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The fight to protect Bears Ears National Monument in Utah continues, says a Native advocate.

In 2016, President Barack Obama designated more than one million acres of Bears Ears as a national monument.

President Donald Trump in 2017 then slashed protections and opened up lands to development.

In 2021, President Joe Biden returned protections to Bears Ears.

The state of Utah and two counties filed a lawsuit in August challenging Biden’s protections arguing its federal overreach and are asking for a congressional solution for conservation and management.

Navajo advocate Davis Filfred has been fighting for the protection of Bears Ears since President Obama was in office and through each new presidential administration.

Filfred says while he cannot comment on the litigation, he says a coalition of Indigenous people and tribes remain committed to protecting Bears Ears.

“It’s our culture, it’s our language, it needs to be protected.”

Filfred says the area, which has cultural sites and holds traditional and religious importance to tribes, is being threatened by ranchers, hunters, recreation users, and looters.

“We have lot of people who loot the place, hunting for pottery, we have grave diggers, these are big issues that are not (being exposed) out there, but it’s out there and it’s happening. These places, there are a lot of places where ATVs are forbidden people go in these areas. There’s lots of issues.”

Filfred says he knows the public will continue to access the area and asks for respect.

“Be mindful if you are coming into these areas, take nothing but pictures, and if you’re going to leave anything behind, no trash. The only thing you’re going to leave is your footprints.”

Filfred discussed the fight for Bears Ears during an event at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque on Wednesday.

A popular fishing site on the Columbia River for the Yakama Nation has been listed as a Superfund site by the federal government.

As Eric Tegethoff reports, the hard part comes next.

Toxins near Bonneville Dam at a place called Bradford Island prompted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to put the area on the National Priority List in March.

Laura Klasner Shira is an environmental engineer with the Yakama Nation Fisheries program. She says the area near Bradford Island is a toxic soup for resident fish, with chemicals like PCBs among the most hazardous.

“The take-home when you start to look at all the individual effects of each of these chemicals or chemical groups is that it really affects multiple systems, it affects multiple organs, it can cause cancer. It’s especially harmful to small children, fetuses and immune and thyroid-compromised persons.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dumped electronics near the island for decades, leading to the current toxic situation.

People are advised not to eat non-migratory fish up to a mile from the dam.

Last week, Columbia Riverkeeper hosted a webinar, featuring Shira and speakers from the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, on what Bradford Island’s Superfund listing means for the region.

Shira says Yakama Nation took the lead in calling for Bradford Island to be placed on the National Priority List with the states of Oregon and Washington backing up those calls.

“It was very important to have NPL listing because we thought it could lead to a more protective cleanup. But we also realized that with NPL listing, it’s going to require a lot of work still.”

Shira says despite their leadership, the Yakama Nation has been cut out of recent discussions on cleanup.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the process has to go through regulators first, including the states, EPA, and Army Corps, but is inviting the public to be involved after that.

She says this is discouraging because it’s an ancestral site for tribal members, where fishing has gone on since time immemorial.

Shira also notes that fishing continues there, making cleanup a pressing issue.

The National Congress of American Indians sovereignty Run begins Thursday in Concho, OK.

It marks the start of the more than 1,800 mile relay from Oklahoma to California.

Runners are raising awareness of tribal sovereignty.

It will end in Sacramento for NCAI’s annual convention by October 31.

 

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Astronaut Nicole Mann (Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes) made history by becoming the first Native American woman to go to space.

Mann is part of the NASA Space-X Crew-5 which launched to the International Space Station on Wednesday.

This is Mann’s first spaceflight since becoming an astronaut in 2013. Mann is the spacecraft commander.

In August, she talked to National Native News about the mission.

“I will fly myself and three other crewmates. We will launch from Kennedy Space Center in a dragon spacecraft, which is built by SpaceX. We will take a day or so to get to the International Space Station and we’ll stay on board for about six months to execute our mission. Our spacecraft will stay attached the entire time and then at the end of the mission we’ll come back home and we’ll splash down off the coast of Florida.”

Mann says she’s proud to represent Native people.

“I think your background and your heritage is an important part of who you are and your family and the community that brought you up. I think it’s also important to then share with our communities, what amazing things our people we grew up with are executing, and what they’re doing. Hopefully there are some young Native kids that are looking and see what amazing things, amazing opportunities that they have in front of them, and a lot of those barriers that used to exist are being broken down.”

