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Advocates to Trump: Racial slur harmful to Native women

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by Antonia Gonzales

Women’s advocates call President Donald Trump’s use of the name Pocahontas as a jab at U.S. Senator Elisabeth Warren disrespectful to tribes and harmful to Native women.  Advocates point to the story of Pocahontas, a Pamunkey Indian, as being romanticized too often. Advocates add the Pocahontas story is in fact about kidnap and rape and sadly resonates with modern-day Indigenous women.

Members of Albuquerque’s Native community light candles for a young girl who was violently killed on the Navajo Nation. (File photo-Antonia Gonzales, 2016)

“To dismiss, minimize that story (Pocahontas) or to make her invisible from who she is as a human, to explain to people why that’s inappropriate is very exhausting,” said Amber Kanazbah Crotty, an advocate and Navajo Nation lawmaker.

Crotty works on issues impacting Native women and children who experience violence and she sees it linked to intergenerational trauma, which continues to permeate tribal communities today.  The Navajo Nation Council delegate believes President Trump’s use of the term downplays the stories of sexual assault survivors.

“It’s almost a common thread throughout Indian Country where women and children experience violence and so in minimizing Pocahontas’ experience is minimizing our experience and our existence,” said Crotty. “We deal with that on a daily basis it’s our reality and to not have that acknowledged at the highest office (White House), we can see why we have issues with public safety, we can see why our education system is substandard, we can see why our land is exploited. It’s because how they see us and treat us, is as invisible.”

According to the National Institute of Justice, more than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native women (84.3 percent) have experienced violence in their lifetime.  Violence includes sexual violence, physical violence and stalking.  Statistics further show, more than 90 percent of violence is committed by non-Native perpetrators who often act without facing punishment.

Navajo Nation Council Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty

Lucy Simpson, Executive Director of the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, said statistics such as these are perpetuated by the stereotypes associated with images and names of Native women, which is damaging and promotes violence against Native women. The women’s center released a statement this week, in response to President Trump’s use of Pocahontas Monday during a Native American Code Talkers event.

On the Navajo Nation, like other reservation communities across the country, tackling violence comes with a number of challenges. Crotty, who chairs the Navajo Sexual Assault Prevention Subcommittee, examines jurisdiction issues, unprosecuted cases, lack of funding, lack of access to health care, lack of data and lack of basic communication services. She said these are just some of the many barriers in addressing violence in tribal communities.

“For us (subcommittee) to understand what’s happening in the community and how to stop it or prevent it on more of a systemic policy level and then start working on advocacy,” said Crotty.

The Navajo tribal council is also taking on revenge porn, cyber bullying and human trafficking, which Crotty believes are layers in society normalizing violence.  Crotty said the committee is years behind in work on some of the issues, but members are focused on solving what’s contributing to violence on Navajo land.

“(We want) to provide the quality of life to our children that we prayed and dreamed about, that’s what we want to get done,” said Crotty.

Navajo Nation asks White House for apology and to keep word to Navajo Code Talkers

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by Antonia Gonzales

Navajo Nation tribal leaders responded to a White House event honoring Native American Code Talkers by calling the contributions of code talkers invaluable, but cultural insensitivity shown by President Donald Trump after Trump made comments about Pocahontas.

Navajo Nation Vice President Jonathan Nez

“The statement by President Trump was disrespectful and rude,” said Navajo Nation Vice President Jonathan Nez on Tuesday in response to President Trump’s comments.  “Our Navajo Code Talkers fought for courage and honor and that same respect should have been given to them yesterday at the White House. Instead that event will be remembered for entirely different reasons.”

In a statement, Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye said the tribe does not want to engage in dialogue between Senator Elizabeth Warren and Trump, but said all tribal nations still battle insensitive references and prejudice.  Nez said the tribe has asked the White House for an apology and believes one step toward reconciliation would be for President Trump to keep his verbal commitment he made Monday to help build a museum to honor Navajo Code Talkers.

