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Anchor: Art Hughes

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Castro-Huerta case represents an immediate and lasting threat to tribal sovereignty.

That’s the main message from a virtual roundtable discussion organized by the National Congress of American Indians and Native American Rights Fund on Thursday.

During the discussion, NCAI President Fawn Sharp calls the decision nothing less than a direct attack on the sovereignty of all tribes.

“At a time we need it the most and at a time when we’ve worked so hard to secure it, the very foundation is shaken. And 200 years unraveled.”

Among other things, the ruling limits Native jurisdiction over non-Native people who commit crimes on Native land.

Native legal experts say it is a departure of more than a century of precedent and practice.

Several of the participants highlighted the need for educating elected leaders and the general public on a daily basis about tribes inherent rights.

Muscogee Creek Nation Principal Chief David Hill said it’s hard to see any justification for opposing more public safety resources on tribal land or anywhere else.

“We’re going to have to be strategic and smart and understand and understand that this fight may take a long time. But we at the Muscogee Creek Nation are up to the task.”

Some participants expressed optimism about some positive outcomes from the ruling.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Junior said he has mixed feelings about the Court’s ruling. He said it is a severe blow to tribal sovereignty, but at the same time, the ruling leaves in place the landmark McGirt ruling that says Congress never disestablished reservations in Oklahoma, home of the Cherokee, Muscogee Creek, and many other tribes.

Arizona’s newly approved record $18 billion state budget also includes a record appropriation for projects on tribal lands.

The Arizona Mirror reports the spending plan includes $55 million, mostly for infrastructure projects on the Navajo Nation.

The state’s three Navajo legislators call the appropriation “historic”.

Nevertheless, Navajo President Jonathan Nez criticized the structure of the funding giving the state substantial control over how and where the money’s spent. He questions whether that adequately recognizes Navajo’s sovereign relationship with the state.

A coalition of Pacific Northwest tribes is heading to Washington D.C. this month to call for the removal of dams on the lower Snake River to bring salmon back to the area.

KXLY reports dozens of tribal leaders will attend the event on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

It’s part of what’s known as the Orca Salmon Project, that includes advocacy from tribes in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

The dams are largely responsible for the disappearance of salmon in rivers where they traditionally spawn.

The station reports if the dams were breached, it would be the largest dam removal in the world.

At their annual meeting, the Nation’s three Cherokee tribes passed a resolution opposing state and federal recognition for the Lumbee tribe and a number of other groups.

The yearly Tri Council meeting includes the Cherokee Nation, The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

In addition to mentioning the state recognized Lumbee Tribe, the resolution includes the Chickamauga Tribe, the MOWA Band of Chocktaw, and the Wolf Creek Cherokee Tribe as those not worthy of state or federal recognition.

Photo: Dsdugan

The Eastern Band of Cherokee tribal council will consider supporting a name change for the highest point in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

WLOS news reports the resolution favors changing the name of Clingman’s Dome. The recommended name is Kuwahi, a Cherokee word meaning “mulberry place”.

Resolution advocates say it is a sacred place where Cherokees prayed and sought spiritual guidance.

They say the current name pays tribute to Thomas Clingman, an avowed racist who was a general in the Confederate Army and has no connection to the tribe.

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Anchor: Antonia Gonzales

In what’s described as a “historic partnership”, the Coquille Tribe and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife have agreed to jointly manage a five-county area. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.

The deal follows a push last year by local governments and groups near the Coquille River to help address drastically reduced numbers of salmon.

The campaign urged Governor Kate Brown to back the proposal.

John Ogan is a legal representative for the Coquille. He says that effort has paid off in this new partnership.

“The governor has sought to implement policies that correct historic injustices to the Oregon tribes as much as possible, or at least in part. There’s sad history with colonialization, settlement, and displacement, and disassociation from their culture values and resources like fish and wildlife, the environment, rivers, and such.”

The counties are Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, and Lane, with the possibility other tribes may seek similar agreements with the State of Oregon.

Native leaders spent much time this week at the annual gathering of the Assembly of First Nations in Vancouver debating the suspension of their national chief.

In June, the organization suspended Chief RoseAnne Archibald due to complaints against her from staff.

