Good morning, NUNAverse:

On Monday the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded its approval for the already approved emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. The vaccine continues to be available under emergency use authorization for Native youth ages 12-15 years and certain immunocompromised persons who are receiving a third dose. Leading medical experts hope the full-approval designation from the FDA will convince those who have been vaccine hesitant to receive the vaccine.

Yesterday marked the opening of the Tokyo Paralympics where more than a dozen Indigenous athletes are set to compete in the games, Indian Country Today reports. Cheri Madsen, (Omaha) will be continuing her legacy as one of the elite wheelchair racers in the world. She set three world records, winning two gold medals and one silver at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, and claiming silver at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She has a goal of winning her third gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.

Following on the work of the landmark MMIW study the Seattle Indian Health Board released in 2018, SIHB Executive Vice President Abigail Echo-Hawk says,  “​​We need to understand the base issue of the problem. Where are we? What does the data look like? What do the leaders need?” Echo-Hawk is one of many Indigenous women demanding a reshaping of the criminal justice system in a way that values their lives. She and others are pushing the issue to the forefront by pressuring public officials and policymakers to fund efforts to address the problem and by showing them the cost of inaction. “We refuse to let our people die in silence,” Echo-Hawk said.

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear an appeal by opponents of Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 oil pipeline, letting stand a key decision by independent regulators to allow construction on the project to proceed. Without comment, the state’s highest court declined to take the case, issuing a one-page order that effectively affirmed a decision in June by the Minnesota Court of Appeals. This has left Native and environmental groups that have been protesting at construction sites with a dwindling number of legal options. The Court of Appeals declared that the state’s Public Utilities Commission correctly granted Calgary, Alberta-based Enbridge a certificate of need and route permit for the 337-mile (542-kilometer) Minnesota segment of what’s a larger project to replace an aging crude oil pipeline built in the 1960s that can run at only half capacity. The court also backed the commission’s approval of the environmental review for the project.

An Indigenous leader from New Mexico and former U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt called on the federal government to overhaul its oil and gas leasing program to ensure the protection of cultural resources, saying for far too long tribal expertise has been ignored to the detriment of sacred landscapes. Acoma Pueblo Gov. Brian Vallo and Babbitt highlighted recommendations outlined in a new report that looks at the government’s leasing policies and how they have been implemented across the West over several decades  including Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument and Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico.

Keep reading for a full news update.

COVID-19:

FDA Grants Full Approval For Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine

Native News Online, August 24

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday granted full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. It is the first Covid-19 vaccine to receive the designation from the FDA. For the unvaccinated, the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is now available for all Americans over the age of 16 years, including Native people and Alaska Natives. The vaccine continues to be available under emergency use authorization for Native youth ages 12-15 years and certain immunocompromised persons who are receiving a third dose. Leading medical experts hope the full-approval designation from the FDA will convince those who have been vaccine hesitant to receive the vaccine.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women: 

No One Knows How Many Indigenous Women Are Murdered Each Year. That Makes The Deaths Hard To Stop.

NBC News, August 25, Graham Lee Brewer

There is still no definitive count of missing and murdered Indigenous women in the U.S., in part because of underreporting of crimes and police reports that misclassify Native women as white or Hispanic. Police generally do not document victims’ tribal affiliation — often, police forms lack a field for this information — which means even tribal governments don’t understand the scope of the problem among their own citizens. But based on available research, more than 4 out of 5 Native and Alaska Native women experience violence in their lifetime, according to a 2016 National Institute of Justice study.

Law:

Minnesota Supreme Court Delivers Blow To Line 3 Opponents

AP News, Steve Karnowski, August 24

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear an appeal by opponents of Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 oil pipeline, letting stand a key decision by independent regulators to allow construction on the project to proceed. Without comment, the state’s highest court declined to take the case, issuing a one-page order that effectively affirmed a decision in June by the Minnesota Court of Appeals. This has left Native and environmental groups that have been protesting at construction sites across northern Minnesota with a dwindling number of legal options. The Court of Appeals declared that the state’s Public Utilities Commission correctly granted Calgary, Alberta-based Enbridge a certificate of need and route permit for the 337-mile (542-kilometer) Minnesota segment of what’s a larger project to replace an aging crude oil pipeline built in the 1960s that can run at only half capacity. The court also backed the commission’s approval of the environmental review for the project.