“I don’t see an apology coming from President Trump, but I think that if he were to make it right or to show his thankfulness to our Navajo Code Talkers he will take on this national Navajo Code Talkers museum,” said Nez.  “As his (Trump) personal project and make that happen for our heroes, the Navajo Code Talkers, and build that here on the Navajo Nation.”

Trump’s comments came as he welcomed three elderly Navajo Code Talkers to the White House for a ceremony to honor Native American Code Talkers. Navajo and other code talkers from different tribes served during World Wars I and II, and federal statistics show Native Americans serve in the Armed Forces at a higher rate than any other demographic group in the U.S.

Navajo Code Talkers are honored at an event in Gallup, New Mexico. (File Photo: Antonia Gonzales, 2010)

Ninety-year-old Peter MacDonald discussed the role Navajo Code Talkers had in World War II, which included the original 29 Navajo men who were recruited in 1942 to develop the code using the Navajo language. The Navajo code is considered unbreakable and is credited for helping save the lives of countless American military service members during combat in the Pacific.

“General Vandegrift, Commander of the 1st Marine Division, sent word back to (the) United States saying this Navajo code is terrific,” said MacDonald. “The enemy never understood it, he said. We don’t understand it either, but it works. Send us some more Navajos.”

MacDonald was joined at the White House by Fleming Begaye and Thomas Begay. They were all dressed in the Navajo Code Talkers uniform, which includes gold shirts, red hats and turquoise jewelry. President Trump stood next to the men and proceeded to the podium after MacDonald’s remarks.

Trump decided not to read his speech, but instead handed it to MacDonald commenting that he did not have to give a speech because MacDonald had said the same thing he was going to deliver.  The president then acknowledged members in the audience and made the reference to Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren.

“And I just want to thank you because you’re very, very special people. You were here long before any of us were here, although we have a representative in Congress who, they say, was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas,” said Trump.

Trump has used the term repeatedly to refer to the Massachusetts senator over her claims of Native American heritage. Some Democratic U.S. senators and leaders of national Native organizations have called out the president for use of the term stating it’s a racial slur.

Trump said to the three Navajo Code Talkers that help would be coming.  “So, they’re working on building a Navajo Code Talkers Museum. And we will help you. Okay?” said Trump. “And we have some pretty good strength. We will help you and you deserve it.”

Navajo Code Talkers have been working for years on a museum and veterans center project. The envision for the museum would be for it to be built on the Navajo Nation to highlight and educate the public about the contributions Navajo Code Talkers made during World War II.  The veterans center would be intended as a gathering place for all veterans and an area for veterans to access services.

Treaty Alliance continues to oppose Keystone XL Pipeline

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by Jim Kent

The Treaty Alliance, an organization representing 150 U.S. and Canadian tribes, has voiced its opposition to the Nebraska Public Service Commission’s approval of the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline. Nebraska regulators announced the decision on Monday.

Treaty Alliance members were disappointed that the pipeline would be approved only days after an associated TransCanada pipeline in South Dakota leaked more than 200,000 gallons of crude oil.  In approving the Keystone XL pipeline, the Nebraska Public Service Commission noted that it “could not factor in spill considerations.”

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Harold Frazier. The tribe was among others to oppose the Keystone XL project in July 2017. (Photo courtesy-Treaty Alliance)

Chairman Larry Wright, Jr. of the Ponca Tribe in Nebraska was not surprised by the decision.

“It really shows you what mentality is going on here that even in light of that leak that is half a state away from Nebraska on a scale that we don’t even know yet, how can we possibly say yes to that?” said Wright. “And yet they did. Time and time again, example after example is given and people just choose to ignore those things.”

Ponca tribal members are concerned over the impact the pipeline may have on traditional lands it will cross and the Ogallala Aquifer.

Crow Creek Tribal Chairman Brandon Sazue was among those who protested the Dakota Access Pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation last year. Sazue believes–like the Dakota Access Pipeline and the South Dakota Keystone pipeline leak–Keystone XL is an issue that crosses all racial boundaries.