Chief Archibald made history last year becoming the first woman to lead the powerful Native organization in Canada. She calls the suspension illegal saying the executive committee does not have the capacity to suspend.

During a speech streamed live by APTN National News (at 2:26:25), Chief Archibald told leaders it’s not a human resources issue, but an attempt to silence her because she’s trying to clean up corruption within the organization.

“The reason we’re here, the reason I’m giving this speech is because I refused to give $1 million-plus to staff in a staff payout. I refused, I knew it was wrong. This funding I’m entrusted with is meant to help you, all of your communities, all of your citizens. I can’t hand $1 million to four people. I can’t do it. It’s meant for you.”

Members of the executive committee maintain the suspension is due to staff complaints and say there’s an active investigation.

They asked leaders to allow the suspension to continue until the investigation is over, but that motion failed. Instead, leaders are debating a resolution for full reinstatement.

During debate Wednesday afternoon, some leaders expressed disgust with the situation saying it’s taking away time, resources, and action from the many important issues facing their communities.

Clean drinking water, child welfare, and the pope’s upcoming visit to Canada are among priorities.

Leaders are expected to continue debate on the leadership issue on Thursday, the final day of the gathering.

The University of Arizona recently announced it will provide tuition-free education for Native American undergraduates.  As Arizona Public Radio’s Ryan Heinsius reports, it’s part of the university’s plans to increase Native student access to higher education.

The program begins in the fall and will cover tuition and mandatory fees for enrolled members of Arizona’s 22 federally recognized tribes at the university’s main Tucson campus. It applies to new and continuing full-time, degree-seeking undergrads in what university officials say is a first-of-its-kind program.

University President Robert Robins says serving Indigenous students is a crucial part of U of A’s mission and it’ll help hundreds of people access and complete college educations.

More than 400 students enrolled at the University of Arizona last year meet the criteria for the tuition waiver.

Officials say in the future the program may expand to graduate students along with those taking classes online and at other U of A campuses across the state.

Tucson is home to the Tohono O’Odham Nation and Pascua Yaqui Tribe.

According to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute, in 2019 a quarter of Native Americans over the age of 25 had completed an associate degree or higher compared to 42% of the overall U.S. population.

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Anchor: Antonia Gonzales

The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued an opinion giving states concurrent jurisdiction with the federal government over major crimes in Indian Country.

The 5 to 4 ruling overturns precedent, laws, and traditions going as far back as 200 years.

Tribal leaders will hold a virtual roundtable Thursday to determine how to move forward.

An attorney with the Native American Rights Fund says the opinion impacts tribes throughout the country, as Victoria Wicks reports.

Two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its McGirt ruling that restored historical reservation boundaries in Oklahoma.

As a result, almost half of that state, including Tulsa, is now Indian Country.

Before that decision came out, the state of Oklahoma tried and convicted Victor Castro-Huerta for child neglect.

After the McGirt ruling, Castro-Huerta appealed his conviction, saying the state did not have jurisdiction because the crime occurred in Tulsa, on tribal land, and the young victim is Cherokee.

The Supreme Court disagreed and found that the state has concurrent jurisdiction with the feds over a non-Indian even under these circumstances.

The situation in Oklahoma is extremely unusual, with a large and sudden increase in tribal land mass and on-reservation population.

NARF attorney Melody McCoy

Oklahoma argued that federal prosecutors have been overwhelmed with felony cases, and so the state needs to step in, but NARF attorney Melody McCoy says the recent opinion affects more states than Oklahoma, which was joined by Texas as an amicus.

“There’s 35 states around the US that have federally recognized tribes within their borders. I’m not convinced that every single state has the same level of and type of interest that Oklahoma and Texas have.”

McCoy says there are 574 federally recognized tribes of varying sizes and relationships with states, and it will fall to their leaders to find ways to protect tribal sovereignty and keep their citizens safe.

Register for the roundtable

Cherokee Nation citizen Dwight Birdwell received the Medal of Honor Tuesday for his service during the Vietnam War.

President Joe Biden awarded the 74-year-old with the military’s highest honor during a ceremony at the White House.

“Member of the Cherokee Nation, Birdwell credits the Cherokee veterans who came before him and encouraged him to serve. And, I might note Native American communities a larger percentage serve in the United States Armed Forces at a higher percentage rate than any other cohort in America. In any other cohort in America. After leaving the Army, Birdwell continued to build a legacy of service in his community in Oklahoma.”