Mann is responsible for all phases of flight from launch to reentry. She’ll serve as flight engineer aboard the station.

The public can follow the SpaceX Crew-5 Mission at nasa.gov.

The Yurok Tribe hosted the first statewide policy summit on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People on Tuesday.

The Northern California Tribal Summit on MMIP brought together tribal leaders, law enforcement officials, and survivors, as well as state and federal lawmakers, and academic researchers.

Victim advocates were also in attendance.

At a press conference after the summit, Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers says addressing MMIP needs a holistic approach.

He adds that action needs to start now and include a number of partners- tribes, law enforcement, governments and the non-profit community.

Myers says MMIP did not happen overnight it’s an issue continuing for years. He urged the community to take MMIP seriously.

“These are our people, these are our children, they’re our families. I look forward to the actions to come.”

The summit examined the historical and present-day contributing factors to issues involving MMIP, and explored remedies to reduce risks to Indigenous people in the U.S.

Watch the Yurok MMIP Summit Press Conference

Members of the Yakama and Grand Ronde Nations asked the U.S. Supreme Court this week to hold the federal government accountable for bulldozing sacred sites to add a turn lane to a road in Oregon near Mount Hood.

The Native plaintiffs are seeking repair of the site, including removing an embarkment, replanting trees, and allowing the reconstruction of a stone altar.

Plaintiffs say the area includes a burial ground.

Tribal members say they’ve long used land around Mount Hood to hunt and fish, and for burials and ceremonies.

The site at issue is along an old trading route now followed by U.S. Highway 26.

The tribal plaintiffs say they have long urged for protection.

In 2008, the government bulldozed the site for the turn lane.

After failed negotiations with the government to restore the site, they pursued claims in federal court arguing protections under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and environmental laws.

Lower courts have sided with the federal government.

They’re now taking their claims with Becket Law Firm to the Supreme Court.

 

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Tribal college students at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan. recently held a walk and remembrance for those who did not return home from Indian boarding schools – and for survivors and their families.

Students walked the campus wearing orange shirts to recognize the experiences of Native people and celebrate Indigenous resilience.

The shirt also represents the notion “every child matters”.

The federally funded, church-run schools in the U.S. mirror residential schools in Canada.

This summer in Canada, Pope Francis apologized on behalf of the Catholic Church to Indigenous people in Canada for the abuses they suffered at residential schools.

Haskell student government association president Daryn Berryhill says the pope needs to do the same for Indigenous people in the U.S.

“I think it should be highly acknowledged for boarding schools all around the U.S. It’s like a very big impact that’s happened to Indigenous people everywhere and it impacted the future generations and here we are as of today we are our own people. And we have that history and I think anybody with a boarding school and other countries should all be involved and highlighted about the history of what happened.”

Berryhill says the event at Haskell not only raised awareness of boarding schools, but also brought students together for reflection, as Haskell has its own history as a boarding school.

“At the same time, you have to understand how sensitive the subject matter might be talked about, but it’s also like one of the main importance of Haskell Indian Nations University. I love the idea that we bring this up, we have a prayer and a song about it because it really brings us all together as of what happened in our history, and we are also embracing what happened here before it was a university.”

Similar events were held across the U.S. and Canada known as “Orange Shirt Day” on September 30^th.

In Canada, the statutory holiday National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is observed.

The Interior Department is planning to hold its next boarding school healing event in South Dakota.

Officials will gather testimony about the impacts of boarding schools at the October 15 event on the Rosebud reservation.

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland is traveling across the country hosting listening sessions as part of her investigation into federal Indian boarding schools.

The Biden administration is holding a government-to-government summit in Washington, D.C. Tuesday and Wednesday with tribal leaders.

The two-day event hosted by the Department of Energy is to explore tribal energy sovereignty.

Wahleah Johns is director of the agency’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs.

She says there are many opportunities for tribes to invest in clean energy.

“There’s opportunities in geothermal, there’s opportunities in small hydro and energy storage, there’s also looking at the built out of making sure that the supply chain is coming from the United States internally. There’s a lot of incentive for manufacturing and repurposing of former coal mine sites. Tribes, we all have a beautiful relationship with everything around us our mother earth, and our environment and many of the climate goals fit in line with the vision communities have in caretaking.”