“This is a human being issue about what’s good for our environment. What’s good for children,” said Sazue.

The Crow Creek tribal chairman anticipates an even greater protest against Keystone XL than there was against the Dakota Access Pipeline. In July, Treaty Alliance members gathered together in South Dakota to oppose the Keystone XL project and tar sands expansion.

Water first to help reduce disease

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by Antonia Gonzales and Sarah Gustavus

Native organizations and advocates across the United States are seeking to get young Native people to switch from drinking sugary beverages, such as soda and energy drinks, to water.  The Service To All Relations School, known as the STAR School, near the Navajo reservation in Flagstaff, Arizona is one place efforts are underway to encourage students to drink water while also identifying ways to address the longstanding lack of access to clean water in their homes.  Pauline Butler grew up on the reservation. She’s the STAR School’s Coordinator of Community Happiness, but many of the students know her as the water lady.  The school’s drinking water is filtered, but for many students drinking water regularly is not likely a habit. Butler works to help them enjoy choosing water.

Pauline Butler, known as the water lady, prepares infused water for students at the STAR School. (Photo-Antonia Gonzales)

“(I’m) trying to get people to get a little more healthy, stay away from SSBs, sugar sweetened beverages,” said Butler. “I don’t like the fact that a lot of the students are drinking more of the SSBs than they should be.”

Soda is banned during school hours, but sugary drink options are still widely available in the community. Butler and other educators at the school are making water more inviting to children by infusing flavors such as citrus, mint and vegetable blends.  Infused water dispensers can often be found in the classroom and in the cafeteria.  Young people are asked to bring water bottles to school for use throughout the day.  The school received a Water First Community grant from the Notah Begay Third Foundation (NB3), which provided funds for the school to design water bottles with the words “no soda” in both Navajo and English.  The NB3 Foundation, which works with grantees across the country, is dedicated to reducing childhood obesity and diabetes. Federal statistics show, by age 10, nearly 50 percent of Native American children are classified as overweight or obese. Health experts recommend moving away from consuming sugar-sweetened drinks as one step in addressing childhood obesity.

The school created water bottles with assistance from a Notah Begay Third Foundation grant. (Photo-Antonia Gonzales)

Not only is the school working to address diseases like diabetes, students and staff are pursuing improved water quality for Navajo community members through a water filtration system on a decommissioned school bus.  Most of the seats have been removed from the 70 seat yellow bus, now retrofitted with a Nano filtration unit, which scientists from the University of Arizona designed.  According to the Navajo Housing Authority, more than half of households on the Navajo Nation have no indoor plumbing, which means families have to haul water for cooking, cleaning and livestock. Many people from the Navajo reservation would rather buy water to drink than consume well water, according to school officials.

“It’s a tragedy families can purchase soda much cheaper,” said STAR School CEO Mark Sorensen.  He said the mobile filtration unit was designed as both a teaching tool and to improve the bad taste and smell of local well water. “We looked at what contaminants were in our wells and we got instruments to measure that so now the students can learn how to test the water that comes out of the wells,” said Sorensen. “Then we can filter the water and then they can test the water after it’s been filtered and they can see for themselves the difference.”

Scientists from the University of Arizona retrofitted a decommissioned school bus with a solar powered water filtration unit. (Photo-Antonia Gonzales)

The unit can filter around 500 gallons of purified water a day. Plans for the solar powered mobile unit include helping families filter well water on the nearby Navajo reservation. The Pre-K through eighth grade public charter school serves students from the Southwest corner of the Navajo Nation.  Educators and students decided to tackle the water quality issue to make well water more palatable.  It is not just smell and taste, people know some wells in their community are contaminated.  The Navajo Nation was a key place for uranium mining from the 1940s through the 1980s. According to federal and tribal studies, many water sources have shown elevated levels of radiation and heavy metals throughout Navajo land.  Water is also sacred to many Navajo people, especially around arid areas of the reservation.