Specialist 5 Birdwell’s Army troop was involved in an attack in Saigon in 1968.  His tank commander became incapacitated and many of the unit’s vehicles were disabled or destroyed.

Birdwell moved the tank commander to safety. He was wounded when he took command and continued fighting, remained on the battlefield after running out of ammunition, and aided in evacuating the wounded. Birdwell says receiving the recognition is a great honor.

“It brings respect, honor to the Cherokee Nation and its people. Brings honor, respect to the 25th Infantry Division U.S. Army, and the unit I served with in Vietnam. I know it makes my family proud and it lets the world know that I served with dignity, pride and brought no shame to the Cherokee people.”

Birdwell served on the Cherokee Nation’s highest court for more than a decade and continues to practice law today. He was one of four soldiers honored on Tuesday.

Wednesday’s Google Doodle celebrates Native comedian Charlie Hill who was born 71 years ago today.

The Oneida comedic great appeared on “The Tonight Show” and “The Richard Pryor Show”, taking Hollywood by storm early in his career.

He’s credited for leading the way for Native Americans in comedy.

Hill passed away in 2013 after battling cancer.

Listen to his family, friends in Indian Country and in Hollywood, reflect on his life and career shortly after his passing on Native America Calling.

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Anchor: Antonia Gonzales

A bill to ensure Native Americans are included in the renaming of the University of California Hastings College of Law is advancing in the California Legislature.

It passed the Senate Education Committee last week.

The college is named for a land speculator who built his fortune committing atrocities against Northern California tribes.

The bill (AB 1936) introduced by State Rep. James Ramos (D-CA) strikes the name “Hastings” from the school and creates a process for renaming.

Rep. Ramos says having Native people rename the college is restorative justice for Yuki people and the Round Valley Indian Tribes whose ancestors were killed by Serranus Hastings.

The California Legislature named the school in state statute in 1878 and because of the legislative action a state statute is now required to rename the campus.

In 2021, the college board approved changing the school’s name and has since been in discussion with tribes.

The bill passed the education committee with a 6-0 bipartisan vote.

It now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Members of the Native community in Lawrence, KS gathered last week to amplify their voices on the topic of abortion.

The panel titled “Indigenous Voices and Abortion Justice” explored the historical context of abortion bans and the possible impacts to the Native community with the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

State Rep. Christina Haswood (D-KS) was among panelists expressing frustration. She says Native women already lack access to abortion health care pointing to a provision barring the use of federal funds to pay for abortion.

“With the Hyde Amendment, we’ve always never had abortion care as accessible as maybe some other folks. It’s really concerning for the Native population because we depend on Indian Health Services, especially when we’re getting out of Kansas into rural areas as well, one to two hours for health care services, and we have the highest rates of mortality, morbidity for maternal and pregnancy related complications.”

Rep. Haswood says adding to the recent high court ruling is an upcoming vote on abortion policy in Kansas.

During the August primary, voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution to remove the right to abortion.

Rep. Haswood says she’s frustrated as a politician and a Native woman seeing Indigenous voices not really being heard at the state and national level.

“Thinking of my own health and if it were to come to that, would I die giving birth? It’s kind of a scary thought. Just how valuable the choice was and how the choice for me growing up has been so empowering.”

Rep. Haswood says she’s working with her team to organize this summer ahead of the August 2nd primary election.

Meanwhile, last week’s panel discussion included members of the Indigenous Community Center, which plans to host a second event to further the discussion on abortion from Indigenous perspectives.

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened the application period for federally recognized tribes to take part in the Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information.

It allows tribes to access and exchange data with national crime information databases.

Justice Department officials say it’s a tool for tribal police, governments and courts to investigate crimes, keep communities safe, and hold offenders accountable.

The program provides training, software, workstations to process fingerprints, take mugshots, and submit information to the FBI.

There are currently more than 100 tribes participating in the program.

This round of applications opened July 1st and closes at the end of August. 

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Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland will visit Oklahoma Saturday for the first stop on the “The Road to Healing” tour to hear from former Indian boarding school students and descendants.

The year-long tour is part of Haaland’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, which was launched last year.