Why Is The US Right Suddenly Interested In Native American Adoption Law?

The Guardian, Nick Estes, August 24

A 1978 law tried to remedy adoption practices created to forcibly assimilate Native children. Now conservative lawyers are arguing that the law constitutes ‘reverse racism.’ In the new season of the This Land podcast premiering this Monday, Cherokee journalist Rebecca Nagle shows how corporate lawyers and rightwing thinktanks like the Cato Institute have teamed up with non-Native families to not only dismantle the ICWA but the entire legal structure protecting Native rights. And so far, they’ve made small but important victories. Last April, an appeals court upheld parts of a federal district court decision, in a case called Brackeen v. Haaland, that found parts of ICWA “unconstitutional”. The non-Indian plaintiffs contend that federal protections to keep Native children with Native families constitute illegal racial discrimination, and that ICWA’s federal standards “commandeer” state courts and agencies for a federal agenda.

Native Mascots:

Virus Tables Iowa School Board’s Discussion On Indian Mascot

AP News, August 24

The Indianola School Board has tabled discussions about dumping the district’s Indian mascot to focus its attention on fighting the spread of coronavirus in school buildings. The board decided at a meeting Monday to postpone acting on any mascot changes until after the November election, in which at least three board seats will be decided at the polls. The board’s decision comes as schools, cities and athletic teams across the country are changing or reconsidering mascots considered to be culturally insensitive. Last year, the city of Indianola voted to remove Native imagery from its city logo, including from police cars, badges and patches.

Facing Pushback From Residents, Wilson Area Will Keep Chief Logo

The Morning Call, August 24, Michelle Merlin

This summer, a school district official in Pennsylvania said they would move away from the Native chief’s head logo on their uniforms, using a W instead for new uniforms and products. The move was intended to help make uniforms across the district consistent, with most already sporting the “W,” board President Judith Herbstreith said. Plus, she said, the decision could eventually be out of the district’s hands if the NCAA or state decides to ban Native logos, which would force the district to invest in new uniforms. “That’s how this all came about,” she said. The district never planned to remove images of the logo from schools and gyms. Still, the shift prompted an outcry from some, including 1990 Wilson Area graduate Bobby Hare, who helped circulate petitions online and in person urging the district to keep the mascot. So far he’s gathered more than 2,400 signatures, he said, and supporters packed a school board meeting Aug. 16.

Other:

Recommendations Target US Oil, Gas Leasing

AP News, Susan Montoya Bryan, August 24

An Indigenous leader from New Mexico and former U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt called on the federal government to overhaul its oil and gas leasing program to ensure the protection of cultural resources, saying for far too long tribal expertise has been ignored to the detriment of sacred landscapes. Acoma Pueblo Gov. Brian Vallo and Babbitt highlighted recommendations outlined in a new report that looks at the government’s leasing policies and how they have been implemented across the West over several decades. It seeks ways to better protect areas including Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument and Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. The recommendations are centered on how land managers can incorporate tribal expertise into decision-making to better understand what resources could be at risk before permitting and development begins. They also call for the Bureau of Land Management to take a lead role in determining which areas can be developed rather than industry nominated parcels for drilling.

Indigenous Athletes Represented At Paralympic Games

Indian Country Today, Dan Niham, August 24

The 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games will feature 539 events in 22 sports. The opening ceremonies begin Tuesday and will be 10 days of elite competition. More than a dozen Indigenous athletes are set to compete in the games. Cheri Madsen, (Omaha) will be continuing her legacy as one of the elite wheelchair racers in the world. She set three world records, winning two gold medals and one silver at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, and claiming silver at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She has a goal of winning her third gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.