The unit can filter about 500 gallons of purified water per day. School officials plan to take the bus to nearby Navajo communities. (Photo-Antonia Gonzales)

“Water is one of the primary substances we sing about and chant about in our creation and journey narrative,” said Philmer Bluehouse, a traditional Navajo practitioner and a school advisor.  Bluehouse sees a value in young people understanding both the science behind water management and its cultural value.  “There’s a revival among the youth, they are reconnecting with culture (at the school) here and other places on the reservation,” said Bluehouse.

Many of the students at the school have pledged to be water warriors when the bus travels to nearby communities and educators are seeing students choose to drink water through the school’s initiative.  A water filtration bus may not address the water infrastructure needs on the Navajo Nation, which water experts believe are likely in the hundreds of millions of dollars on the vast Navajo reservation.  Yet, people at the school including Mark Sorensen think empowering young people to see themselves as problem solvers could lead to real changes in the health and well-being of the Navajo Nation in the future.

State of Change: Grassroots community development group strives for lasting systemic change  

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Reporter Jim Kent and producer Antonia Gonzales

The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, with a diverse landscape of grassy plains, hills and wooded areas, covers more than two million acres in southwestern South Dakota. It is home of the Oglala Lakota Nation. Federal statistics estimate the reservation’s population to be more than 20,000, while the tribe and various organizations on the reservation estimate the number of people living there closer to the 40,000 mark.

The Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation mission is to build the power of the Pine Ridge reservation by creating lasting systemic change including a new housing community. (Photo by Jerry Matthews)

Statistics show rates of 85 percent unemployment and more than 90 percent poverty, and like other reservation communities across the United States, Native Americans on Pine Ridge are more likely to struggle with poor health outcomes compared to other demographic groups.

Mainstream news reports often highlight the struggles on the reservation, and statistics show the challenges facing community members. However, the Oglala Lakota people persist, and have created for themselves an organization to address a wide array of economic, health and cultural challenges. The Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation was established a decade ago by young people and young families who were reconnecting to cultural spirituality and identity through ceremony. They wanted to create lasting systemic change and work to end poverty on the reservation.

“And then that spiritual process became a call to action,” said Andrew Iron Shell, a spokesman for Thunder Valley. He explained that the organization stemmed from people venting about the various needs of the Lakota people.

“So really pointing fingers back at ourselves and asking ourselves as community people, as citizens of this tribal community, what’s our role? And what’s our responsibility?” said Iron Shell. “From those thoughts started this conversation about do we have the capacity to create change among this small circle that’s doing this complaining? When we looked around and acknowledged each other’s talents and virtues and things like that, (we recognized) let’s do something together.”

Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation spokesman Andrew Iron Shell says the non-profit group was created as a result of a spiritual gathering called to address the needs of the Lakota people on the Pine Ridge reservation. (Photo by Jerry Matthews)

Iron Shell added that the key to Thunder Valley’s development was realizing from the start that there would be challenges with personalities, politics and available resources. Supporting each other helped in that process, recalls Iron Shell. But, understanding that change would take time and having the patience to accept that has been equally important in Thunder Valley’s success he said.

Now, 10 years later, Thunder Valley programs incorporate Lakota values and culture in workforce development, food, housing, language immersion, community development and youth leadership. Local leaders point to home ownership, several new Lakota entrepreneurs and building the capacity of individuals, and families to achieve their goals as some of the results of Thunder Valley programs.

Thunder Valley leaders believe they have arrived at a place where they finally have the capacity to build their own community – at Thunder Valley’s headquarters, where a food demonstration farm is housed and space is used for training, and across the reservation.
Thunder Valley’s momentum has created a ripple effect across Pine Ridge, said Iron Shell. He adds that Thunder Valley may be a model for the outside world to learn from and may help other rural communities address some of the challenges they face.

State of Change is a project in collaboration with High Country News and the Solutions Journalism Network. Ten New Mexico news organizations are examining the challenge of building resilient rural communities, and are looking at what some communities are doing to address a number of issues they face. National Native News is taking a look at how one group is building economic resiliency on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota through the grassroots community development corporation Thunder Valley. We’re also exploring what other rural communities across New Mexico, and the United States may learn from the organization’s programs.