Johns says the Energy Department will be managing more than $100 billion to rollout clean energy and the agency wants to make sure tribes are involved.

Tribal leaders at the summit will be interacting with top officials including Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

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Actress Sacheen Littlefeather, who famously refused an Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando in 1973, has passed away, her family announced in a press statement.

Her death comes just two weeks after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences publicly apologized to Littlefeather and officially acknowledged the mistreatment and misrepresentation of Native Americans by the film industry.

Littlefeather was boycotted by Hollywood, personally attacked, and harassed after she gave a 60-second speech at the 45^th awards ceremony refusing Brando’s honor for his role in “The Godfather.”

The night in September in Hollywood was for reflection and healing.

Littlefeather says she stood up for Native rights for all Native people.

“It was critical for the psyche of all our relations to bring awareness and interrupt the negative interpretation and representation of Native American people by the film, television and sports industry.”

The event drew more than 800 people.

Some remember watching Littlefeather make history on TV while others have seen archived video.

Many say it was a monumental moment on television for Native people.

Anthony Morales is chief of the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians.

“What it took her to do 50 years ago kind of inspires me because I am, for the tribe, I’m the one that likes to go out and challenge developers and you know, always for our people, and everything I do is for our people. Not only for my own people, but for our all our ancestors.”

Chef Crystal Wahpepah provided food for a private reception.

“The apology means a lot like when it comes to especially me being a Native chef and her, where to me personally, I feel like it’s long overdue but it’s her way of a gift to all of us.”

Native creatives in Hollywood both older and younger generations say Littlefeather made an impact.

Actress Devery Jacobs of “Reservation Dogs.”

“Seeing Sacheen, it’s like Auntie Sacheen. She is like someone who has been on my television who I’d been watching clips of YouTube since I was a little girl and she’s even framed on my bathroom wall and so for her to stand up and stand with her community all across the theater it meant so much and it was just so hard to hold back tears throughout that entire thing tonight.”

Actor Zahn McClarnon of “Reservation Dogs” and “Dark Winds.”

“She was one of our first that got up and that was involved politically and made Native Americans recognized within the film business. She was one of the first along with Will Sampson, Chief Dan George, Jay Silverheels, Sacheen came along and I think opened up some doors for people. Made a lot of people realize what was going on especially in the early 70s, Wounded Knee and the American Indian Movement.”

A letter of apology was read at the event, which was sent to Littlefeather by the Academy in June.

At a media roundtable, Littlefeather said of the apology that she was shocked and very fortunate to still be alive to see it.

She added “it’s never too late for an apology” and “it’s never too late for forgiveness.”

Littlefeather died of cancer at age 75 on Sunday in California.

*This story is supported by the International Women’s Media Foundation, Fund for Indigenous Journalists. Additional reporting by Rhonda LeValdo, Frank Blanquet and Eugene Tapahe

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is continuing to work with tribes on recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian, which hit Florida last week.

FEMA Press Secretary Jeremy Edwards says the Biden Administration is committed to supporting Tribal Nations.

A major disaster declaration for the Seminole Tribe of Florida was approved last week, which makes federal funding available for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the disaster.

 

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The Biden administration is holding a government-to-government summit in Washington, D.C. next week with tribal leaders to focus on clean energy.

The two-day roundtable hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy is for tribal leaders to meet with DOE officials and discuss how the agency can strengthen tribal energy sovereignty.

Wahleah Johns is director of the cabinet department’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs.

She says there are opportunities for tribes through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“The diversity and the unique situation and location of tribal lands and communities when it comes to energy, the needs are different. And you have small communities, small tribes and you have large tribes. Many times, there’s heavy energy burden in these communities where a lot of tribes are experiencing unreliable power or many don’t have access to electricity and here at DOE with new investment in clean energy rollout and expansion and building a clean energy economy, we want to make sure tribes are a part of this.”

Tribal leaders and senior Department of Energy leadership are expected to explore how tribes can use clean energy to enhance energy sovereignty, address climate issues, and build stronger economies.

The summit takes place October 4-5.

The Department of Energy will live stream the event.

 

A totem pole from the Lummi Nation in Washington state is traveling across the country as part of a bid to call for clean energy and environmental justice.

Eric Tegethoff has more.

