Good Morning, NUNAverse,
A Connecticut town’s board of education has changed the mascots of two high schools despite a lawsuit filed in an attempt to keep the schools’ former Native nicknames. West Hartford’s Board of Education voted Tuesday night to change the nickname of Conard High School’s athletic teams from the Chieftains to the Red Wolves and Hall High School’s teams from the Warriors to the Titans. The vote came despite a lawsuit filed Monday by attorney Scott Zweig, a town resident, who argues that the board violated residents’ due process rights when it voted in February to end the use of the Native monikers. The state last year enacted a law that requires municipalities whose athletic teams use Native names or mascots to receive written support from a state or federally recognized tribe in Connecticut or risk losing state grants derived from revenue at the state’s two tribal casinos, The Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino. Dallas Dodge, West Hartford’s corporation counsel, said in a statement that the decision to change the nicknames was properly adopted by the Board and is “consistent with local, state and federal policies concerning equity and diversity.”
The state of Mississippi is paying $8 million for improvements at two historic sites in the southwestern part of the state — the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and Historic Jefferson College. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History and local officials announced the projects Tuesday. The Legislature allocated money to make improvements at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians. The 128-acre (52-hectare) park has three prehistoric Native mounds and a nature trail. “We anticipate adding one new interpretive center that will contain brand new exhibits concerning the Natchez people and the American Indians of the Southeast,” said Lance Harris, Grand Village site director.
Following reports last week that Harvard University holds the human remains of at least 19 individuals who were likely enslaved and nearly 7,000 Native people, the Cambridge City Council adopted a policy order urging the University to return the remains to their descendants during a Monday meeting. The policy order, sponsored by Councilor E. Denise Simmons and passed unanimously, calls on “Harvard University to work as quickly and deliberately as possible to ensure that the human remains of the nearly 7,000 Indigenous peoples and 19 enslaved individuals currently in their possession are released to the appropriate parties.” Last week, The Crimson reported that an unfinalized draft report, produced by a committee tasked with studying how Harvard should treat human remains in its museum collections, calls on the University to return the remains of the people who were likely enslaved to their descendants and accelerate its return of Native remains, which has been mandated by federal law since 1990.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Politics:
Indigenous Candidates In The 2022 Midterms
Indian Country Today, Pauly Denetclaw, June 9
Historically, Indigenous communities have always cultivated a field of young leaders who would eventually take over roles in their families, local areas, or their broader communities. Today, that can still be seen. There are over 10,000 leaders elected to their tribal governments across the country. The wave of Indigenous candidates running for local, state, and national office has dramatically increased. The new American majority in 2016 set the stage for the most diverse class of Congressional members to be elected in 2018. This was the year that Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Laguna Pueblo, and U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, Ho-Chunk, made history and were elected. ICT has compiled a master list of Indigenous candidates running for local, state, and national offices in the midterm election. This is not a complete list but so far there are 96 Indigenous candidates who declared they were running for state and national offices.
Four Alaska Natives Vie For Sole Congressional Seat
Indian Country Today, Joaqlin Estus, June 9
Last year Alaskans voted to have open primaries and ranked choice voting. The first run through of the new process is underway in a special election to fill the position of Alaska’s sole Congressional representative. There are 48 candidates to pick from in the special election. Four of those candidates are Alaska Native candidates. Ballots must be postmarked by or before June 11. The top four candidates’ names will go on the ballot in an August election. Voters will rank their choices as first, second, third and fourth. The winner will be the person who gets 50 percent plus 1 of the votes. The lowest vote-getter is dropped. Their votes go to the second choice shown on their ballots, and so on until one candidate gets a majority of votes. Speaking at a Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska virtual forum, the four Alaska Native candidates shared their views on their priorities in addressing issues if elected.
Native Candidates Seeking Seats In Montana Legislature
Indian Country Today, Kolby Kickingwoman, June 9
Ahead of the 2022 Midterm elections, the primary season is in full effect. In Montana, more than 10 Native candidates are running for state legislative seats. The state is one of few in the nation where the percentage of Native representatives in the state legislature matches the Native population percentage in the state. During the most recent legislative session, there were 12 Native members, or 8 percent of the legislative body. It was the highest number, both overall and percentage wise, since the information began being collected in 1989. A number of the candidates running for state Senate and House seats are incumbents and running unopposed in their respective primaries. Democratic candidates include but are not limited to: Susan Webber, Blackfeet; Shane Morigeau, Salish and Kootenai; Sharon Stewart-Peregoy, Crow; Tyson Runningwolf, Blackfeet; Jonathan Windy Boy, Chippewa Cree; and Rynalea Whiteman Pena, Northern Cheyenne.
