Tuesday, June 21, 2022

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The chief of the Mohegan Tribe, Lynn Malerba, has been tapped as Treasurer of the United States.

The announcement of President Joe Biden’s intent to appoint Chief Malerba was made Tuesday ahead of a visit by the Treasury Department to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota.

Chief Malerba became chief of the Mohegan Tribe in Connecticut in 2010. She’s the first woman to serve as top leader in the tribe’s modern history.

Chief Malerba will also make history at the Department of Treasury as a tribal leader and Native woman to sign currency.

In a statement, Chief Malerba said she’s honored and that it’s important to have Native voices respected, adding her appointment by the administration underscores just that.

She will oversee a newly established Office of Tribal and Native Affairs to communicate with tribes and be a hub for tribal policy.

The Treasurer of the United States directly oversees the U.S. Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing – and is a key liaison with the Federal Reserve.

Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen will announce her appointment and the new tribal office during the visit Tuesday to the Rosebud reservation.

Canada’s Assembly of First Nations has suspended its National Chief Roseann Archibald. As Dan Karpenchuk reports, it comes a day after she criticized the organization and also faces an investigation over complaints against her.

Roseann Archibald, the country’s first woman to lead the most powerful Native organization in Canada, is calling the suspension a coup.

Now, she has become the first AFN chief to be locked out, even from her own emails, and it all comes less than a year after her historic election.

The AFN says the decision is regrettable, but the national chief has committed serious breaches of her obligations to the organization through her unfounded public attacks against the AFN.

Paul Prosper is an AFN regional chief from the east coast.

“She breached her obligations to the company contrary to her oath of office, to our code of conduct, and the whistle blower policy.” 

Archibald has faced allegations of bullying and harassment from four of her staff members. After that, the AFN brought in an outside investigator.

Archibald is calling it a smear campaign and says she has been trying to clean up the corruption within the organization and because of that she says she’s been undermined, discredited, and attacked.

The AFN would not disclose exactly what the complaints against her are.

Archibald has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of an investigation.

She will not be able to attend the annual general assembly or the chief’s assembly and is prohibited from discussing the investigation publicly.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs will hold a hearing Wednesday on Indian boarding schools.

The hearing will examine the Interior Department’s investigative report on Indian boarding schools and the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act (S. 2907).

Native leaders are scheduled to testify about the report, legislation and what action is needed next.

Advocates have been calling for the Senate committee to hold a hearing on the boarding school legislation and for the House version to be passed.

The Indian affairs committee hearing will be streamed online.

A week-long dugout canoe journey hosted by the Ho-Chunk Nation kicked off on Monday.

Tribal members and Native youth are making their journey along lakes and rivers in Wisconsin.

Tribal leaders say it’s an opportunity for youth to take part in the tribe’s culture, and say it provides an educational opportunity for the tribe to share history and culture with the public at stops along the way.

Journey updates are being posted on the Ho-Chunk Nation Facebook page.

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