The pole left the Lummi Reservation in mid-September and has made stops along the way, including in Seattle, George Floyd Plaza in Minneapolis, and in Pittsburgh, which hosted a ministerial meeting on clean energy last week. Douglas James is with Lummi Nation’s House of Tears Carvers, which crafted the 14-foot totem pole, and is traveling with it across the country.

“We’re just standing up for those that don’t have a voice – like the birds, the frogs, the salmon, the orcas.”

The totem pole is scheduled to reach Washington, D.C. this week.

James says the Lummi Nation first dedicated a totem pole to the victims of September 11th, two decades ago.

Wes Gillingham with Catskill Mountainkeeper in New York is traveling with the totem pole as well.

He’s critical of some alternative fuel sources being proposed, such as what’s known as “green hydrogen,” which has a reduced carbon footprint but still produces emissions.

He says Indigenous people should be at the forefront in the transition to clean energy.

“Listen to the voices of Indigenous leaders and communities that have been impacted historically. They are working on finding some of their own solutions; organic or sustainable agriculture to help reduce the emissions from the agricultural industry and industrialization of agriculture that’s taken place over the last 50 years.”

James believes it will take a monumental effort to beat climate change and ensure clean air and water for the next generation.

In Canada, September 30 marks the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, the federal statutory holiday created through legislative amendments made by Parliament in 2021.

The day honors children who never returned home and survivors of Indian residential schools.

It’s also a time for families and communities to reflect and heal.

Public commemorations are taking place across Canada to acknowledge and raise awareness of the painful history and ongoing impacts of the federally funded, church-run residential school system.

The day is also known as Orange Shirt Day, which is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day.

It promotes the concept of “Every Child Matters” to honor and remember children who endured residential schools.

Orange Shirt Day is a time to honour Residential School Survivors, spend time with the people you love, and to listen to youth about the future they want us to build together where every child matters pic.twitter.com/p8o21HUO5P

— Wab Kinew (@WabKinew) September 30, 2022

 

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Hurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday causing catastrophic flooding over east-central Florida.

Ian has weakened to a tropical storm.

The National Hurricane Center forecasts life-threatening flooding, storm surge, and gusty winds across potions of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas on Thursday.

The Seminole and Miccosukee Tribes are working on emergency response with tribal partners, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal departments.

The Seminole Tribe’s Hard Rock Tampa casino closed Wednesday to all non-registered guests in preparation of the storm and will reopen when conditions allow.

FEMA has set up supplies and personnel ready in different locations in Florida to get help to people where it’s needed as soon as possible, including water, meals, and cots.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden declared a disaster for Florida, which opens federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts from Ian.

Indigenous people in Canada and the U.S. are recognizing September 30 as “Orange Shirt Day,” or “Every Child Matters Day.”

The day is to raise awareness and educate about the harms of Indian residential schools in Canada and Indian boarding schools in the U.S.

The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council in New York this week signed a resolution declaring September 30 of each year as “Every Child Matters Day” to bring attention to the ongoing dark legacy of Indian boarding schools.

Federally funded, church-run schools removed Indigenous children from their families and communities in attempts to assimilate them into western society.

Students were stripped of their cultural identity and faced abuse.

Trauma inflicted upon children at Indian boarding schools continues to have generational impacts.

The “Every Child Matters Day” in the community will be a day used for remembrance, reflection, and reconciliation.

The tribe will recount the history, stories of survivors and families, and remember those that didn’t make it home, as well as those who did and were never whole again.

Participants in a conference at Eastern Washington University this week heard about efforts to restore salmon runs in their region that were cut off when dams were built on the Columbia River and its tributaries.

Spokane Public Radio’s Steve Jackson reports.

Since 2014, the Upper Columbia United tribes have been working on a multi-tiered approach to reintroducing salmon into waters of the upper Columbia – including placing juvenile and adult Chinook salmon into rivers near Spokane.

Habitat restoration biologist Tom Biladeau of the Coeur d-Alene Tribe says that initial step is an experiment to see how the fish do in water that has not seen salmon since the early 20th century, as well as to reconnect tribal members to the fish that was such an important part of their culture.

“Some are just getting the kids out in the water, getting them familiar with salmon once again. Getting the whole community actually involved in getting the fish in the water and holding these events, and getting that connection to salon that was lost so long ago.”

