of data and we also have close partnerships with the Department of Health, Great Plains Tribal Leaders Board and other agencies around so we’re able to help maybe combine different data streams that haven’t been combined before.”
That, Dr. Elliot hopes, will lead to lasting and systemic change in better health outcomes for Native women on the great plains.
A new documentary Bad River spotlights the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa — and the tribe’s David vs. Goliath battle against the Line 5 pipeline.
Lina Tran of WUWM in Milwaukee reports.
The Bad River Band is up against the Canadian energy company Enbridge.
Twelve miles of pipeline runs through the Bad River reservation.
It’s a fight the Band says is necessary to defend Lake Superior from the aging pipeline. And protect the lake for future generations.
RunningHorse Livingston is a Bad River member featured in the film.
“We’re fighting this battle for water, but it’s really a battle for our home. And keeping it safe and keeping it beautiful, the way that it has been for forever.”
The film says there’s no evidence the Band ever consented to the pipeline. A federal judge ruled that Enbridge is trespassing and has three years to shut it down.
The film argues this is only the latest chapter in the tribe’s long fight for sovereignty.
Here’s producer, writer, and director Mary Mazzio.
“And you know, long after this challenge, there will be another one, because that’s just the history of who we are as a country. This is a very, very precarious situation happening in real time.”
Erosion near the banks of the Bad River has stoked the Band’s concerns that the exposed pipeline could rupture.
Their urgency grows as climate change makes extreme rainfall and flooding more and more likely.
The film started screening March 15 in select theaters.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Kiowa Tribe in Oklahoma are hosting a veterans benefits event on April 5.
Tribal Veteran Service Officers and other advocates are expected to be onsite at the tribe’s community center to assist veterans, spouses, and widows with VA claims.
According to the VA, collaborations with other tribes across the country are in the works to hold similar events.
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Thursday, February 29, 2024
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The Navajo Nation has publicly released a proposed agreement to settle water rights claims in Arizona.
The proposed settlement is close to completion with the U.S., Arizona, the Hopi Tribe, the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, and parties to the Little Colorado River.
Claims also include the Colorado River Upper Basin, the Colorado River Lower Basin, the Gila River Basin, and groundwater.
The Navajo Nation held a public education forum Wednesday night on the radio, which was also streamed online.
Navajo Nation Attorney General Ethel Branch says the tribe is providing advanced information about the proposed settlement to Navajo people in the interest of transparency.
“The Nation has tried to settle its Arizona water rights in various different capacities in the past for about three decades. And we now are excited to share with you that we’re on the verge of a final settlement for the Nation’s comprehensive water rights in the state of Arizona. In the recent past, in particular, a lot of the discussion has focused on the Little Colorado River Basin and we haven’t had as much discussion about the Upper Basin, the full extent of the Lower Basin, or the Gila River Basin water rights of the Nations. We are still in negotiations.”
Navajo officials say once the settlement is final, which is expected in early March, legislation will be introduced to the Navajo Nation Council for approval.
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren says the Nation’s primary objective is to affirm and quantify their rights to water in Arizona and secure funding to build much needed water delivery infrastructure on the Navajo Nation.
In April, the tribe established a team to work on the settlement.
More than a dozen meetings are planned to be held in Arizona communities in the next few weeks to discuss the proposed settlement agreement.
A Minnesota organization is getting a baby food product out to consumers.
The ingredients and the packaging are designed to appeal to parents of Indigenous babies.
Mike Moen reports.
The Indigenous Peoples Task Force is trying to hit reset on the unhealthy diet European colonizers forced upon Native American populations.
The first jars of Indigi-Baby food were released in 2023, providing families with a wholesome and sustainable alternative to commercial products.
The group’s executive director Sharon Day says they want these youngsters to start their lives with a diet more consistent with what their tribal ancestors consumed.
“The wild rice, the blueberries – these are all ingredients and produce from North America, Indigenous to this land – the same way we are. ”
The ingredients are grown locally, using heirloom seeds and methods that forgo the extractive approach of industrial agriculture.
The IPTF markets these products using glass jars featuring an Indigenous baby on the label because, Day says, that helps with Native representation in retail sales, while also avoiding plastic pouches that might expose the child to toxic chemicals.
While some of these strategies might boost production expenses, Day says it’s worth it to help reverse longstanding chronic health issues within Native communities.
“The diseases that we have, that we’re dying from are diabetes, stroke and degenerative heart disease – and these are all caused by our diet. ”
In distributing the first jars of Indigi-Baby, the IPTF prioritized community health clinics and food shelves, in Minnesota and elsewhere.
Project officials add that grocers are asking when they can stock these products, which may start appearing on regular store shelves as production capacity increases.
This story is a collaboration with original reporting by Jay Gabler for Arts Midwest.
