Good Morning, NUNAverse,
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland recently announced the launch of a new program to train Indigenous youth for jobs in conservation work on public and Native lands. The Indian Youth Service Corps program, backed by $1 million from the National Parks Foundation and more than $3 million contributed by the Department of the Interior to various federal agencies, authorizes federally recognized tribes to enter into agreement with qualified youth to carry out conservation projects on eligible service lands. Projects can focus on research, oral histories, habitat surveys, climate mitigation, trail restoration, invasive species removal, fire fuels reduction, watershed restoration, recreational expansion, and the development of educational, and informational or communication materials for the public. The Indian Youth Service Corps Program has three main objectives: to perform conservation projects, to expose Indigenous youth from 16 to 30 years old (or 35 years old for veterans) to public service training that are structured to end in employment opportunities, and to stimulate interest among Indigenous youth in conservation careers.
The Washington State Supreme Court has temporarily halted evictions for people living in certain households on Nooksack Tribal Land who were contentiously disenrolled from the tribe. A panel of justices on Tuesday granted an injunction requiring the Nooksack Indian Tribe in northwestern Washington to pause the evictions while the high court determines whether to take up the case. The households involved in the suit are home to members of a group of more than 300 people who were formally removed from the Nooksack Indian Tribe in 2016 and 2018. They have been facing the threat of eviction for years. Tribal leaders have said the families known as the “Nooksack 306” were incorrectly enrolled in the 1980s and cannot prove their lineage adequately.
A government panel has renamed a Yellowstone National Park mountain that had been named for a U.S. Army officer who helped lead a massacre of Native peoples. Mount Doane will now be called First Peoples Mountain after the unanimous vote by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, the National Park Service announced Thursday. The 10,551-foot (3,200-meter) peak in southeastern Yellowstone in Wyoming had been named for Lt. Gustavus Doane, who in 1870 helped lead an attack on a band of Piegan Blackfeet in northern Montana. Doane bragged for the rest of his life about what become known as the Marias Massacre. The attack in response to the alleged slaying of a white fur trader killed at least 173 American Indians, including many women, elders, and children suffering from smallpox, Yellowstone officials said in a statement.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Law:
Court Pauses Washington Tribe’s Evictions For Ousted Members
AP News, June 9
The Washington Supreme Court has temporarily halted evictions for people living in certain households on Nooksack Tribal Land who were contentiously disenrolled from the tribe. A panel of justices on Tuesday granted an injunction requiring the Nooksack Indian Tribe in northwestern Washington to pause the evictions while the high court determines whether to take up the case. The households involved in the suit are home to members of a group of more than 300 people who were formally removed from the Nooksack Indian Tribe in 2016 and 2018. They have been facing the threat of eviction for years. Tribal leaders have said the families known as the “Nooksack 306” were incorrectly enrolled in the 1980s and cannot prove their lineage adequately. The Nooksack members being threatened with eviction are both Filipino and Native American, or what some call “Indipino.” Gabe Galanda, attorney for the families, told KNKX Public Radio his clients are being singled out in part because of that, though he said this kind of mixed identity is common among Native peoples.
Health:
Native Americans Face Disproportionate Travel Burden For Cancer Treatment
Washington State University Insider, Judith Van Dongen,June 13
Experiencing higher rates of certain cancers than non-Hispanic whites, many Native Americans have to travel especially large distances to access radiation therapy, according to a study led by Washington State University researchers. Published in the journal Value in Health, the study found that individuals living in U.S. neighborhoods with majority American Indian and Alaska Native populations have to travel around 40 miles farther to the nearest radiation therapy facility than those living in neighborhoods dominated by other racial groups. As a result, people seeking cancer treatment may choose more invasive surgeries—such as a mastectomy, or full breast removal, for breast cancer—instead of less invasive surgeries that require follow-up radiation therapy treatment.
Other:
National Congress Of American Indians CEO Takes Leave Of Absence Days Before The Organization’s Mid-Year Convention
Native News Online, Levi Rickert, June 12
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) announced late Saturday night that its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dante Desiderio (Sappony Tribe) is observing an administrative leave of absence, effective Friday, June 10, 2022. Desiderio’s leave comes two days before the nation’s largest American Indian organization is set to meet in Anchorage, Alaska for it’s mid-year convention, which is the first in-person conference for NCAI since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCAI Mid-Year Convention and Marketplace will meet in Anhcorage from Sunday, June 12 – Thursday, June 16. Another Native American publication on Friday published an article that said Desiderio was suspended. According to the NCAI statement, Desiderio has not separated from the organization and his leave is appropriate under the organization’s policies governing the current situation.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez Among Delegation To Greet President Joe Biden In New Mexico
Native News Online, June 11
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez had the honor and privilege of joining New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich, Representatives Melanie Stansbury and Teresa Leger Fernández, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, and others in welcoming United States President Joe Biden to the state of New Mexico on Saturday. President Biden arrived in New Mexico to receive updates on the Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak wildfire, which are both currently north and northeast of Sante Fe, New Mexico. President Biden also provided information on resources available for forest management for the states and tribes in the Southwest.
