Good morning/afternoon, NUNAverse:
On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lifted its pause on use of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine. Later that evening, the Indian Health Service (IHS) followed suit and lifted the pause within the Indian health system. The FDA determined that the available data show that the vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks in individuals 18 years of age and older.
President Biden is expected to address the nation tomorrow, and Business Insider reports that while the specifics of the announcement are unclear, the President’s words will include an update on whether vaccinated people still need to wear masks outdoors. Dr. Anthony Fauci hinted Sunday that updated guidance was on the way. He told George Stephanopoulos that evidence shows “outdoor risk is really, really quite low,” and that allowing vaccinated people to go outdoors without masks would be a “common sense” move.
The U.S. Census Bureau has completed data processing for the first 2020 Census results, including state population counts used to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the 50 states. The Bureau will hold a virtual news conference to release these results today at 3 P.M. EDT. The results will include population totals for the nation and the states as well as the congressional apportionment totals for each state. RSVP to the news conference here.
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Friday that Indigenous people who are not Canadian citizens and who do not live in Canada can have constitutionally protected rights in the country if they belong to groups that are modern-day successors of ones that once occupied territory there. The decision could have far-reaching ramifications for Indigenous people on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border. The ruling in the case of Richard Desautel, a U.S. citizen and member of the Lakes tribe of the Colville Confederated Tribes in Washington state, ended a legal battle that began in 2010 when he shot a cow elk in the Arrow Lakes region of British Columbia. He alerted a conservation officer and was charged with hunting without a license and hunting big game while not a resident of British Columbia.
First lady Jill Biden on Friday spent her last day visiting the Navajo Nation with students, educators, parents, and frontline health care workers. On Friday morning, Biden joined Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and First Lady Phefelia Nez for a visit to Hunters Point Boarding School where they met with Navajo students, parents, and educators to discuss their personal challenges and success stories during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The students told the first lady about the challenges of adjusting to virtual learning when schools stopped in-person instruction at the start of the pandemic, which included very limited broadband access and the emotional toll of having to suddenly isolate from friends and relatives.
In Colorado, a bill that would impose $25,000 a-month fines on schools that refuse to change their Native mascots passed out of the state Senate on Friday. A similar measure failed 6 years ago, but bill sponsor state Sen. Jessie Danielson says there is much more support for racial justice reforms today. Under Danielson’s bill, schools would have until June 2022 to replace their mascots. Schools like Arapahoe High School, which have permission from tribal leaders for use of their mascot name, may be exempt.
Keep reading for a full news update.
COVID-19:
Biden Is Set To Loosen Guidelines For Wearing Masks Outside, Report Says
Business Insider, Andrea Michelson, April 26
Americans can expect updates to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on outdoor mask-wearing tomorrow.
10 More Covid-Related Deaths Reported on Navajo Nation This Weekend
Native News Online, April 25
On Sunday, the Navajo Department of Health, in coordination with the Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service, reported 26 new COVID-19 positive cases for the Navajo Nation and 10 recent deaths. On Saturday, there were 20 new COVID-19 cases reported and 6 new cases on Sunday. 10 new deaths related to COVID-19 were also reported. The number of deaths is now 1,273 as of Sunday. Reports indicate that 16,524 individuals have recovered from COVID-19.
J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Pause Has Been Lifted – IHS Okays Usage In Indian Country
Native News Online, April 24
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday evening lifted its pause of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. Soon thereafter, the Indian Health Service (IHS) followed suit on Friday at 10 p.m. – EDT and lifted the pause among the Indian health system. IHS has vaccine safety monitoring systems in place. To date, there have been no cases reported through IHS of the rare and severe type of blood clot seen in some individuals who have received the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.
Politics:
Tribal Leaders Praise Nomination Of Bryan Newland To Become Next Asst. Secretary Of The Interior – Indian Affairs
Native News Online, April 25
Thursday’s announcement that former Bay Mills Indian Community Chairman Bryan Newland is President Biden’s nominee to become the next Assistant Secretary of the Interior – Indian Affairs was met with praise from Indian Country. Newland’s nomination will be sent to the U.S. Senate for confirmation. In February, he was appointed by President Biden to serve as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, which allowed him to become familiarized with the position of Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs. When the announcement was made on Thursday, Newland, currently serving deputy, was on the Navajo Nation where he joined the entourage traveling with First Lady Jill Biden.