So far, the experimental releases have seen some success. Tiny smolts managed to grow into juvenile fish on the Sanpoil River and Chamokane Creek. On Hangman Creek, 15-hundred fish released at the Idaho border made a successful journey down the Columbia to the ocean.

“We received numerous reports of those juveniles as they made it out of the blocked area, through the anadromous zone of the Columbia River, and then two years later the adults began to show up. We saw two different adults come up and got detected on every single dam going upstream and rather rapidly.”

Biladeau says these experiments will continue and it is hoped the salmon can continue to thrive in the upper Columbia region.

The 2022 National Tribal Leaders Climate Change Summit is taking place November 28-30 at the Northern Quest Resort in Washington.

Native leaders are gathering to advance tribal climate change policy and action.

Young people are also examining the cultural, economic, and social challenges of climate change.

 

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The Federal Emergency Management Agency is working with tribes on preparedness efforts as Florida braces for Hurricane Ian.

Lars Krutak is FEMA’s National Tribal Advisor at the National Response Coordination Center.

He says they’re in close contact with the Seminole Tribe, The Miccosukee Tribe, and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama.

“We continue to message that all tribal members insure they have an emergency plan in place and check in on neighbors to see if they need assistance. People with special needs, including older adults may need extra assistance to prepare for the storm. People with disabilities, it’s important to consider their circumstances and special needs.”

FEMA is prepositioning supplies and personnel in different locations in Florida and Alabama to get help where it’s needed as soon as possible, including with water, meals, and cots.

The agency is encouraging people in evacuation zones to have a plan for their families and pets, and be ready to evacuate.

FEMA’s tribal coordination includes working with the Interior Department, the Indian Health Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the American Red Cross.

As of Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service warning showed Hurricane Ian was approaching the west coast of Florida.

The life-threatening storm is likely to have devastating wind damage, flooding, and tornadoes are possible in central and south Florida.

A tribal college in Wisconsin is highlighting milestones and efforts to improve student success.

Mike Moen has more.

This fall, the College of Menominee Nation kicked off a year-long celebration as it observes its 30th anniversary.

School president Christopher Caldwell says it’s important to display how much of an asset the campus is to the community.

He says part of that plays out in welcoming Indigenous students who didn’t have a good experience in trying out a mainstream college or university.

“And so, they come back home – they might not have their degree, or they come back with debt.”

Caldwell says schools like his work closely with these students, and he hopes their welcoming environment rubs off on mainstream campuses.

He says places like CMN are also important because they can educate the community about a local tribe’s history.

This year’s celebration coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Menominee Restoration Act of 1973.

That policy reversed an earlier decision by Congress to terminate Menominee’s status as a federally recognized tribe.

Caldwell says it’s important story to keep telling.

“We really as an academic institution represent the intent of that act in all of the efforts of what our tribal nations look to do, which is to assert their sovereignty [and] their self determination.”

He says they are working to revitalize traditional aspects of the Menomonie language and culture.

That coincides with similar efforts around the country to prevent Indigenous languages from going extinct.

Caldwell says it’s a key example of the role an institution like his can play, and something other colleges can learn from.

The Alaska Federation of Natives picked U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) as its keynote speaker for the organization’s annual convention this year.

The AFN, the state’s largest Native organization, announced on Tuesday that Peltola will speak at the event next month.

Peltola won a special election becoming the first Alaska Native and the state’s first woman to serve in the U.S. House.

AFN President Julie Kitka says history was made this fall with her win and the AFN wants to continue to celebrate.

Peltola will serve the remainder of the late-Congressman Don Young’s term.

She’ll have to win again in November to keep the seat.

The convention will take place in person October 20-22 in Anchorage.

The past two convention were virtual due to COVID-19.

The event draws thousands of people from across the state focusing on policy and advocacy statements. There are also cultural performances, exhibits and an art market.

 

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The Oglala Sioux Tribe is supporting the creation of a new non-profit youth mentorship organization.

The new group is named Friends of the Children – He Sapa.

South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s C.J. Keene has more.

The new youth mentor group acknowledged its official opening recently during a tribal signing ceremony.

Tasha Fridia is national director of tribal programs for Friends of the Children.

She says this represents an intentional step into Native communities.

“We’ve always served Indigenous youth, but never in the way we are doing here at Friends of the Children – He Sapa. It’s grounded in cultural lifeways, the staff is Indigenous, and culturally competent in understanding of the lifeways and incorporating that in every level.”

