by Matt Laslo and staff reports

For the first time, Native women–both Democrats–had a seat on the chamber floor during the president’s State of the Union address. Their reaction to Donald Trump’s speech was not all negative, but by and large the comments from Native members of Congress aligned along party lines. Native American members of Congress are reacting to President Trump’s State of the Union address mainly along party lines.

New Mexico Rep. Debra Halaand (D-NM) from Laguna Pueblo said she was amused by the irony of Trump drawing attention to the historic number of women who now fill the Democratically controlled House.

“Well, of course we’re happy,” Haaland said. “It’s his policies, his actions, his rhetoric that got so many women elected. So if we’re happy about how many women got elected this time around, sure, they can thank the president for that.”

But with the threat of another federal government shutdown looming over Washington, Indian Country and the nation, Halaand said parts of the address came across as tone deaf.

“He didn’t say anything about thousands and thousands of federal workers and contractors and their families being out of a paycheck for an entire month during the shutdown,” she said. “Instead he was harping on the wall that got us into the mess in the first place.”

Congress and the president have until the middle of February to fund the government and avert another shutdown.

Meanwhile, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), a member of the Chickasaw Nation, said the address did show a more muted, bipartisan tone than he’s seen from Trump in the past, and he thinks many of the policies Trump highlighted will help Indian Country.

“I’m always anxious to have any president talk more about Native American issues, anything from keeping treaty responsibilities to addressing the problems we have on our reservations, but I think the general themes are things that people should take hope in,” Cole said.

In a written statement, Sharice Davids (D-KS), who is Ho-Chunk, said she welcomed the president’s comments on issues like rebuilding the country’s infrastructure, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and supporting more women in the workforce. But she said she was disappointed to hear him “continue to speak half truths and divide on issues of immigration and national security”. She also said she’s concerned about President Trump’s position on the Affordable Care Act, at a time when more people need access to affordable care.

Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, praised the president’s address in a written statement. He said there isn’t a single thing in the president’s plan that people should think is divisive. He mentioned the need to fix what he says is a broken immigration system, rebuild the crumbling infrastructure, lower health care costs, and protect national security.

Native American leaders and others are honoring Omaha elder Nathan Philips who is at the center of video widely shared and making national news in recent days. It shows Philips drumming and singing while high school students wearing “Make America Great Again” hats mocked and taunted him. The confrontation happened in front of the Lincoln Memorial following the Indigenous People’s March in Washington, D.C.

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman Harold Frazier is among those praising Phillips for remaining poised and calm in the face of negative comments and intimidation from the students.

“I want to applaud him for taking that stand, and I want to applaud everybody and thank them for standing up and reminding Americans we’re still here,” Frazier said on Native America Calling. The students are from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky. They were on a school trip for the National March For Life that same day. Frazier said he couldn’t bring himself to watch the video at first. “It really saddens me the hatred that exists in this country,” he said.

Philips said he was wrapping up near the Lincoln Memorial when he inserted himself into an increasingly tense verbal confrontation between the high school students and a group representing the Black Hebrew Israelites.

“I was wondering where the chaperones where and why did they allow them to disrespect people on the mall?” Phillips said to Native America Calling and KSFR Indigenous Foundation host Tara Gatewood.

Tribal leaders, Native American members of Congress and heads of Native organizations issued public statements expressing concern and outrage over the apparent lack of respect by the students. One of the students prominent in the video, Nick Sandman, said people are mischaracterizing his role in the confrontation.  He said he was confused and did not intentionally make faces or interact with Phillips and other Native Americans at the event.

Following coverage of the altercation, the Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School released a statement publicly:

“We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, Jan. 18, after the March for Life, in Washington, D.C. We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips. This behavior is opposed to the Church’s teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person.

The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion.

We know this incident also has tainted the entire witness of the March for Life and express our most sincere apologies to all those who attended the March and all those who support the pro-life movement.

Catholic High School officials investigate and one of the students singled out in the video says there’s misinformation and lies about the incident.”

  

Acoma Pueblo officials are celebrating the repatriation of dozens of cultural items retrieved from various outlets around the country. Acoma Governor Kurt Riley called it a joyous day for the pueblo, located in western New Mexico.

“We had what we call a general meeting of as many community members as we could where we announced it and the reaction was very joyful and positive,” Riley said. “So it’s a great occasion to have some of the items we’ve been trying very hard to repatriate come home.”

The return of the items comes after years of effort by the pueblo, the U.S. Attorneys office and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to locate and recover them from galleries, antique shops and museums. Gov. Riley said the continued outreach is helping curb the sale of important and cultural items that have been taken illegally. But he said it is a slow process to educate all those who profit from such sales.

“We hope we’ve made our point that the traders and the dealers as well as the pueblos, tribes and nations need to work together to educate and define to the outside world just what are cultural items.”

Riley singled out BIA Special Agent Franklin Chavez for his work in helping find and recover the items. He expressed hope that U.S. government officials continue to place a high priority on the work going into repatriating cultural patrimony.

Riley said one of the items is a sacred shield that a gallery owner in Montana voluntarily gave up after they were contacted. It is similar to the item that was part of an auction in Paris France last year that Acoma Pueblo and U.S. officials successfully halted. That item has not yet been returned.

The Navajo Nation’s economy is a major campaign issue due to the precarious future of the coal-fired Navajo Generating Station, which is a major source of revenue and jobs for the tribe. The primary ballot for president includes the current incumbent, his vice president and three women among many others. It’s the first election since a purge of 52,000 people from the voter rolls. The top two vote-getters go on to the general election in November.