First Lady Jill Lady Biden Spent Her Last Day Of Her Visit To The Navajo Nation Among School Children And Frontline Health Care Workers
Native News Online, April 23
First Lady Jill Biden on Friday spent her last day of a two-day visit to the Navajo Nation visiting with students, educators, parents and frontline health care workers. On Friday morning, Biden joined Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and First Lady Phefelia Nez for a visit to Hunters Point Boarding School where they met with Navajo students, parents, and educators to discuss their personal challenges and success stories during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The students told the first lady about the challenges of adjusting to virtual learning when schools stopped in-person instruction at the start of the pandemic, which included very limited broadband access and the emotional toll of having to suddenly isolate from friends and relatives.
Navajo Students Describe Pandemic Struggles To Jill Biden
AP News, Felicia Fonseca, April 23
Students on the country’s largest Native American reservation spoke to first lady Jill Biden on Friday about challenges they’ve faced during the coronavirus pandemic, including poor internet service and feelings of isolation. The hour long discussion took place at Hunters Point Boarding School, a small, aging grade school in St. Michaels, on the outskirts of the Navajo Nation capital. The visit came as the first lady wrapped up a three-day tour of the U.S. Southwest, where she stopped at coronavirus vaccination clinics in New Mexico and Arizona and met with female tribal leaders who shared their concerns about the needs of the Navajo people. The handful of students who spoke to the first lady were from schools in the area surrounding Window Rock. Each explained there were times when they couldn’t get online for classes on the vast and remote reservation, which encompasses parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, said Lesley Tohtsoni, who moderated the talk.
Jill Biden Hears From Navajo Women On Needs, Priorities
AP News, Felicia Fonseca, April 23
Jill Biden spent the first day of a trip to the Navajo Nation listening to female tribal leaders whom she referred to as her “sister warriors,” on the needs and priorities of the country’s largest Native American reservation. Biden sprinkled in phrases in Navajo that point to the holistic nature of the culture that interconnects all things, living in balance, beauty and harmony. She said she was proud to address the Navajo Nation on a day that highlights the protection of Mother Earth, a reference to Biden’s climate change agenda. The trip was Biden’s third to the vast reservation and her inaugural visit as first lady. She vowed to work with the Navajo Nation and all tribal nations, in a recognition of their inherent sovereignty and political relationship with the United States.
Interior Sec. Deb Haaland Participates In A White House Press Briefing
Native News Online, Levi Rickert, April 23
Making her first appearance during a White House press briefing, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland answered questions from the White House press corps on Friday. Haaland, the first Native American to be a presidential cabinet secretary, answered questions dealing with the expansion of Bears Ears National Monument to the environment. In the afternoon, the Haaland, along with Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice, convened the first meeting of the first meeting of the White House Council on Native American Affairs. The Council will coordinate with tribal nations as it advances work on key issues such as climate change, tribal homelands and treaties; economic development, energy and infrastructure; health; education; public safety and justice; and international Indigenous issues.
Indigenous Knowledge At The White House
AP News, Aliyah Chavez, April 23
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said at her first White House press briefing, “how monumental this week has been for Indigenous representation.” She was the latest Cabinet member to take questions from reporters on Day Two of President Joe Biden’s climate summit. There are so many firsts associated with Haaland’s appointment. She is most likely the first Native American to brief the national press corps from the White House podium. Besides answering questions from three reporters, she also outlined the work Interior has completed in recent days and addressed the need to strengthen tribal sovereignty.