Same-Sex Marriage Vote On Reservation Leads To Protest. Then, To Changed Minds.
Flatwater Free Press, Tim Trudell, June 10
What started as a seemingly routine tribal council vote sparked serious controversy on the Winnebago Reservation in northeast Nebraska this spring. The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s tribal court sought clarification on same-sex marriage within its constitution. While same-sex marriage has been legal across the United States, including in Nebraska, since 2015, not all Native American tribes have updated their legal codes to reflect it. Some tribes rolled it into their existing laws. Others, like the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin, approved an amendment recognizing same-sex marriage. During its monthly meeting with tribal attorneys, the council was asked to add recognition of same-sex marriage and divorce to the tribe’s legal code. That vote – which appeared to ban the recognition of same-sex marriage – sparked anger and fear in the tribe’s LGBTQ members and local residents. It inspired a video by a relative of a famed Native activist. The video was viewed by more than a million people and compelled hundreds to write, call, email and march to protest. And it resulted in something you don’t see much in American politics in 2022. The tribal council listened to the criticism. It met again. And it changed its mind.
Toxic Coal Ash Could Be The Next Opportunity — Or Broken Promise — For The Northern Cheyenne Tribe
Native News Online, Kelsey Turner, June 10
Colstrip has provided power to cities across the Northwest since the 1970s. Now, as state environmental regulations in Washington and Oregon require four of the plant’s six owners based in these states to pull out of coal-fired power by 2025 and 2030, respectively, the plant’s future is uncertain. The plant’s closure would mean job losses for locals. But unemployment is not the only legacy the plant would leave behind: Questions remain about how five decades-worth of coal ash – the toxic byproduct that contains dangerous elements like arsenic, lead and mercury – will be cleaned up. Coal ash presents a serious environmental challenge, as well as threats to the spiritual and cultural history of Native Americans on the 690-square-mile Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation where 5,000 tribal members live.
Native American Youth To Be Tapped For Conservation Projects
AP News, Susan Montoya Bryan, June 10
U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Friday rolled out guidelines for a new youth service program meant to create job opportunities for Native Americans while boosting their cultural connections to nature through conservation projects on tribal and public land. The Indian Youth Service Corps is the latest addition to the Biden administration’s plans for building a 21st century version of the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps. The mission includes everything from clearing brush to reduce wildfire threats and restore forests to preserving historic sites, helping with archaeological research and building trails.
Interior Department Launches Indian Youth Service Program
Native News Online, Jenna Kunze, June 10
This afternoon, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the launch of a new program to train Indigenous youth for jobs in conservation work on public and Native lands. The Indian Youth Service Corps program, backed by $1 million from the National Parks Foundation and more than $3 million contributed by the Interior Department to various federal agencies, authorizes federally recognized tribes to enter into agreement with qualified youth to carry out conservation projects on eligible service lands. Projects can focus on research, oral histories, habitat surveys, climate mitigation, trail restoration, invasive species removal, fire fuels reduction, watershed restoration, recreational expansion and the development of educational, and informational or communication materials for the public. The Indian Youth Service Corps Program has three main objectives: to perform conservation projects, to expose Indigenous youth from 16 to 30 years old (or 35 years old for veterans) to public service training that are structured to end in employment opportunities, and to stimulate interest among Indignous youth in conservation careers.
Yellowstone Mountain That Honored Massacre Leader Renamed
AP News, June 10
A government panel has renamed a Yellowstone National Park mountain that had been named for a U.S. Army officer who helped lead a massacre of Native Americans. Mount Doane will now be called First Peoples Mountain after the unanimous vote by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, the National Park Service announced Thursday. The 10,551-foot (3,200-meter) peak in southeastern Yellowstone in Wyoming had been named for Lt. Gustavus Doane, who in 1870 helped lead an attack on a band of Piegan Blackfeet in northern Montana. Doane bragged for the rest of his life about what become known as the Marias Massacre. The attack in response to the alleged slaying of a white fur trader killed at least 173 American Indians, including many women, elders and children suffering from smallpox, Yellowstone officials said in a statement.