Scott George and the Osage Singers will perform live at the Oscars the song “Wahzhazhe” (A Song For My People) from the film Killers of the Flower Moon.
The song is nominated for an Oscar.
The awards ceremony takes place Sunday, March 10 on ABC.
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Tuesday, March 28, 2023
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The former chairman of the Blackfeet Nation has resigned from his post on the tribal council following his arrest last week.
Montana Public Radio’s Aaron Bolton reports.
Blackfeet Tribal Business Council members last week announced that board member Tim Davis was arrested for disorderly conduct and threatening a public official.
The allegations are related to legal charges family members face for selling and possessing drugs, including fentanyl, at Davis’ house last year.
The council was scheduled to hold an expulsion hearing for Davis this week, but he resigned before the hearing, according to a press release from the council.
Nearly a year ago, police arrested nine people at the home of then-tribal chair Davis on drug-related charges.
Shortly after, the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council unanimously voted to remove Davis as chairman, but he continued to serve on the council. Davis denied that he knew anything about the drugs at his home.
According to the release announcing Davis’ resignation, he said “I understand the importance and high standard of conduct that each member of the Blackfeet Tribal Council must conduct oneself, which is why I am resigning.”
The Blackfeet Nation will hold a special election on April 25 to fill Davis’ seat through the end of his term in July.
Leaders of the Wabanaki Nations are calling on Maine lawmakers to recognize tribal sovereignty and help ensure a better economic future for their youth.
The first “State of the Tribes” address in two decades was recently delivered focusing on self-determination and economic collaboration with the state.
Kathryn Carley has more.
Research shows the five Wabanaki tribes could be an economic engine for large parts of rural Maine, but restrictions set in the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 ensure the tribes are governed under state law.
The tribes are also not guaranteed access to federal programs like the other 574 federally recognized tribes in the U.S.
Mi’kmaq Tribe Vice Chief Richard Silliboy says self-governance would bring jobs and growth to one of the nation’s poorest areas.
“This wouldn’t just benefit the Native Americans. This would benefit the surrounding communities. This would benefit the state of Maine as a whole.”
Silliboy says Wabanaki tribes would benefit from available federal dollars, helping them to create local farming and mill jobs, or extend hours at a fishery that once fed diners in Portland.
A growing bipartisan effort is backing legislation that could avoid a veto by Governor Janet Mills, who has long opposed tribal sovereignty over concerns for land use and potential litigation.
In its recent report, a Guatemalan human rights monitoring group says attacks against human rights defenders, including Indigenous leaders throughout the country are on the rise.
Maria Martin reports.
The Union for the Protection of Guatemalan Human Rights Defenders (UFEDEGUA) says in 2022, they documented over 3,500 attacks.
These ranged from the criminalizing of independent judges and prosecutors to threats and arrests of Indigenous leaders opposing mining and palm oil projects, to organized smear campaigns on social media.
UFEDEGUA says vengeance against its political and economic enemies has become Guatemala’s public policy.
“Vengeance is definitely a strong word” says Brenda Guillen of UDEFEGUA, “but when you analyze what’s happening, we see retaliation using the system against Indigenous and other human rights defenders.”
The government has not yet responded to the report.
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Tuesday, March 7, 2023
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Organizations supporting Native American’s right to vote are trying to educate people about the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court Election.
WXPR’s Katie Thoresen reports.
Abortion access, voting districts, and voting access are likely to come before the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the coming years.
And while those issues impact everyone, they’re more likely to disproportionately effect Native American communities says Native American Rights Fund staff attorney Allison Neswood.
But she stresses that this doesn’t mean that all Native people feel the same way about each issue.
“But it means that they should have the same voice that other Americans or other Wisconsinites have in selecting who makes the decisions on those issues.”
To that end, the Native American Rights Fund and the Wisconsin Native Vote program are working to educate Native Americans on the Supreme Court, what’s at stake, and making sure they know their voting rights.
Neswood is focused on educating people on the judicial system itself, like the oath Wisconsin judges take to administer justice with respect to persons or essentially the concept of justice is blind.
“This is great concept, but it’s not always inline with how communities experience the court system. A couple examples of that, evidence shows that even among people who commit of similar severity people of color are receiving longer sentences, more jail time than white folks.”
Wisconsin Native Vote Manager Dee Sweet wants to make sure Native Americans have all the information they need to make an educated vote.
She says things like minimal or lack of broadband connectivity in rural reservations can be another barrier for Native Americans to exercise their right to vote.
“I’m not saying they’re left out of modern day technology and society they just don’t have the kind of broadband or kind of technology to support that.”
Neither organization endorses candidates.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Election is April 4.
The organizations along with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa are hosting a dinner and discussion event at Red Cliff Legendary Waters Casino on March 7.
You can learn more and register at conservationvoice.org.
The U.S. Interior Department recently unveiled plans to bolster the number of wild bison herds across their native grasslands.