Native Mascots:
W. Hartford Teams Get New Non-Native American Mascots
AP News, June 9
A Connecticut town’s board of education has changed the mascots of two high schools despite a lawsuit filed in an attempt to keep the schools’ former Native American nicknames. West Hartford’s Board of Education voted Tuesday night to change the nickname of Conard High School’s athletic teams from the Chieftains to the Red Wolves and Hall High School’s teams from the Warriors to the Titans. The vote came despite a lawsuit filed Monday by attorney Scott Zweig, a town resident, who argues that the board violated residents’ due process rights when it voted in February to end the use of the Native American monikers. The state last year enacted a law that requires municipalities whose athletic teams use Native American names or mascots to receive written support from a state or federally recognized tribe in Connecticut or risk losing state grants derived from revenue at the state’s two tribal casinos, The Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino. Dallas Dodge, West Hartford’s corporation counsel, said in a statement that the decision to change the nicknames was properly adopted by the Board and is “consistent with local, state and federal policies concerning equity and diversity.”
Health:
FDA Launches Campaign Aimed At Preventing E-Cigarette Use Among American Indian/Alaska Native Youth
FDA, June 8
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the launch of the “Next Legends” Youth E-cigarette Prevention Campaign as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to protect youth from the dangers of tobacco use. The campaign will educate American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth, ages 12-17, about the harms of vaping through unique branding and tailored messaging created to inspire a new generation to live Native strong and vape-free. There are approximately 400,000 Native teens in the U.S., and more than half of them are at-risk of using tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. Studies show that Native youth are more susceptible to e-cigarette use than their non-Native peers, and they demonstrate disproportionately high experimentation and current use of e-cigarettes. The “Next Legends” campaign will reach AI/AN teens where they spend much of their time- online. Digital video advertisements will be placed on social media sites such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, and streaming and gaming platforms such as YouTube and Twitch.
Other:
2 Historic Sites In Natchez Getting State-Funded Upgrades
AP News, June 9
The state of Mississippi is paying $8 million for improvements at two historic sites in the southwestern part of the state — the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and Historic Jefferson College. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History and local officials announced the projects Tuesday. The Legislature allocated money to make improvements at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians. The 128-acre (52-hectare) park has three prehistoric Native American mounds and a nature trail.
Cambridge City Council Calls On Harvard To Return Human Remains Of Enslaved People, Native Americans
Harvard Crimson, Elias J. Schisgall, June 9
Following reports last week that Harvard University holds the human remains of at least 19 individuals who were likely enslaved and nearly 7,000 Native Americans, the Cambridge City Council adopted a policy order urging the University to relinquish the remains to their descendants during a Monday meeting. The policy order, sponsored by Councilor E. Denise Simmons and passed unanimously, calls on “Harvard University to work as quickly and deliberately as possible to ensure that the human remains of the nearly 7,000 indigenous peoples and 19 enslaved individuals currently in their possession are released to the appropriate parties.” Last week, The Crimson reported that an unfinalized draft report, produced by a committee tasked with studying how Harvard should treat human remains in its museum collections, calls on the University to return the remains of the people who were likely enslaved to their descendants and accelerate its return of Native American human remains, which has been mandated by federal law since 1990.
Native American Canoe-Builders Create Traditional Vessel For Ocmulgee National Park
13 WMAZ, B.J. Patterson, June 9
At Macon’s Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, you can see thousands of years of Native American history unfold. This week, you can see a new exhibit take shape right before your eyes. Native Americans have used the art of canoe-building for centuries, and even with the changing of time, dugout canoes are still a staple in an everlasting culture. Pedro Zepeda is a native of Florida’s Seminole tribe. He says his grandfather worked on canoes when he was a child. It inspired him to take up the craft. Pedro says normally this canoe would take 4 to 6 weeks to finish, but with a little help from John John Brown, the process is twice as fast.
John John is a native of the Muscogee Nation. He builds canoes for a living and wanted something he could share with the national park.