Alaska coalition begins new fight against ANWR development, mines

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By Daysha Eaton

Organizers of a new coalition led by Alaska Native groups plan to step up their efforts on a variety of environmental issues. The group organized an initial protest at the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention in Anchorage, speaking out against oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other issues.

Defend the Sacred organized the march of more than 200 people during the AFN convention over the weekend. The march was timed as Senator Lisa Murkowski was about to address AFN. Demonstrators held signs outside the convention protesting development of the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay and the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the North. Others highlighted climate change concerns.

Bernadette Demientieff from Fort Yukon, executive director of the Gwich’in Steering Committee and one of the organizers of the protest, said she was fighting for the future.

“We’re standing up for our future generations for our food, for our land and our water,” Demientieff said.

She said the protest had a special focus on her people, the Gwich’in’s, traditional territory, because of recent efforts in Washington, D.C. that could open the door to petroleum and gas development in ANWR, the calving grounds for a caribou herd which is central to her peoples’ diet and culture. But it also encompassed other struggles.

“This is to defend our sacred lands,” she said. “So, whatever is special to you, whether it’s Pebble Mine, whether it’s the Arctic Refuge, whether it’s offshore (drilling), whether it’s the Tongass, we need to stand together because we can’t do it alone.”

The U.S. Senate passed a budget resolution that could open part of ANWR to oil and gas drilling. After a speech at AFN that did not mention the refuge, Senator Murkowski said in a press conference that it was just the first step. Murkowski, who chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said as the process moves ahead there will be opportunities for Alaskans to weigh in on what they want.

“As we move forward with this budget proposal, that is the first step of many,” Murkowski told reporters. “And I have said very openly that yes, we will consider ANWR, but we will do that through a hearing in the Energy Committee. So, we have that opportunity to bring in witnesses that are favorable and witnesses that are opposed. That’s what the process allows for.”

Conservationists and Native people in Alaska are joining forces to fight big resource development projects being green-lighted by the Trump administration. Demientieff said she’s heartened to see a movement being born in the state to protect the land, water and her traditional way of life.

“More and more people from all over are coming and they’re finally taking that stand because our senator and our representatives are no longer listening to us because nobody is going to protect our homelands but us,” she said.

Demientieff is also helping organize another protest in Washington, D.C. against opening ANWR to oil and gas extraction.

Overcoming nutrition challenges

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by Antonia Gonzales and Sarah Gustavus

Researchers point to social determinants as contributing to the health and wellness of communities including social structures and economic systems.  Social determinants of health in Indian Country often include limited health care services, overcrowded housing, lack of fitness centers and outdoor recreational areas, infrastructure needs such as roads and sidewalks, and other living conditions related to poverty.  To help overcome some of these challenges, examples of resiliency can be found in Native America through individuals who promote health and wellness at the grassroots level.

Loren Anthony (Photo: Antonia Gonzales)

Loren Anthony is a Navajo actor, health advocate and motivational speaker from Gallup, New Mexico.  He has been doing meal preparation for about seven years as a way to improve his own health.  Anthony now offers the meals for the public to purchase after seeing a need in the reservation border town of Gallup.

“I feel like it’s important to prepare.  If you don’t, you’re going to pull off to fast food, and eat something not good for you,” said Anthony.

High calorie, processed foods can be found at every corner in Gallup, and topped off with many sugary drink options.  Gallup is a town where people from the Navajo reservation and Zuni Pueblo often travel to for grocery shopping.

“I want our people, our community to be healthy,” said Anthony. “There are so many people who struggle, and the real health care plans are at home.”

Food deserts, places which lack access to fresh, healthy foods, are common on many reservations and surrounding areas.  According to some health experts, people can still make better choices with what is available to them.

Heidi Gabalski is a nutritionist and exercise physiologist at the Native Americans for Community Action’s Wellness Center in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Prepared meals ready for purchase (Photo Antonia Gonzales)

Gabalski’s clients often have to pick foods from a convenience store or make meals from federal commodity boxes.

