Good morning, NUNAverse:
Yesterday, a federal judge rebuffed South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s efforts to force the National Park Service to grant the state permission to shoot fireworks from Mount Rushmore National Memorial to celebrate Independence Day this year. Noem sued the U.S. Department of the Interior in an effort to reverse the decision to deny the state’s permit for the display. The Governor successfully pushed last year for a return of the event after a decadelong hiatus, but the National Park Service denied it this year, citing safety concerns and objections from local tribes.
Canada’s Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said yesterday that Pope Francis needs to issue a formal apology for the role the Catholic Church played in Canada’s residential school system, days after the remains of 215 children were located at what was once the country’s largest such school. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government also pledged again to support efforts to find more unmarked graves at the former residential schools for Indigenous students – institutions that held Indigenous children taken from families across the nation. Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation in British Columbia has said the remains of 215 children were confirmed last month at the school in Kamloops, British Columbia, with the help of ground-penetrating radar.
The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation last month named Darrell Marks (Navajo), Flagstaff High School’s Native American Academic Advisor, as a recipient of its COVID Courage Award for his work enabling and empowering high school students to continue their education despite limitations brought by COVID-19. Caroline Kennedy—daughter of former president John F. Kennedy and director of the philanthropic John F. Kennedy Library Foundation— along with her son, Jack Schlossberg, opened a nomination campaign earlier this year for people across the country to nominate those going above and beyond their everyday responsibilities to help their communities fight through the pandemic. Marks was one of the seven honorees selected among thousands of nominations across the country.
The state of Alaska is sticking with its 2018 decision to issue a clean water certificate for a proposed gold mine in western Alaska. The decision benefits Donlin Gold and two Alaska Native Corporations – Calista and the Kuskokwim Corporation – while going against the wishes of the Association of Village Council Presidents, which represents all tribal governments in the region. Opposition has also been expressed by 13 tribal governments, the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation, and the National Congress of American Indians. The mine would be located about 280 miles northwest of Anchorage and near Crooked Creek, which drains 15 miles (or 33 miles following the stream’s course) into one of Alaska’s major rivers, the Kuskokwim River.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Politics:
The Promise And Pressures Of Deb Haaland, The First Native American Cabinet Secretary
The New York Times, Elizabeth Williamson, June 2
It is difficult to overstate the significance to Native people of Ms. Haaland’s role as the first Native American to lead a cabinet agency, specifically an agency once responsible for eradicating the homes, the culture and often the lives of Indigenous people. It is also difficult to overstate the pressures and expectations Ms. Haaland faces from her people, who hope she will address 150 years of betrayal by a department officially entrusted with ensuring Native Americans’ welfare. Today, 5.2 million people identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, alone or in combination with another race, but they remain one of the most overlooked minority populations in the country. Only one-third of Americans believe Native people face discrimination, according to IllumiNative, a research and advocacy group.
Law:
Federal Judge Declines To Order Fireworks At Mount Rushmore
AP News, Stephen Groves. June 2
A federal judge on Wednesday rebuffed South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s efforts to force the National Park Service to grant the state permission to shoot fireworks from Mount Rushmore National Memorial to celebrate Independence Day this year. Noem sued the U.S. Department of Interior in an effort to reverse the decision to deny the state’s permit for the pyrotechnic display. The Republican governor successfully pushed last year for a return of the event after a decadelong hiatus. But the National Park Service denied it this year, citing safety concerns and objections from local Native American tribes. The opinion and order from Chief Judge Roberto Lange of the federal district court of South Dakota meant that the night sky over Mount Rushmore will be devoid of the state’s fireworks on Independence Day this year.
Bill Would Provide Better Education Benefits To Native American Veterans
Military.com, Karli Goldenberg, June 2
A bill sponsored by a Marine veteran in Congress could bring Department of Veterans Affairs benefits closer to Native American veterans at Tribal Colleges and Universities, or TCUs. The Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program Act passed the House and was referred to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on May 19. The bill would increase funding for the Veteran Technology Education Course, or VET TEC, program; bolster student veteran housing benefits; and enable partnerships between the VA and nonprofit organizations, states, tribes and localities to fight veteran homelessness. Approximately 14,627 active-duty service members identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, according to a 2019 demographics report from the Defense Department.
Casinos:
Las Vegas Feels Tribal Presence
Indian Country Today, Aliyah Chavez, June 2
Native nations doing business in Las Vegas. That’s soon expected to be the reality. The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians announced plans in May to acquire the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. After closing its deals, San Manuel will become the second tribal nation to do major business in the entertainment capital of the world. The Mohegan Tribe operates the Mohegan Sun Casino at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. It opened in March 2021 and is a casino resort located east of the Strip. Nevada is also already home to other tribally-owned ventures involving the sale of marijuana. There are five tribes who are sanctioned for marijuana growth and sales in the state. Since news spread in May, tribal leaders and organizations have praised the purchase. The California Nations Indian Gaming Association, a non-profit organization advocating for the right of California tribes to operate gaming on their lands, says the deal is a “landmark purchase” proving that California tribes are prominent entities in the U.S. gaming market.
