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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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