In May, the Interior Department released an investigative report, which includes collecting testimony and finding trauma-informed support for tribal communities.

Sec. Haaland discussed the tour during a U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing in June.

“A necessary part of this journey will be to connect survivors and their families with mental health support, create a permanent collection of oral histories. We know this won’t be easy, but this is a history we must learn from if we are to heal from this tragic era in our country.”

Sec. Haaland will also travel to Hawaii, Michigan, Arizona and South Dakota this year.

Additional states are expected to be announced for 2023.

The Cherokee Nation and the U.S. Mint recently celebrated the release of the Chief Wilma Mankiller quarter.

The quarter is one of five designs in the American Women Quarters Program, which highlights the accomplishments and contributions of trailblazing American women.

Chief Mankiller was the first woman elected principal chief of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma.

Current principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, Chuck Hoskin Jr. expressed his appreciation of Mankiller during the celebration in June, saying she helped lead the way to improve health care and was an advocate for women’s rights.

“If Chief Mankiller’s legacy was summed up simply by what she did, my friends it would be enormous, but her legacy grows because her work continues to make an impact and I see it every single day.”   

The coin’s design depicts Mankiller looking to the future, wrapped in a shawl and the seven-pointed star of the Cherokee Nation.

The Coquille Tribe recently released a thousand juvenile Chinook salmon in a creek, as part of the tribe’s efforts to restore salmon number. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.

A tribal member sang a song to bless the salmon, which Coquille officials say are among the first of thousands more expected to be released this year. The 2021 spawning project was done with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and other partners, after surveys showed Chinook salmon numbers had fallen to near extinction in the area. In a video released by the tribe, Coquille tribal Chair Brenda Meade said she’s proud. 

“Proud of the fact that we are all coming together as a community to make this happen because there’s no way the tribe could have done it by themselves. We gotta keep going though, this is just step one, it feels like baby-steps.  But it’s the first thousand that are going out, and it’s something to celebrate.”

Invasive bass, climate change, and pollution are seen as factors in the decline of Chinook salmon.

Montana tribes later this year will receive the first round of federal funding for water and sewer projects on tribal land.  As Montana Public Radio’s Aaron Bolton reports, the money comes from a bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress last year.

Montana tribes will receive just shy of $2 million this year for construction of new wells and lift stations as well as other improvements for tribal water and sewer systems.

Projects on the Crow Agency, Blackfeet, Flathead, Fort Belknap and Northern Cheyenne reservations will be funded this year.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, tribes across the nation will receive a total of $3.5 billion dollars for water and sewer projects by 2025.

Outdated water and sewer infrastructure has hampered the Blackfeet Nation in particular.

The tribe has been unable to build a new drug treatment center and other sorely needed services because Browning’s water and sewer system is maxed out.

The tribe isn’t receiving federal dollars to update that system during this first wave of funding.

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Native environmental advocates are blasting the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the power of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to set climate change policy.

The high court ruled 6-3 Thursday in West Virginia v. EPA that the federal agency does not have broad power under the Clean Air Act to regulate the emission of greenhouse gases, which drive climate change.

Native advocates fighting climate change say the decision threatens public health, especially for people of color and low-income communities.

In statements released by NDN Collective, advancement director Michael Johnson said Indigenous, Black, and immigrant communities suffer higher levels of pollution exposure. Adding, the ruling signals to their communities that their health, livelihoods, and future generations are less valuable than the profits of the extractive industry.

Jade Begay, Climate Justice Director at NDN Collective, said it halts the Biden administration’s climate goals for reducing carbon emissions by 2030, and puts lives at risk, as the decision will further destabilize the climate.

Winona LaDuke, executive director of Honor the Earth, issued a statement following the ruling, calling for an end of the fossil fuel industry and culture of violence against women, water and life.

U.S. health officials say COVID-19 vaccines for children under five are safe and effective.

In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for children six months to five years old.

This week, leaders from the White House and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services hosted a press conference to discuss the latest information about the availability of COVID-19 vaccines for children under five.

Listen to the full press conference:

Infectious disease expert and Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci, says COVID-19 is not over, but progress is being made, including with the use of vaccines.

He says vaccines for the youngest children work and are safe pointing to data from clinical studies.