Aaron Bolton reports.
U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced the formation of federal working group that will outline how the federal government can help tribes and conservation groups bolster herd numbers and gain training to manage herds.
Holland also announced a $25 million investment to establish new herds, fund tribal bison transfers, and co-management of herds with tribes.
The department currently manages 11,000 bison on public lands across 12 states.
Tribal college and university students from across the country are preparing to take home awards after three days of competing in more than 20 events including archery, speech, chess, and hand games.
More than 1,000 people gathered in Albuquerque, NM this week for the 2023 American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) conference.
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College student Joanna Cooley (United Houma Nation) spent time Monday presenting her scientific poster to judges, students, and other AIHEC attendees.
Cooley says for the last year and a half she’s been part of a food sovereignty program in Mount Pleasant, MI.
Her poster describes how to decolonize diets and teach people how to preserve food from their gardens.
“We can teach our people to garden, but if they don’t know how to preserve for future use it’s not very good. Along with the gardening, we’re also doing food preservation workshops and classes. We have a full state of the art mobile food preservation kitchen that will be onsite this spring so that community members and students can harvest their vegetables and go straight into the classroom and learn how to preserve them themselves.”
Cooley says she worked on her poster for about four to six weeks.
She hopes not only will the judges appreciate her work, but that the information will be shared with other tribal communities.
Awards will be given out Tuesday night.
There are more than 30 tribal colleges and universities across the U.S.
Check out Joanna Cooley’s scientific poster:
Check out some of the 2023 AIHEC Art Competition:
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Wednesday, March 1, 2023
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A bill to set up a task force to study Indian Child Welfare in South Dakota has been approved by the state House Judiciary Committee.
Senate Bill 191 provides for 17 representatives from tribes and state agencies to hold at least eight meetings before November 2024.
Their mission is to look for best practices in strengthening Native families so that children can remain in their homes.
Victoria Wicks has more.
State Sen. Red Dawn Foster (D-SD/Oglala Sioux and Navajo) told the House committee that Native people make up 12% of South Dakota’s population, but more than 60% of the children in custody of the state Department of Social Services.
She said the task force will try to figure out what underlies that inequity and how to fix it.
“Looking at and identifying root causes in where we can put the time [and] resources to address those so that the children don’t end up in DSS.”
She said one key step is to address poverty wherever the child lives.
“If a child is removed, that the adoptive families are receiving the support that they need to care for the children.”
Foster noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has heard arguments on the constitutionality of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act, and if that federal law is weakened, South Dakota needs to join several other states in developing laws to fill the gap.
State Rep. Rebecca Reimer (R-SD) questioned if poverty is the only factor in Native children’s welfare.
“I would think there would be multiple conditions or reasons if you would say that they would be removed.”
Foster said tribes face housing shortages, as well as drug and alcohol abuse and a high prison population, but much of it stems from poverty.
“So looking at all the contributing factors that come along with poverty—Natives are disproportionately affected by that.”
Reimer objected to the bill as having a goal larger than it would be able to meet, but ultimately she voted in favor of it.
Senate Bill 191 now goes to the House floor, and if it passes there, to the governor’s desk.
This week, Alaska leaders are in Washington D.C. to lobby for the Willow oil and gas development project, including a number of Alaska Native organizations, as Rhonda McBride from our flagship station KNBA reports.
This comes as the Biden administration is poised to make a record of decision on the $8 billion prospect, that would be developed by ConocoPhillips in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska.
Nagruk Harcharek is president of the Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat, which represents about two dozen North Slope organizations.
Harchareck says the Willow project is key to the region’s self-determination.
“So that we’re forging that path and we’re not having it forged for us, because without the development, without the economy, we’re relying on the state and federal government for what we can and cannot do.”
The Biden Administration has sent out mixed messages about Willow, with the Bureau of Land Management, signaling it would approve the project with limits on drilling, while the Interior Department has raised concerns about environmental and subsistence impacts.
Environmental groups have said it would escalate climate change, while Nuiqsut, the North Slope community closest to Willow, has raised objections.
There are worries the development would affect migrating caribou and cause health problems.
The Alaska Senate has passed a resolution in support of the Willow project. The House passed a similar measure.
Those resolutions will be presented to the Alaska Congressional Delegation in a show of support.
Full disclosure: ConocoPhillips is an underwriter of KNBA.
The Interior and Justice Departments announced Tuesday field hearings will begin this spring to implement the Not Invisible Act to address missing and murdered Indigenous people.
The Not Invisible Act Commission is developing recommendations.
Members of the commission include tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and survivors.
Public field hearings begin in April and will be held in Oklahoma and Alaska. They’ll continue through July, in Arizona, Minnesota, New Mexico, California, and Montana.
A virtual hearing will also be held later this summer.
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