Good Morning, NUNAverse,
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Native people prosecuted in certain tribal courts can also be prosecuted based on the same incident in federal court, which can result in longer sentences. The 6-3 ruling is in keeping with an earlier ruling from the 1970s that said the same about a more widely used type of tribal court. The case before the justices involved a Navajo Nation citizen, Merle Denezpi, accused of rape. He served nearly five months in jail after being charged with assault and battery in a Court of Indian Offenses, a court that deals exclusively with alleged Native offenders. Under federal law Courts of Indian Offenses can only impose sentences of generally up to a year. Denezpi was later prosecuted in federal court and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He said the Constitution’s “Double Jeopardy” clause should have barred the second prosecution. But the justices disagreed.
The owners of Rapid City hotel are facing a lawsuit over a social media post by one of them that promised to ban Native people from the property. The lawsuit comes from a shareholder who happens to be a relative of the family that owns the Gateway Hotel. Judson Uhre recently filed a lawsuit in Pennington County against his mother, Connie Uhre, and his brothers, Nick and Chad Uhre, as well as the company that operates the hotel, Retsel Corporation. Judson is alleging a breach of fiduciary duty, shareholder oppression, and interference in the hotel’s operation. Connie Uhre, Retsel’s president, garnered widespread attention last spring when she said on social media that she would no longer allow Native peoples on the property following a fatal shooting at the hotel involving two teenagers which police said where Native.
To help promoters on tribal lands gain greater insights into sustainable tourism options, the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) asked faculty from the Arizona State University School of Community Resources and Development to develop a curriculum in sustainable tourism specifically for those working to promote visits to tribal lands. Professor Kathleen Andereck said her team is developing a sustainable tourism curriculum that will debut in spring 2023. Its seven modules are each specifically tailored to tribal communities and nations, using case studies and examples of sustainable tourism already found in these locations.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Health:
Native Americans’ Life Expectancy Fell By Almost Five Years During Pandemic
UPI, June 14
In yet another sign that the pandemic has exacerbated disparities in health care, researchers report that the life expectancy of Native Americans plummeted by nearly five years as the new coronavirus raged across the country. The loss in longevity was far greater than any other ethnic group and about three times higher than White people.
Law:
Supreme Court Rules That Native Americans Prosecuted In Tribal Courts Can Also Be Prosecuted In Federal Court
AP News, Jessica Gresko, June 14
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Native Americans prosecuted in certain tribal courts can also be prosecuted based on the same incident in federal court, which can result in longer sentences. The 6-3 ruling is in keeping with an earlier ruling from the 1970s that said the same about a more widely used type of tribal court. The case before the justices involved a Navajo Nation member, Merle Denezpi, accused of rape. He served nearly five months in jail after being charged with assault and battery in what is called a Court of Indian Offenses, a court that deals exclusively with alleged Native American offenders. Under federal law Courts of Indian Offenses can only impose sentences of generally up to a year. Denezpi was later prosecuted in federal court and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He said the Constitution’s “Double Jeopardy” clause should have barred the second prosecution. But the justices disagreed.
Rapid City Hotel Owners Sued By Relative Over Media Post
AP News, June 13
The owners of Rapid City hotel are facing a lawsuit over a social media post by one of them that promised to ban Native Americans from the property. The lawsuit comes from a shareholder who happens to be a relative of the family that owns the Gateway Hotel. Judson Uhre recently filed a lawsuit in Pennington County against his mother, Connie Uhre, and his brothers, Nick and Chad Uhre, as well as the company that operates the hotel, Retsel Corporation. Judson is alleging a breach of fiduciary duty, shareholder oppression and interference in the hotel’s operation. Connie Uhre, Retsel’s president, garnered widespread attention last spring when she said on social media that she would no longer allow American Indians on the property following a fatal shooting at the hotel involving two teenagers which police said where Native American.
Politics:
Alaska Native Candidates In Running For Us House Special Primary
AP News, Becky Bohrer, June 13
The race to top four vote-getters in Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat is one step closer to being decided. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is the big leader in early results with 29.8 percent of the votes out of the 48 candidates. One of the four Alaska Native candidates is in fourth place. Democrat Mary Sattler Peltola, Yup’ik Eskimo, has 7.5 percent of the votes. Behind her is Republican Tara Sweeney, Inupiaq, with 5.3 percent of the votes. The initial results released by the state Division of Elections included 108,729 votes. It was not immediately clear how many ballots were outstanding. The division reported late Saturday that it had received about 139,000 ballots so far. Ballots had to be postmarked by Saturday. The two other Alaska Native candidates are: Laurel Foster, Cupik, nonpartisan, with 0.2 percent votes and Emil Notti, Koyukon Athabascan, with 1.4 percent votes.
Other:
‘Dark Winds’ Carries A Moody Native-American Crime Thriller Onto AMC
CNN, Brian Lowry, June 14
Atmosphere goes a long way in “Dark Winds,” a brooding crime series set on Native-American tribal land in the 1970s that’s part “True Detective,” and with its vaguely mystical vibe, part “Twin Peaks.” Featuring Native-American talent in front of and behind the camera, it’s a solid mystery that’s better during its wide-open-spaces buildup than the somewhat messy finish. Counting Robert Redford and “Game of Thrones'” George R.R. Martin among its producers, the six-episode show creates a welcome starring vehicle for Zahn McClarnon (“Fargo,” “Westworld”) as Joe Leaphorn, who is one of a few dozen police officers assigned to patrol thousands of dusty, visually striking acres. Created by Graham Roland and adapted from Tony Hillerman’s novels about Navajo detectives, the slightly convoluted plot involves a tourist family that buys the wrong painting, and an unsolved bank heist that left behind unfound loot and still commands the interest of an FBI agent (“The Americans'” Noah Emmerich) operating in the area.
Cannabis In Indian Country
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, June 13
As discussions around national cannabis reform legislation take shape, SCIA staff is seeking comments from Tribal leaders, their designees, and other experts from Native communities on Tribal cannabis commerce and related equities.
ASU Developing Sustainable Tourism Training Curriculum For Indian Country
Arizona State University News, June 13
Unlike those who work in retail or restaurants, tourism professionals not only need to interest people in their product; sometimes they have to convince them to travel a long distance for it. And if they happen to be Indigenous peoples eager to welcome visitors to tribal lands, they may be further challenged to successfully attract audiences to places that are often more difficult to reach than those near major infrastructure and transportation corridors.