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The Native vote could play a role in key elections across the country. Tribal leaders and Native rights advocates see the Native vote as an important influence in election results, which could further impact policy issues for tribes. In addition, a number of Native American are seeing victories in their run for office in state and congressional seats. National Native News is following a number of these stories in our Native Vote 2018 coverage.

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Navajo voters choose among 18 presidential primary hopefuls

by Antonia Gonzales

The Navajo Nation’s economy is a major campaign issue due to the precarious future of the coal-fired Navajo Generating Station, which is a major source of revenue and jobs for the tribe. The primary ballot for president includes the current incumbent, his vice president and three women among many others. It’s the first election since a purge of 52,000 people from the voter rolls. The top two vote-getters go on to the general election in November.

This story is a collaboration between National Native News and High Country News. Read more here. 

 

 

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Peggy Flanagan, White Earth Nation, is the Democratic candidate for lt. governor of Minnesota. Listen to an interview with Peggy after winning the nomination.

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Donna Bergstrom, Red Lake Nation, is the Republican nominee for lt. governor of Minnesota. Listen to an interview with Donna after securing the nomination.

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A Navajo chapter coordinator is concerned the Navajo Nation voter purge discourages young voters. Under Navajo law, citizens who did not vote in 2014 or 2016 were purged and had until late July to reregister.

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Sharice Davids, Ho-Chunk, secures the Democratic nomination for a congressional seat in Kansas.

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Kris Beecher holds a voter registration drive for urban Navajo people in the Phoenix, Arizona area.

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Tribal leaders and U.S. lawmakers address barriers to voting in Indian Country.

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Debra Haaland is a step closer to being first Native American woman in Congress.

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Paulette Jordan is optimistic about Idaho’s gubernatorial race after she wins the Democratic nomination.

by Antonia Gonzales

Debra Haaland won Tuesday’s democratic primary election for New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District. If elected in November, Haaland, from Laguna Pueblo, would become the first Native American woman in Congress. In an interview following her primary win, she recognized the efforts of other Native women running for office including Paulette Jordan, a member of the  Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the Democratic nominee in the Idaho governor’s race.

“Maybe it’s the year for Native women because there are a lot of us running across the country,” Haaland said. Jordan made a personal appearance on behalf of Haaland’s campaign in the day leading up to the election.

Haaland’s campaign priorities include health care, education, and the environment.

“Moving to 100 percent renewable energy and having that economy create thousands of jobs, health care for every single New Mexican, and getting big money out of politics. I think all of (those) things would benefit Indian Country as well,” she said.

Haaland also says there are specific issues for Native Americans she has capacity to address, including treaties and the U.S. Government’s trust responsibility.  Tribal leaders across the country are raising concerns about Trump Administration plans such as Medicaid work requirements and the reorganization of the Interior Department.

“I’m going to make sure I do everything thing I can to make sure that those voices are at the table and their perspectives are considered when any policy that effect Indian tribes are put forth,” Haaland said.

Haaland is a former state democratic party chairwoman. She will face Republican Janice Arnold Jones and Libertarian Lloyd Princeton in November. They are vying for the seat being vacated by Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham who won the Democratic nomination in the New Mexico governor’s race.

(Photo: New Mexico 1st Congressional District democratic primary winner Deb Haaland and Idaho Gubernatorial democratic winner Paulette Jordan by Andi Murphy)

By Jackie Yamanaka

The Northern Cheyenne Tribe and St. Vincent Healthcare are partners in a new program that changes the way pregnant women, suffering from addiction, are treated.  Instead of being greeted with blame and punishment these women are being met with support services.

Licensed social worker Maria Russel works with these women. She said they’re highly motivated to be the best moms for her children, but sometimes addiction gets in the way.

“Addiction is about pain,” Russel said. “And we’re talking about a lot of pain, a lot of trauma.”

So instead of immediately blaming and arresting the woman and removing the child or children from the home, Russel said she’s met where she is at.

Russel was hired under the Northern Cheyenne Tribe’s new program known as “Blessing New Spirits” program.

“The thought behind it is a Cheyenne tradition of this is a new spirit coming and how are we going to greet that and bring this new spirit into the world,” she said.

Russel said they’re working to create a cultural shift between the medical community and addicted moms.

“If we can support mothers with their children, that’s our first love relationship,” she said. “No one will ever replace a mom, no matter what. And if we can support them and build them up then we have lifelong healing in the family.”

Dr. Alison Rentz specializes in pediatric neonatal-perinatal medicine at St.Vincent Healthcare. She said the baby can’t be treated in isolation, rather it’s also about the immediate and extended family.

“It’s a complete paradigm shift in the medical community from how we used to care for it which was a lot of judgement, criminal proceedings, things are really not effective. That are not going to get to the root of the problem, have a lifelong good outcome for the baby, for the mother, for the extended family” said Dr. Rentz.

She said now the medical community is viewing the pending birth of a child as a potential catalyst for change.

“I have seen personally over the last 3 or 4 years many instances where we’ve had honest conversations with the mother, nothing to do with Child Protective Services,” She said. “Just, ‘We want to help you. We want you to talk to us and tell us how we can help you move forward so you can be the mother you want to be.’”

Dr. Rentz said she didn’t know of a mother who was purposely trying to harm her baby. Rather she said they didn’t have the support they need. She said this paradigm shift has positively improved outcomes for their newborns.

Montana Governor Steve Bullock was briefed on the new perinatal substance abuse treatment project during a visit to St. Vincent Healthcare. He said he recently traveled to the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and heard about this project.

Bullock hoped others across Montana could learn lessons from this program. He cited statistics that of the 3,000 children in Montana’s foster care system over 60% were removed from their families because of parental substance abuse.

“We can get numb by statistics,” Bullock said. “Yet something must be done and something is being done and it gives me great hope.”