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Legislation was introduced this year that would restore the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians’ right to hunt, fish, and gather on their ancestral lands.
As Brian Bull of KLCC reports, the bill passed a major hurdle this week.
The U.S. House approved H.R.2839, penned by U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle (D-OR).
During a hearing Monday, she spoke to the need to counter a 1980 consent decree that made the Siletz Tribe lose their subsistence rights in exchange for getting their status and land restored.
“It is an unjust and racist policy that should have never happened.”
Dee Pigsley is the Siletz Tribal Chair. She’s hopeful the Senate will approve the measure and send it to President Joe Biden’s desk.
“It would be the next best thing that’s happened to us since restoration, actually. It will make many, many, tribal members happy, and it’ll be a real Christmas present if we can get it through the Senate before they adjourn this year.”
The Siletz are one of two federally-recognized tribes in the entire U.S. that don’t have these rights.
The other is the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, also in Oregon.
Courtesy Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center
New research by a Native women’s group examines the impact on Indigenous people in South Dakota after the rollback of abortion services.
C.J. Keene with South Dakota Public Broadcasting has more.
The Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center, based in Lake Andes, S.D., published their post-Roe report with a focus on tribal lands.
The report calls the removal of abortion protections an attack on tribal health care and sovereignty.
It found financial implications and access to rural health care options as two of the biggest concerns facing Native abortion seekers post-Roe.
Charon Asetoyer, CEO of the group, says nothing good comes from removing access.
“Whenever you take services away from people, the solution is to return them and to increase those health services that should be available to us. The group in the state of South Dakota that is hurting the most are Indigenous women.”
The findings echo another recent study from the Guttmacher Institute that found the overturn of Roe v. Wade disproportionately affects Indigenous communities.
Asetoyer says Native people across the country should think of healthcare as a human right, rather than a privilege.
“We gave up so much so that we could have healthcare. It is our right, our human right, our treaty right, so when they try to diminish our services they’re violating our human rights, so just remember that. Don’t be afraid to speak out and seek healthcare services of any nature.”
Though the decision was made on Roe, she reminds women the battle over abortion is not yet over.
“Time is of the essence – just remember that. You’ve gotta work fast, but there are funds out there, there are women and groups that are willing to help you access these services.”
You can find a link to the report here.
The Grand Gateway Hotel in Rapid City, S.D. has published an apology on its social media channels.
It’s in line with a court ordered settlement.
In it, ownership formally apologizes for comments made by former owner Connie Uhre regarding the treatment of Native Americans at the establishment.
Last year, the hotel and associated businesses became the center of months-long protests and boycotts by Indigenous people, and caused a social media storm.
This after Uhre attempted to ban Native people from the business.
Along with the apology, the terms of the settlement have also mandated Uhre to step away from decision-making roles within the business for at least four years.
The ownership group still faces two lawsuits connected to the matter.
The first from the Native advocacy network NDN Collective and another from a Wisconsin family.
Both lawsuits allege the business denied Native people service solely based on their race.
UPDATE: Statement from NDN Collective
NDN Collective Responds to Grand Gateway Hotel’s Court-Ordered Apology
Rapid City, SD – Yesterday, NDN Collective received a court-ordered apology letter from the Grand Gateway Hotel. In response, the organization released the following statement:
“While we are glad the court saw Connie Uhre’s statements about refusing to serve Native people as unacceptable, the fact that they had to issue an order for this letter is very telling. We find this so-called apology – which attempts to center Grand Gateway Hotel as an inclusive business – to be insulting and disingenuous.
“The letter contains an apology for ‘statements made by Connie Uhre,’ yet fails to mention that those statements were actually enforced when multiple Native people were denied a room. It fails to acknowledge the dangerous, dehumanizing, and very public physical assault Connie inflicted on community members.
“The letter tries to reposition the owners as friends to Native people, despite the fact that another lawsuit was filed against the Grand Gateway Hotel just a couple months ago for racial discrimination against a Native person visiting from out of town.
“The letter says the owners know the Native community is made up of ‘hardworking individuals,’ to us, this begs the questions – who gets to decide which of us is ‘hardworking,’ and which is a threat? Do Native people have to prove ourselves as ‘hardworking’ just to get treated with basic human respect – a near impossible task when we’re constantly met with racism? When will Native people get the same benefit of the doubt and dignity as white people in South Dakota?
“From the beginning, we have made clear that our actions to hold owners of the Grand Gateway Hotel accountable for their discrimination and violence against Native people is part of a much bigger fight to address the rampant racism in Rapid City.
“We will continue to stand up for the rights and safety of the Native community. We encourage the owners of the Grand Gateway Hotel to rethink this letter. We would welcome another apology demonstrating reflection and a desire for real accountability, and containing next steps about how they plan to concretely repair the harm they’ve caused.”
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