“The bottom line is the known and potential benefits of these vaccines outweigh the known and potential risks in children. Patients and caregivers can be reassured that all children over six months of age including children who have already had COVID can now be protected through vaccination.”

This week, distribution of pediatric vaccines for the youngest children started across the country, including at Indian Health Service federal, tribal and urban sites. The vaccines are two doses of Moderna for six months to five years, and three doses of Pfizer for six months to four years. Health officials are encouraging parents and caregivers to speak to their child’s doctor about the vaccine.

The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture’s core exhibit is reopening in Santa Fe, New Mexico this weekend. “Here, Now and Always” highlights Indigenous people of the Southwest.

It showcases never before seen items and state of the art technology, but it also sets the standard for collaborations with the Native community, says Santa Clara Pueblo curator Tony Chavarria.

“They know the ins and outs, they know what’s appropriate and not appropriate to discuss. In the past that’s always been an issue with museums. Things were present inaccurately or in a pan-Indian voice. So, it’s important to get that community voice so they can present things they want people to know, what they want the world to know about them.”

Among items in the exhibit are the traditional dress Interior Sec. Deb Haaland (Pueblo of Laguna) wore when sworn-in to Congress in 2019 and a Zuni Olla Maiden dress, which was put together by women from Zuni Pueblo.

The grand opening celebration for the public takes place July 2nd and 3rd.

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The National Congress of American Indians and the Native American Rights Fund are hosting a virtual roundtable for tribal leaders to discuss potential impacts of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta.

The high court Wednesday, ruled 5-4, Oklahoma can prosecute non-Indians for crimes against Indians in Indian Country.

The decision is a reversal of the precedent set by the court in its 2020 landmark McGirt decision, which held states do not have authority.

National Congress of American Indians President Fawn Sharp called the ruling an attack on tribal sovereignty.

John Echohawk, executive director of the Native American Rights Fund, agrees, saying the unauthorized and unconsented intrusions on tribal sovereignty are antithetical to tribal sovereignty and tribal treaty rights.

The Native organizations are continuing to analyze the decision saying the consequences for tribes, the federal government, and states will take time to unravel.

The tribal leader roundtable is scheduled to take place next week.

The newest group of Navajo Nation police officers recently graduated from the tribe’s training academy. As Arizona Public Radio’s Ryan Heinsius reports, they’ll join a department tasked with patrolling the largest reservation in the United States.

Ten men and women attended a ceremony in Crownpoint, New Mexico last Saturday to receive their police badges.

They make up the 57th Navajo Nation Police Training Academy Class, and will now work on the 27,000 sq. m. reservation that includes parts of northern Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.

The 28-week training course that recruits undergo focuses on academics, crime scene management, de-escalation techniques, and several other areas of policing.

Navajo Police Chief Daryl Noon attended the ceremony and said 32 people began the course last December. It comes as the Navajo Police Department has faced myriad challenges like officer retention and funding.

A report last year called for several major reforms including doubling the number of officers who patrol the vast reservation in order to improve public safety.

Navajo President Jonathan Nez, who also attended the graduation, said the tribe has raised police salaries in order to retain officers, and has also created a new enforcement program to fight drug use and sales as well as bootlegging and violent crimes.

President Nez also said the force has begun incorporating traditional Navajo beliefs into how it addresses substance abuse, suicide, missing and murdered Indigenous people, and other persistent issues that officers commonly face on the reservation.

Photo: Tully Valley Onondaga Lake Project

The Onondaga Nation, the state of New York, and the U.S. Interior Department announced Wednesday, an agreement to return more than 1,000 acres of land back to the tribal nation.

The agreement, which stems from a 2018 settlement with the company Honeywell, directs the company to transfer the land in Central New York’s Tully Valley to the Onondaga Nation.

It’s said to be one of the largest returns of land by any state to a tribe. Plans are to restore and manage the land, which includes wetlands, forests, floodplains, and fields.

The Pointe-au-Chien Tribe in Louisiana is working to create a culturally reflective French immersion school.

Last week, tribal and state leaders took part in a ceremonial signing of bill HB 261, which creates the school.

In recent years, the tribe has made it a priority to maintain the Indian French language after previous efforts to establish an immersion school failed. 

The tribe is focused on creating a school to incorporate the local dialects of Indian French and Cajun French into the curriculum.