Tribal leaders worked to ensure Friends of the Children would be a good addition to the community.

Oglala Sioux Tribe Vice President Alicia Mousseau says it’s an important step.

“We also want to thank Friends of the Children for recognizing the potential and seeing the connection between our ways of living and ways of knowing, and the importance of relationships, and we’re really excited to carry that on with you all.”

The He Sapa chapter’s executive director is Val Big Eagle.

She’s “humbled” by the support of the tribe’s government.

“When non-profits come in, we just are a little wary, right? Making sure that they are here for the right reasons and doing things the right way and working with the community. Not saying ‘hey this is what you need to do to heal yourselves,’ but asking the community ‘what do you need from us to make sure this can happen’ and ‘what healing practices would you like to see?”

The chapter aims to support sixteen mentorships, open to Native or non-Native children.

They will start working with young kids four or six years old, and continue through high school.

The economy is usually a big topic during elections and with the midterms near, recent inflation woes are being felt, including in tribal areas.

Indigenous leaders in North Dakota hope it spurs turnout.

Mike Moen reports.

Douglas Yankton, chairman of the Spirit Lake Nation, says inflation has impacted the programs that provide an array of services on his reservation.

Even though some of the pressure has eased, the ripple effect is still there.

“A lot of those services don’t go as far as they used to. Let’s say transportation for instance, with the prices of gas and oil and everything, we have to figure out new routes to accommodate for that full week.”

He adds COVID still is a concern. Cases were disproportionately felt by Native populations, and Yankton says local businesses are hurting with some residents worried about close contact, limiting their ability to work or shop.

Despite longstanding voting barriers for Native people, he encourages them to make their voices heard on these issues by seeking out election resources to make it easier.

State Rep. Ruth Buffalo (D-ND) from Fargo and a member of the MHA Nation says inflation impacts Native voters in urban settings, too.

Buffalo says there’s a lack of a commerce hub in Fargo to secure traditional Native food staples and other items. And, she says, the economic pressure made it harder to get those items from other parts of the region.

“Like when we go to Minneapolis, we can stop at Native-owned businesses where wild rice might be sold, or different types of coffee and of course jewelry. ”

She suggests the lack of a local hub makes it harder for local Native entrepreneurs to sell their products.

Buffalo adds that over the past couple of years, they’ve seen an influx of Indigenous women and children come to Fargo in search of services.

She says that has revealed gaps in various systems.

On a broader scale, Buffalo says there’s another key issue Indigenous voters are watching.

“We know that for decades many people have been working behind the scenes to get rid of tribal sovereignty for their own benefit. And so, we really need to get to the ballot boxes to protect tribal sovereignty.”

Buffalo is the first female Native American Democrat elected to North Dakota’s Legislature and is seeking re-election.

Her opponents did not respond to a request for comment before deadline.

One of her opponents, Republican Joshua Christy, says he supports tribal sovereignty.

The Yurok Tribe is hosting its first-ever statewide policy summit on missing and murdered Indigenous people on October 4^th in Arcata, CA.

The Northern California Tribal Summit on MMIP is expected to bring together more than 100 tribal leaders, advocates, and lawmakers.

Attendees will discuss historical and present-day contributing factors to issues involving MMIP and explore remedies to reduce risks to Indigenous people in the U.S.

 

 

 

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The Biden Administration on Friday approved a request from Alaska’s governor for a federal disaster declaration after a powerful storm battered more than 1,000 miles of coastline in the northernmost state last weekend.

The declaration frees up funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to aid in storm recovery.

As Emily Schwing reports, more than 40 Alaska Native communities are now facing a serious threat to their food security.

In at least two communities, dozens of residents have been displaced after their homes were ripped from their foundations by floodwater.

The storm surge included hurricane force winds that also destroyed boats people rely on for both transportation and hunting and fishing.

Ryan Bukowski is one of nearly 1000 residents in the village of Chevak.

“I mean even the people that go out with working boats right now, that’s not even enough to feed the community with what subsistence food they need, that they haven’t already lost due to power outage.”

Bukowski and many other Alaskans lost power for days after the storm.

Without electricity, the freezers where many people store all their fish, meat, berries, and other locally harvested foods for winter have thawed.

