Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Anchor: Antonia Gonzales
The Oglala Sioux Tribe is supporting the creation of a new non-profit youth mentorship organization.
The new group is named Friends of the Children – He Sapa.
South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s C.J. Keene has more.
The new youth mentor group acknowledged its official opening recently during a tribal signing ceremony.
Tasha Fridia is national director of tribal programs for Friends of the Children.
She says this represents an intentional step into Native communities.
“We’ve always served Indigenous youth, but never in the way we are doing here at Friends of the Children – He Sapa. It’s grounded in cultural lifeways, the staff is Indigenous, and culturally competent in understanding of the lifeways and incorporating that in every level.”
Tribal leaders worked to ensure Friends of the Children would be a good addition to the community.
Oglala Sioux Tribe Vice President Alicia Mousseau says it’s an important step.
“We also want to thank Friends of the Children for recognizing the potential and seeing the connection between our ways of living and ways of knowing, and the importance of relationships, and we’re really excited to carry that on with you all.”
The He Sapa chapter’s executive director is Val Big Eagle.
She’s “humbled” by the support of the tribe’s government.
“When non-profits come in, we just are a little wary, right? Making sure that they are here for the right reasons and doing things the right way and working with the community. Not saying ‘hey this is what you need to do to heal yourselves,’ but asking the community ‘what do you need from us to make sure this can happen’ and ‘what healing practices would you like to see?”
The chapter aims to support sixteen mentorships, open to Native or non-Native children.
They will start working with young kids four or six years old, and continue through high school.
State Rep. Ruth Buffalo (D-ND)
The economy is usually a big topic during elections and with the midterms near, recent inflation woes are being felt, including in tribal areas.
Indigenous leaders in North Dakota hope it spurs turnout.
Mike Moen reports.
Douglas Yankton, chairman of the Spirit Lake Nation, says inflation has impacted the programs that provide an array of services on his reservation.
Even though some of the pressure has eased, the ripple effect is still there.
“A lot of those services don’t go as far as they used to. Let’s say transportation for instance, with the prices of gas and oil and everything, we have to figure out new routes to accommodate for that full week.”
He adds COVID still is a concern. Cases were disproportionately felt by Native populations, and Yankton says local businesses are hurting with some residents worried about close contact, limiting their ability to work or shop.
Despite longstanding voting barriers for Native people, he encourages them to make their voices heard on these issues by seeking out election resources to make it easier.
State Rep. Ruth Buffalo (D-ND) from Fargo and a member of the MHA Nation says inflation impacts Native voters in urban settings, too.
Buffalo says there’s a lack of a commerce hub in Fargo to secure traditional Native food staples and other items. And, she says, the economic pressure made it harder to get those items from other parts of the region.
“Like when we go to Minneapolis, we can stop at Native-owned businesses where wild rice might be sold, or different types of coffee and of course jewelry. ”
She suggests the lack of a local hub makes it harder for local Native entrepreneurs to sell their products.
Buffalo adds that over the past couple of years, they’ve seen an influx of Indigenous women and children come to Fargo in search of services.
She says that has revealed gaps in various systems.
On a broader scale, Buffalo says there’s another key issue Indigenous voters are watching.
“We know that for decades many people have been working behind the scenes to get rid of tribal sovereignty for their own benefit. And so, we really need to get to the ballot boxes to protect tribal sovereignty.”
Buffalo is the first female Native American Democrat elected to North Dakota’s Legislature and is seeking re-election.
Her opponents did not respond to a request for comment before deadline.
One of her opponents, Republican Joshua Christy, says he supports tribal sovereignty.
The Yurok Tribe is hosting its first-ever statewide policy summit on missing and murdered Indigenous people on October 4th in Arcata, CA.
The Northern California Tribal Summit on MMIP is expected to bring together more than 100 tribal leaders, advocates, and lawmakers.
Attendees will discuss historical and present-day contributing factors to issues involving MMIP and explore remedies to reduce risks to Indigenous people in the U.S.
Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our newsletter today.