The bill passed the legislature without opposition.

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The leader of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma says the U.S. Supreme Court has failed its duty to honor the nation’s promises, defied Congress’s statutes, and has disregarded tribal sovereignty.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. made the statement following the high court’s ruling Wednesday siding with Oklahoma, ruling the state can prosecute non-Native Americans when the victim is Native American for crimes on tribal land.

The 5-4 decision undercuts the court’s own 2020 landmark McGirt ruling, which reaffirmed reservation boundaries and held the state did not have jurisdiction.

Chief Hoskin expressed disappointment in Wednesday’s ruling, but said it does not diminish the tribe’s commitment to public safety, and that tribal and federal jurisdiction remain unchanged. He also affirmed unchanged reservation and tribal sovereignty.

U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough has officially recognized the Navajo Nation Veterans Administration as a tribal veteran service organization.

It meets the standards to be accredited under the VA Tribal Representation Expansion Program, which helps veterans with benefits and claims.

During a visit to Gallup, New Mexico, on Tuesday, McDonough recognized the tribe. His remarks were streamed live by the Navajo Nation president’s office.

“They are the first tribe to take up this new authority and I’m thrilled we can announce that today and as importantly put it into action that we are living up to our obligations.”

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez called it a milestone achievement and a big step forward for Navajo veterans.

Five Navajo staff members are accredited to process claims. The accreditation allows employees to represent claims on behalf of veterans.

Before, Navajo veterans would have to travel to VA centers off the reservation. More than 80 claims have been filed since May. According to the tribe, there are about 10,000 Navajo veterans.

Navajo leaders say there is a need for a veterans outreach center and hospital on the reservation to provide services and health care.

Gallup, a reservation border town, has one of the closest Community-Based Outpatient Clinics. It was one of four clinics in the state facing closure.

The VA and members of New Mexico’s Congressional delegation announced this week all four clinics would remain open.

The California State Senate Public Safety Committee approved the “Feather Alert” bill Tuesday evening. The bill (AB 1314) was introduced by Native American State Rep. James Ramos (D-CA).

It would create a state Endangered Missing Advisory system for Native Americans. Creating an alert system was a recommendation from tribal leaders.

Several leaders joined Rep. Ramos and advocates before the committee hearing Tuesday at the state capitol in Sacramento.

Rep. Ramos talked about his bill as a tool to address missing and murdered Indigenous people. 

“This bill brings further attention to end violence on tribal lands and across California. The rates of murdered and missing people in Native American communities is a shameful state and national tragedy that does not receive the scrutiny and attention it deserves. We are excited about this alert system, but even more excited about the growing momentum the momentum to tackle this issue not only from Indian Country by non-Native people – the California Highway Patrol, as well as the state legislature.”

Rep. Ramos says California has the greatest population of Native Americans in the nation and is among states with high rates of reported cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people. He says the alert system would help get the word out sooner when an individual is missing or endangered by asking the public for tips and leads as quickly as possible.

The bill is supported by a number of tribes, urban Indian health clinics and Native business councils.

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California tribal leaders and state lawmakers are advocating for legislation to help law enforcement and tribes locate missing Native Americans.

They’re gathering in Sacramento Tuesday to announce the “Feather Alert” bill (AB 1314), which will be heard before the Senate Public Safety Committee.

Tribal leaders gathered at the state capitol in May urging legislators to take more urgent action on the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people.

Chairwoman Janet Bill of the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians was among leaders to testify at a May 4th hearing in the Select Committee on Native American Affairs.

She urged lawmakers to partner with tribes to help address MMIP in California.

“I’m standing ready to not only keep the dialog going, but ready to roll up my sleeves and get work done and work tirelessly with you and other key stakeholders to ensure this happens. This is an issue that will take every single one of us to come together and solve. It’s incumbent upon tribes, the state and others to partner and work together to make this epidemic a priority and attention it deserves.”

Chairwoman Bill is joining other tribal leaders and lawmakers to announce the “Feather Alert” bill.

The legislation by Native State Rep. James Ramos (D-CA) seeks to create an alert system to issue advisories to help law enforcement and tribes locate missing people. Rep. Ramos in a statement about the bill said there’s much work to do, but this is one step that can help.