Law:
Indigenous Peoples Living In U.S. Can Claim Aboriginal Rights In Canada: Supreme Court
APTN, Brett Forester, April 23
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Native Americans whose territory straddles the international border can claim Aboriginal rights in Canada even if they aren’t residents or citizens. On Friday morning the top court dismissed the Crown’s appeal and upheld the acquittal of Richard Desautel, a Sinixt Nation member from the Colville Indian Reserve in Washington state. Ten years ago, Desautel was charged with hunting without a licence after he shot and killed a cow elk for ceremonial purposes near Castlegar in southeastern British Columbia. Sinixt traditional territory is sandwiched between Blackfoot and Secwepemc lands just west of the Rockies. It stretches up towards Banff, Alta. and spills over the border into northern Washington not far from Spokane.
Canada’s Supreme Court Says Some Native Americans Can Hunt In British Columbia
The Washington Post, Amanda Coletta, April 23
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Friday that Indigenous people who are not Canadian citizens and who do not live in Canada can have constitutionally protected rights in the country if they belong to groups that are modern-day successors of ones that once occupied territory there. The decision could have far-reaching ramifications for Indigenous people on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border. The ruling in the case of Richard Desautel, a U.S. citizen and member of the Lakes tribe of the Colville Confederated Tribes in Washington state, ended a legal battle that began in 2010 when he shot a cow elk in the Arrow Lakes region of British Columbia. He alerted a conservation officer and was charged with hunting without a license and hunting big game while not a resident of British Columbia.
Bill That Would Fine Colorado Public Schools With Native American Mascots Moves Forward
CBS Denver, Jesse Sarles, April 23
Colorado schools with American Indian mascots will face steep fines under a bill that’s making its way through the state legislature. The bill to ban them in public schools passed out of the state Senate on Friday. The bill would impose a $25,000-a-month fine on schools that refuse to change mascots associated with Native Americans. The measure would affect 24 current schools. A similar measure failed 6 years ago, but bill sponsor state Sen. Jessie Danielson says there is much more support for racial justice reforms today.
Other:
Bank Of America Sponsors Heard Museum To Overcome Pandemic Losses
Native News Online, Darren Thompson, April 23
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, nearly 30 percent of museums in the United States remain closed and most do not have plans to reopen in the near-term, according to a new study conducted by the Association of American Museums (AAM). Of the 850 museums that participated in the survey, 98 percent closed to the public last year and museums that have opened are experiencing 35 percent of normal attendance. The Heard Museum recently announced a corporate sponsorship provided by Bank of America. The partnership is a combined effort to keep arts alive and thriving and to support a cherished museum that showcases the arts and culture of America’s first peoples, said President of Bank of America Arizona Benito Almanza.
New Calls To Remove Snake River Dams
Indian Country Today, April 23
The most endangered river in the country, long known for its salmon runs, is in the Pacific Northwest, and is an existential threat to tribes that depend on the fish for their cultures and identities. The Snake River flows through Idaho, Washington and Oregon and four federal dams are its biggest threat, according to American Rivers, which lists the river as the most endangered of 2021 in its annual report. Tribal leaders have asked President Joe Biden and Congress to remove the dams to help restore salmon runs. Washington Environmental Council CEO Alyssa Macy, from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, said salmon numbers in the lower Snake River “are getting close to extinction.”
Tribes Want Medals Awarded For Wounded Knee Massacre Rescinded
The New York Times, Mark Walker, April 23
On Dec. 29, 1890, along the Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Reservation in the southwest corner of South Dakota, the U.S. Army killed hundreds of unarmed members of the Lakota Sioux tribe, including many women and children. In the aftermath of one of the bloodiest acts of violence against Native Americans by federal forces, the government looked into the conduct of the troops of the Seventh Cavalry — and decided to award 20 Medals of Honor, the nation’s highest military commendation, to soldiers involved in the massacre. Now members of the tribe are stepping up a long-running pressure campaign to have those medals rescinded, saying that the government should recognize the atrocity for what it was and take a step that could help heal the historical wounds of that day.
Groups Seek Recognition At Native American Museum Veterans Memorial
The Washington Post, Dana Hedgepath, April 24
A group that represents Public Health Service officers who have assisted during natural disasters, in overseas fights against Ebola and recently on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic is seeking recognition on a veterans memorial at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian, arguing its members were unfairly left out. The Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service alleges that when the design was completed years ago for the National Native American Veterans Memorial, the USPHS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps should have been included.