A lot of that food is now spoiled.

Communities of color remain consistently affected by COVID-19 at higher rates than whites, according to an Oregon Health Authority review.

KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.

OHA’s latest year-in-review report shows that in both 2020 and 2021, Black, Native American, and LatinX Oregonians suffered higher rates of hospitalizations and death than whites.

Researchers list lack of access to health care, lower-income jobs, crowded work spaces, and distrust in government as factors.

Kelly Rowe is the executive director of health services for the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde.

She says OHA’s finding matches what she’s seeing this year as well.

“We are still having fairly high rates of COVID infection out at Grand Ronde. Right after the labor day holiday weekend, mostly BA.5. This most recent variant is incredibly infectious, the congregating of people, it rose pretty significantly.”

OHA says data on race was available for 73 percent of all reported cases last year.

Gov. Gavin Newson (D-CA) signed a package of five tribal bills on Friday.

One requires state agency leaders to take training, improve communication and interact with tribes on government-to-government issues.

Another creates a “Feather Alert” system for missing and murdered Indigenous people. It’s similar to those used in cases of abducted children.

The third encourages schools and county offices to engage with tribes in their area and provide accurate education about Native American history and culture.

The fourth bill authorizes the University of California Hastings College of Law to remove the name of its founder who slaughtered tribal people in the 1800s and rename the school with tribal input.

The last bill requires the renaming of California geographic features, landmarks, public lands, and structures that use the S-Q word by January 1, 2024.

All five bills were authored by Native American State Rep. James Ramos (D-CA).

The bills were signed as California celebrated Native American Day.

 

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Countless Western Alaskans have lost subsistence resources, food, and even camps that tie them to their land.

Residents are devastated and processing what the loss means to them and their families.

Various agencies are still assessing the scope of damage from the storm, as KNOM’s Davis Hovey reports.

Melanie Bahnke, CEO of Kawerak Inc., shared with KNOM listeners on Wednesday that the damage to subsistence cabins goes beyond loss of buildings.

“We’ve got several people who have lost their subsistence cabins and their boats. And we all know that our subsistence cabins aren’t just recreational. They are means for our food security but also for our cultural continuation and they connect us to the land and our ancestors.”

Bahnke’s point about the cultural connection being affected by the storm has been echoed again and again by Western Alaskans.

Darlene Trigg is one of many Nome residents who no longer has a camp for her family to enjoy. It was completely washed away by the storm.

“My Mom and Dad took it upon themselves to make sure all of the kids had subsistence foods, and it all happened there. My earliest memories are in that building, around that land. It’s a part of the foundation of who I am…it’s built into my identity.”

Throughout the region, residents have talked about the impact this storm had on their subsistence lifestyle.

Daisy Lockwood Katcheak, the City Administrator in Stebbins told KNOM her community will not have as much food for winter.

“100% of the fish racks and fishing supplies for all our subsistence fishermen are gone.”

The community is requesting food deliveries from various agencies to help sustain them over the coming days.

Alaska’s Congressional Delegation has sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to approve a request by Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) request for a major disaster declaration in Western Alaska.

Friday is California Native American Day. This year, the day is the first-ever paid holiday for court workers.

Native State Rep. James Ramos (D-CA) successfully introduced a bill in 2021 to allow court personnel to switch Columbus Day for California Native American Day.

Ahead of the holiday this week, Ramos talked about the effort and celebrated with bird singers and court officials at the San Bernardino Superior Court, which was streamed live online.

“We’re here standing strong for all of our ancestors and the atrocities that has been afflicted upon them for once and for all have a paid holiday to recognize the contributions and the attributions by the California Indian people to the state of California. And we start with the first paid holiday in the state of California, the whole state. The whole judicial system all 58 counties to join together in honoring California’s first people.

Judiciary personnel holidays are set in a civil procedure and the change required legislation. Other staff are covered in a government code.

The measure amended that to recognize the holiday. It does not create an additional paid holiday just an exchange.

The bill was supported by tribes and Native organizations.

On Thursday, members of Washington state’s Congressional delegation introduced legislation to help the Puyallup Tribe place more than 17 acres of land into trust to spur economic development.

The tribe wants to pursue opportunities at the Port of Tacoma and on the Tacoma waterfront.

The proposal is supported by the city, county, and the state’s governor.

 

Read the full text of the bill

 

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