“Look at the commodity box and make better options,” said Gabalski. “If you’re going to eat the fruit cocktail then rinse it. Flour, do we have to fry it? Make dry bread.”

Gabalski recommends choosing foods that are baked, broiled and steamed. She also encourages drinking water over soda.

Loren Anthony’s menu of choice is often grilled chicken, rice and vegetables, which he measures with cups and weighs on a food scale. One of these types of meals is under 400 calories, compared to fast food options, which can add up to 800 or more.

“We don’t go hunting, we used to do that.  We would build a fire.  If you do that you put work into it, and we don’t do that,” said Anthony.

Healthy living has not always been a priority for Loren. He started to make changes in his health in 2009 after living a life he says included drinking alcohol, being overweight and depressed.  Anthony recalls reaching a low point and then decided to turn his physical and mental health around, which eventually lead him to help people today with their diets and exercise.

LaRena Morris is the girls head varsity coach at Gallup High School. She recently asked Anthony to hold a session with her players to work on bonding and team building.  Morris says she sees many young people in Gallup and the surrounding area facing many challenges including transportation and financial issues linked to poverty.

“He’s the support they need, I see a lot of things he does. They gravitate toward that, it encourages them to do better,” said Morris. “What I really like about Loren is he does not charge for his services. If I would go out looking for some type of assistance they would be charging thousands of dollars to come out and do what he does.”

Anthony’s passion for helping people stems from overcoming many challenges in his own life.

“I can relate to my (Native) people very well because we’ve been through the same position.  I understand,” said Anthony. “I don’t want people to give up. When I speak to youth I don’t want them to give up. We can always pick it up and say I want to be a leader.”

According to health professionals, consistency in eating and a strong support system are associated with long term success in weight loss and weight maintenance, which grassroots leaders are striving for in Indian Country.

Reconnecting to a health lifestyle

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The United American Indian Involvement organization is currently studying ways that its traditional social outreach program is helping improve mental health among Native Americans in Los Angeles County. People travel long distances to participate in the Drum, Dance and Regalia program and other events that help connect them to their cultures and other people with similar values. Organizers hope the programs help improve the statistics for people vulnerable to problems like child abuse, gang involvement, and mental illness.

 

Health and Wellness: the Indigenous way

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National Native News teamed up with New Mexico In Focus , the USC Annenberg-Center for Health Journalism and the Dennis A. Hunt Health Journalism Fund for a series highlighting health and wellness in Native America.  Stories aired on both tribal and public radio stations across the country and on New Mexico PBS. The series examines some of the ways Indigenous people in California, New Mexico and Arizona are taking control of their mental and physical health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Native Americans and Alaska Natives are more likely to report their health is fair or poor compared to other groups, particularly Caucasians.  Rates of diabetes, suicide and chronic illnesses are often higher in Native communities.

The project examines the use of both cultural practices and Western medicine. The stories follow programs, tribes and grassroots efforts, which advocates and health care officials say could lead to a positive change in health outcomes for Native communities.  The stories examine how a better understanding of different approaches may lead to new data and knowledge on longstanding public health concerns for other Native Nations.

Members of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s Young People’s River Council. (Photo-Antonia Gonzales)

Native young people across the country are finding ways to make positive changes in their communities. A youth council at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is making strides when it comes to safety, and health and wellness.

In our USC Annenberg-Center for Health Journalism series we visit with some members of the Young People’s River Council.

In our USC Annenberg-Center for Health Journalism series, Chef Brian Yazzie shares his knowledge on traditional foods.

Community Health Worker Brian Robles with Native Health and children involved in Native Health’s Wellness Warriors program tend land. Native Health hopes an urban garden will provide traditional foods and enhance wellness among community members. (Photo-Antonia Gonzales)

Tribes, health care providers and Native organizations across the country including in the Southwest are working to bring fresh, healthy foods to Native people to increase access to traditional foods and improve public health.

