Good morning, NUNAverse:
A week and a half after 215 childrens’ remains were found on the former grounds of a Catholic-run Indian Residential School in British Columbia, Indigenous leaders are disappointed by a lack of ownership and apology from the highest levels of the Catholic Church. NCAI President Fawn Sharp (Quinault) said that any apology will be incomplete until a full fact finding of every life lost at a residential school is complete, and Maka Black Elk (Oglala Lakoa Nation), the Executive Director for Truth and Healing at Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, said it’s unfortunate that the Catholic Church hasn’t yet apologized — because it’s the easiest thing to do — but they also need to take action.
The Washington State Gambling Commission on Thursday approved amendments to gaming compacts for 15 tribes. This is a major step toward allowing those tribes to offer sports betting at their casinos. Commissioners voted 7-0, with two excused, on the requests from all 15 tribes to approve the amendments and send them to Governor Jay Inslee for his approval. This was the next step in the complicated process of allowing sports betting, following approval last year by the state Legislature. If the governor approves, the issue will be sent to the federal government for approval. Members of numerous tribes on Thursday extolled the financial benefits of gambling and said sports betting would expand revenues that are used to support a wide variety of social programs and other operations by once-impoverished tribes.
At least 19 Native men and women have died since 2016 in tribal detention centers overseen by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), according to an investigation by NPR and the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration of NPR member stations. Several of them died after correctional officers failed to provide proper and timely medical care, records show. Many of the victims had been arrested for minor infractions, such as petty theft or violating open-container laws, and were awaiting trial. In some cases, BIA officials have not released details of inmate deaths, despite repeated written requests. Federal officials have known about the mistreatment of inmates and other problems at the detention centers for nearly two decades.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Casinos:
WA Panel Approves Sports Betting; Sends To Governor
AP News, Nicholas K. Geranios, June 10
The Washington State Gambling Commission on Thursday approved amendments to gambling compacts for 15 Native American tribes that are a major step to allowing those tribes to offer sports betting at their casinos. Commissioners voted 7-0, with two excused, on the requests from all 15 tribes to approve the amendments and send them to Gov. Jay Inslee for his approval. This was the next step in the complicated process of allowing sports betting, following approval last year by the state Legislature. If the governor approves, the issue will be sent to the federal government for approval. Members of numerous tribes on Thursday extolled the financial benefits of gambling and said sports betting would expand revenues that are used to support a wide variety of social programs and other operations by once-impoverished tribes.
Law:
Montana Native American Woman Wanted By The FBI For Drug Trafficking On Fort Peck Indian Reservation
Native News Online, June 10
The FBI Salt Lake City Field Office issued a “Wanted by the FBI” notice on Thursday, June 10, 2021 to locate Marlina Nannett Martinez, who is wanted for her alleged involvement in possessing and distributing drugs on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. The FBI is offering a reward up to $2,500 for information leading to her arrest and conviction, according to the notice released on Thursday.
Other:
An Apology From The Catholic Church For Residential Schools Is Not Good Enough, Indigenous Leaders Say
Native News Online, Jenna Kunze, June 10
A week and a half after 215 childrens’ remains were found on the former grounds of a Catholic-run Indian Residential School in British Columbia, many are disappointed by a lack of ownership and apology from the highest levels of the Catholic Church. On June 5, after a meeting with two Canadian Cardinals the day before, Pope Francis spoke to a congregation in his typical Sunday morning address at Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City. The Pope expressed “sorrow” “about the shocking discovery,” according to a translation of his prepared statement, though he offered no official apology for the role the Catholic Church played in the displacement of an estimated 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children. But Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders alike have said the statement falls short of culpability.
Fight Over Oil Rages On After Pipeline’s Demise
AP News, Matthew Brown, June 10
The Keystone XL is dead after a 12-year attempt to build the oil pipeline, yet the fight over Canadian crude rages on as emboldened environmentalists target other projects and pressure President Joe Biden to intervene — all while oil imports from the north keep rising. Biden dealt the fatal blow to the partially built $9 billion Keystone XL in January when he revoked its border-crossing permit issued by former President Donald Trump. On Wednesday, sponsors TC Energy and the province of Alberta gave up and declared the line “terminated.” Even before the cancellation, environmentalists had turned their attention to other projects, including Enbridge Energy’s proposal to expand and rebuild its Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota, the target of protests this week that led to the arrest of some 250 activists.
Energy Secretary Says US Wants ‘Responsible’ Lithium Mining
AP News, Michelle L. Price, June 10
Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said the Biden administration wants to see lithium needed for electric cars to be mined “in a responsible way” that respects the environment and Native American tribes. Granholm said during a visit to Nevada on Thursday to promote President Joe Biden’s sweeping infrastructure plan that lithium, used for electric vehicle batteries, could become a big source of job creation in the state, in addition to furthering the president’s ambitious climate agenda. Nevada is home to the only large-scale lithium mine currently operating in the U.S. Two proposed lithium mines in Nevada are facing legal challenges and pushback from conservationists. A third proposed mine near the Nevada-Oregon border has attracted legal challenges and opposition from ranchers, Native Americans and environmentalists.
Fact-Checking Trump’s Statement That Native Americans Were Paid To Vote
PolitiFact, Amy Sherman, June 10
Speaking before North Carolina Republicans, former President Donald Trump on June 5 rehashed a number of falsehoods about the 2020 election that we’ve heard before.
He claimed that Democrats used “mail-in ballots to steal an election.” That’s wrong. There is no evidence of widespread fraud that would alter the results. Officials in Trump’s own administration said the election was secure. But there was one new claim that stood out to us. While alleging widespread fraud, Trump pointed the finger at one minority group, suggesting it was to blame: “Indians getting paid to vote in certain states, including Arizona and Nevada, getting paid to vote,” Trump said. Trump’s statement that “Indians getting paid to vote” is likely a reference to get out the vote efforts in Native American communities. The organizers of the efforts said they were intended to encourage voting generally, not an attempt to influence election outcomes. Still, such efforts can be considered at odds with election law, depending on the specifics of each case.
Indian Affairs Promised To Reform Tribal Jails. We Found Death, Neglect And Disrepair
NPR, Nate Hegyi, June 10
At least 19 men and women who have died since 2016 in tribal detention centers overseen by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), according to an investigation by NPR and the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration of NPR member stations. Several of them died after correctional officers failed to provide proper and timely medical care, records show. Many of the victims had been arrested for minor infractions, such as petty theft or violating open-container laws, and were awaiting trial. In some cases, BIA officials have not released details of inmate deaths, despite repeated written requests. Federal officials have known about the mistreatment of inmates and other problems at the detention centers for nearly two decades.
Academy Award-Winning Actor Wes Studi Will Be Keynote Speaker At RES 2021
Native News Online, June 10
Attendees of the Reservation Economic Summit (RES 2021) in July will be treated to a keynote address by Academy Award winner Wes Studi (Cherokee). The National Center for American Indian Enterprise (The National Center) announced Studi will be its keynote speaker during a fireside chat during a general session. Last year November, Studi was named to The New York Times’ prestigious “25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century (So Far)” list. Studi, who grew up in Tahlequah, Okla., is known for his portrayal of Native Americans in a way that forever shattered age-old stereotypes in the movie industry. Breaking new ground, he brought fully developed Native American characters to the screen, and then took it a step further by highlighting the success of Native Americans in non-traditional roles.