Other:
Canadian Minister: Pope Needs To Apologize To Indigenous
AP News, Rob Gillies, June 2
Canada’s Indigenous services minister said Wednesday that Pope Francis needs to issue a formal apology for the role the Catholic Church played in Canada’s residential school system, days after the remains of 215 children were located at what was once the country’s largest such school. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government also pledged again to support efforts to find more unmarked graves at the former residential schools for Indigenous students – institutions that held Indigenous children taken from families across the nation. Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation in British Columbia has said the remains of 215 children were confirmed last month at the school in Kamloops, British Columbia, with the help of ground-penetrating radar. So far none has been excavated.
Trudeau: Residential Schools Part Of Canada’s Colonial Past
AP News, Rob Gillies, June 2
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that residential schools for Canada’s Indigenous children were part of a larger colonial policy designed to erase language and culture and to assimilate those groups so they no longer existed as distinct peoples. Trudeau said the discovery of 215 children found buried at a former Indigenous residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia, is part of a larger tragedy. The institutions held children taken from families across the nation. The Canadian government apologized in Parliament in 2008 and admitted that physical and sexual abuse in the schools was rampant. Many students recalled being beaten for speaking their native languages. They also lost touch with their parents and customs.
Alaska Stands By Decision On Donlin Gold Mine
Indian Country Today, Joaqlin Estus, June 2
The state of Alaska is sticking with its 2018 decision to issue a clean water certificate for a proposed gold mine in western Alaska. The May 27 decision comes with the support of some of the Yup’ik people in the area and over the objections of others. Developer Donlin Gold estimates the ground near Crooked Creek holds 34 million ounces of gold, one of the world’s largest known undeveloped gold deposits. Once the gold is out of the ground, potentially 1.3 million ounces of gold could be produced annually. The state’s decision, however, flies in the face of the wishes of the Association of Village Council Presidents, which represents all tribal governments in the region. Opposition has also been expressed by 13 tribal governments, the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation, and the National Congress of American Indians.Tribes are concerned mining activities in general will harm the fish and game harvested from the wild by the Yup’ik people in the region. They’re worried that mercury pollution, loss of salmon habitat, and higher water temperatures will all adversely impact salmon, a substantial source of protein.
Interior Dept. Suspends Alaskan Oil And Gas Drilling Program Started By Trump Administration
Native News Online, Andrew Kennard, June 2
The Department of the Interior announced Tuesday that it has suspended the implementation of a Trump-era oil and gas leasing program on the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The suspension comes after an executive order issued by President Joe Biden on his first day in office. The Interior Department’s move follows an executive order issued by President Biden on his first day in the Oval Office. One provision of the order directed Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to temporarily suspend and review all activities of the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program. Seventeen Indigenous and conservation groups, including Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic and the World Wildlife Fund, praised the move but called for further actions in a joint press release.
As Floods Become More Frequent, Climate Change Threatens Seminole Tribe Of Florida
Native News Online, Valerie Vande Panne, June 2
The Seminole Tribe is known as the unconquered tribe, because they never signed “the new treaties with the United States, handing over our land or rights to them.” Members of the community live across Florida, from Hollywood to Naples and Tampa, and will come back for ceremony. However, worsening climate conditions in Florida threaten the home and culture of the Seminole Tribe through the destruction of their historic homeland by climate change due to governmental complicity. The current impact of blue-green algae, water flow, and a Texas-based oil company which has leased the mineral rights to drill just five hundred meters from the federal reservation land are all very real threats to the tribe.
Dine’ Man Honored With John F. Kennedy Library Foundation’s Covid Courage Award
Native News Online, Jenna Kunze, June 2
The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation last month named Darrell Marks (Dine’), Flagstaff High School’s Native American Academic Advisor, as a recipient of its COVID Courage Award for his work enabling and empowering high school students to continue their education despite limitations brought by COVID-19. Caroline Kennedy—daughter of former president John F. Kennedy and director of the philanthropic John F. Kennedy Library Foundation— along with her son, Jack Schlossberg, opened a nomination campaign earlier this year for people across the country to nominate those going above and beyond their everyday responsibilities to help their communities fight through the pandemic. Marks was one of the seven honorees selected among thousands of nominations across the country.
Treaties Offer New Aid In Environmental Fights
Indian Country Today, Mary Annette Pember, June 2
Native treaty rights are becoming powerful tools for protecting the environment against government mismanagement and destructive private industries, as worldwide efforts intensify to halt climate change and protect the environment. Treaty rights are already surfacing in the fight against Enbridge’s Line 3 and Line 5 pipelines that stretch from Canada into northern Minnesota and Michigan and back again. Honor the Earth is one of several groups involved in organizing the Treaty People Gathering on June 5-8 in northern Minnesota in opposition to Enbridge’s construction of Line 3. One of the goals for the gathering is to educate people about the scope and authority of Indian treaties. Some tribes in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan say the danger of leaks from the Line 3 and Line 5 pipelines pose significant risk of leaks or spills in sensitive areas, limiting tribal members’ abilities to rely on subsistence practices to feed themselves and preserve cultural and spiritual ways.
Florida Board Renames Schools Honoring Confederate Leaders
AP News, June 2
A Florida school board has voted to rename six schools named for Confederate leaders, but will keep three others named for a French colonizer and a U.S. president who supported slavery and forced Native Americans to move west along the Trail of Tears. Following a months-long debate, the Duval County School Board decided on the names Tuesday night, news outlets reported.