In our USC Annenberg-Center for Health Journalism series we travel to Phoenix, Arizona where Native Health is developing a new urban garden for the Native community.

In our series “Reconnecting with a Healthy Lifestyle,” Antonia Gonzales and Sarah Gustavus examine the role of farming and traditional foods in increasing access to fresh produce in Native American communities. They visit the Pueblo of Tesuque in New Mexico and a community garden in Phoenix that’s run by the Native Health clinic.

This series was produced with support from the USC Annenberg-Center for Health Journalism and the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism.

A seed bank and farm in New Mexico preserves traditional Indigenous seeds from across Indian Country. (Photo-Antonia Gonzales)

Food sovereignty projects across the country are helping tribes provide traditional foods to their communities, as Native Americans continue to face high rates of obesity, diabetes and other diseases. Health professionals point to a lack of access to healthy, fresh foods as a contributing factor.

In our USC Annenberg-Center for Health Journalism series we take a look at an effort in New Mexico to help community members grow traditional crops.

Native Americans are using online tools to improve their health. Our report from Antonia Gonzales and Sarah Gustavus is part of the ongoing series produced with support from the USC Annenberg-Center for Health Journalism and the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism.


 Technology is playing a role in health and wellness efforts across the nation including in Indian Country, as we hear in our USC Annenberg-Center for Health Journalism series.

Correspondent Antonia Gonzales and producer Sarah Gustavus travel to the Navajo Nation to explore what’s being done to fight diabetes and obesity by reducing consumption of soda and sugary beverages, and look at one school’s innovative way to get filtered water to more people on the Navajo Nation.  Their coverage is supported by the USC Annenberg National Fellowship and the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism.

Students and a teacher at the STAR School in Arizona take part in a water quality lesson on a decommissioned school bus, which is retrofitted with a filtration unit. School officials plan to take the bus to nearby Navajo communities to filter well water. (Photo-Antonia Gonzales)

Native organizations and health advocates are among those trying to get young Native people to switch from drinking sugary beverages like soda and energy drinks to water. The Service To All Relations School, known as the STAR School, near the Navajo reservation in Flagstaff, Arizona is trying out a water first approach to address disease and at the same time find solutions to tackle the long standing lack of access to clean water on the Navajo Nation.  We visit the school in our USC Annenberg-Center for Health Journalism series.

This story is supported by the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism, a program of the University of Southern California, Center for Health Journalism.

Chronic illnesses, particularly diabetes, is a longstanding public health concern in many tribal communities in the Southwest. Native Americans are also more likely to be obese than many other groups, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has been associated with diabetes and pre-diabetes.  Health professionals say lack of access to fitness centers and limited fresh, healthy foods are among contributing factors to health outcomes, but some individuals have overcome many challenges and are now sharing information and resources with others in their community.

Navajo actor and health advocate Loren Anthony prepares meals in his house in Gallup, New Mexico. Anthony uses meal preparation to promote healthy eating and encourage people to look at their attitudes about food. (Photo-Antonia Gonzales)

Researchers say social determinants can impact people’s health including social structures and economic systems.  What this looks like in Indian Country often includes limited health care services, overcrowded housing, and lack of fitness centers and outdoor recreational areas.  There are individuals who are examples of resiliency in promoting health and wellness in Native America at the grassroots level, as we see in our USC Annenberg-Center for Health Journalism series. Read the story here.

This story is supported by the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism, a program of the University of Southern California, Center for Health Journalism.

Being active is a value among many Native nations across the country.  Physical activity is often included in stories and ceremonies and an active lifestyle was historically part of survival.  Today, health experts say sedentary ways are contributing to high rates of obesity and diabetes in Indian Country.  Some fitness experts and enthusiasts are working to bring resources and support to help Native people with their health concerns.  In our USC Annenberg-Center for Health Journalism series, we travel to two border towns in the Southwest to explore these grassroots efforts.

This story is supported by the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism, a program of the University of Southern California, Center for Health Journalism.