A Native American organization in Montana is hoping to increase voter numbers after low turnout during the June primary. Eric Tegethoff has more.

Keaton Sunchild with Western Native Voice says numbers were low even for a midterm primary – at 21% of Native American precincts in Montana. He says new election laws likely affected numbers, especially an end to same-day voter registration.

Sunchild notes same-day signups are used frequently by Native Americans who often live in rural areas and only make one trip to the polls.

“Certainly disappointed with how low the turnout was originally, but we also recognize that there were some new barriers put in place, some confusion with the laws and various lawsuits. As well as turnout is usually lower, as we all know, in midterm elections.”

Restrictive election laws were passed by Montana legislators in 2021, but an injunction had been in place blocking those laws, including an end to same-day voter registration.

However, the state Supreme Court overturned the injunction in May, allowing the restrictive laws to go into place before the primary.

A trial is expected on these laws later this summer.

Western Native Voice is setting up voting kiosks on reservations across the state to ensure people are registered before election day.

Sunchild says the organization is looking at the data and determining where their work will be most impactful.

On Monday, the University of Arizona announced a new program to cover tuition and fees for full-time undergraduates from Arizona’s 22 tribes who study on the university’s main campus in Tucson.

Starting in the fall, new and continuing full-time students may be eligible for the Arizona Native Scholars Grant.

According to the university, it’s the first program of its kind for a public Arizona university.

The program is among initiatives at the university to serve tribes and Native students.

More than 400 Native students were enrolled at the university last year.

Future plans may include expanding the tuition program for graduate students.

A U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs field hearing is taking place Tuesday in Minnesota at the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) is chairing the hearing to focus on how tribes can use funding for infrastructure needs.

Minnesota tribal leaders and federal officials are expected to attend.

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Native advocates in New Mexico voice anger over Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision to end the federal right to abortion leaving authority up to states.

Elder and lifelong Native advocate Noreen Kelly joined reproductive health and advocacy groups on a press call Friday following news of the ruling.

Kelly says in the Native community women are often the decision makers in the household and men play a role as equal partners.  She says male politicians and judges should not have access to a woman’s body autonomy.

“Our decisions are our own. They’re made with care and there’s reasonings and holiness behind the decisions women make. It really angers me and it saddens me that someone still thinks they can make decisions for women and I appreciate the men that are supporting us. But they didn’t have that right to speak on our behalf.”

Krystal Curly, director of the Native-women led organization Indigenous Lifeways, also attended the press conference. Curly says Native women already face challenges when it comes to health care, and lack of access to abortion.

She adds that in wake of the high court decision, her organization will continue to advocate for Native women’s rights.

“We know that Indigenous women have always been a threat to this colonial system since day one and now 500 plus years, women and pregnant people as a whole are a threat to this colonial system, and it’s now at this time that it is so pivotal we come together and unite.”

Abortion in New Mexico is likely to remain legal while neighboring states in the Southwest are expected to see changes.

X’unei Lance Twitchell

The University of Alaska Southeast is set to offer a free option for Alaska Native language classes starting in the Fall. Claire Stremple reports.

X’unei Lance Twitchell is a professor of Alaska Native languages at UAS. He says this is part of revitalizing the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian languages.

“I think it’s going to be medicinal, I think it’s going to alter the course of the way things are going. And it’s really exciting.”

There has been a decline in Alaska Native languages over the last hundred years due to genocide and assimilation.

Many elders who were birth speakers died during the COVID-19 pandemic. But Twitchell says there has also been a shift in the last decade toward language revitalization.

For example, UAS offered free Tlingit courses during the pandemic. Twitchell says 600 people signed up.

“We didn’t put ourselves in this situation, our language was banished, it was prohibited, it was made illegal. We were tortured and abused, and all kinds of things to get us to stop speaking. So why should we have to pay to learn our own language?”

Arts and Sciences Dean Carin Silkaitis says one of their main jobs is to support faculty and find ways to say “yes.”

“You have to open doors, you have to bring seats to tables. And I think the way to do that is to create more access. And I think creating free curriculum as a way to create more access for people.”

Dean Silkaitis says the free classes are made possible with help from Sealaska Heritage Foundation and a Language Pathways grant.

Students who select the free option won’t earn credits or receive a grade. 

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