At United American Indian Involvement in Los Angles, we meet Dr. Carrie Johnson, a clinical psychologist, who helped bring cultural activities into existing behavioral health services at the center. Program participants at a drum and dance class speak about what wellness means to them and how culture is part of their efforts to decrease stress, engage in their community and maintain sobriety.

Tso Yanez and his son drum and sing at United American Indian Involvement in Los Angeles, California. Yanez says reconnecting to Native culture has helped him with sobriety. (Photo-Antonia Gonzales)

Los Angeles is a city, which covers more than 460 square miles and has nearly four million residents. Less than two percent of the population is Native American, according to U.S. Census statistics. It can often be difficult for Native people in Los Angeles County to find culturally relevant services.  In our Center for Health Journalism series on health and wellness in Native communities, we take a look at the connection between Native culture and mental health among urban Native people living in the LA area.

This story is supported by the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism, a program of the University of Southern California, Center for Health Journalism.

Street art and graffiti cover walls in Indian Alley in Los Angeles, California. The alley’s history includes Native people who once lived there on the streets. Native people still face housing and other challenges living in the city, but many are going to Indian centers for services, a place to find a network of support, and reconnect to their Native culture. (Photo-Antonia Gonzales) 

Native parents in Los Angeles County are turning to the Southern California Indian Center for support. Families face a number of challenges living in a large urban area, and some parents may not have access to services or help from their family or tribe.  Through a fellowship with the USC Annenberg-Center for Health Journalism, we travel to LA and look at a program, which is helping ensure babies and parents are safe, healthy, and at the same time connecting them to other Native Americans in the big city.  Read the story here.

This story is supported by the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism, a program of the University of Southern California, Center for Health Journalism.

Reconnecting with a Healthy Lifestyle is a radio special.  Tribal leaders, health advocates and grassroots coalition members discuss wellness initiatives, promoting food sovereignty programs to increase access to fresh produce, and new ways to improve the overall health of tribal communities.  From urban gardens and tribal seed banks, to Indigenous smartphone apps to sharing traditional recipes, Native people are reconnecting to their traditions and culture to address disease and encourage others to live a holistic way of life.

https://soundcloud.com/native-voice-one/reconnecting-with-a-healthy-lifestyle?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=facebook

Appeals ruling on Muscogee man’s murder case is significant jurisdiction victory

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By Hannah Colton

A federal court has overturned a Muscogee Creek man’s death sentence in a major jurisdiction ruling. The ruling reaffirms the tribe’s historical reservation boundaries in Oklahoma.

The case goes back to 1999, when Patrick Murphy was accused of murdering another Muscogee man. He was convicted in Oklahoma court and put on death row in 2000. Since then, he’s unsuccessfully appealed multiple times.

Sarah Deer is a citizen of the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma and a former law professor. She says the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling agrees with Murphy that the tribe and federal government, not the state, should have jurisdiction in his case.

“(Murphy) said, ‘I was within the Creek reservation when I committed this crime, and therefore the state of Oklahoma does not have the authority to prosecute me,’” Deer said.

The court’s acknowledgment of the reservation is significant because most of the tribal lands in Oklahoma today are no longer considered reservations. That’s because the federal government broke up the reservations in 1901 into individual allotments. Deer says at that point, lots of people started operating under the assumption that the Creek Reservation no longer existed.

“But in today’s understanding of what that requires, Congress had to both allot the land AND declare the reservation nonexistent,” she said. “They didn’t do part two, and that’s why the court concludes here that the reservation has never been demolished or even diminished in any way.”

Deer says it might seem odd to be cheering a decision that could release a murderer, but she’s celebrating the ruling that the Creek Nation maintains authority over their reservation land.

“There are a lot of question throughout the country about whether or not the reservation that was established in the 19th century still exists,” she said. “And this is only going to affect 10th Circuit, but it’s going to influence, I think, decisions about litigation across the country for Indian tribes.”

If the state of Oklahoma doesn’t appeal this week’s decision, a federal prosecutor could decide to re-try Patrick Murphy.

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