Good Morning, NUNAverse,

In early June, the New York state legislature passed legislation that, if signed by Governor Kathy Hochul, would protect unmarked burial sites from excavation. The Unmarked Burial Site Protection Act would require that construction be stopped on private property if human remains are encountered; create a Native burial-site review committee; and allow tribes and individuals to seek injunctions against violators. It was introduced last year by state New York Senator John Brooks and Assemblymember Steve Englebright. Similar measures had been introduced in every legislative session since 2009. The Inter-Tribal Historic Preservation Task Force, primarily composed of roughly half a dozen Algonquian-speaking tribes from Long Island’s east end, campaigned for it. Currently, New York, New Jersey, and Wyoming are the only three states that don’t have laws to protect their dead. In other states, the discovery of an unmarked gravesite sets off a chain of mandates, such as notifying a local coroner, who would then call the state archeologist if the remains were more than 50 years old; trying to establish a link to a present-day tribe and entrusting the remains to that affiliated group; and criminal penalties for those who don’t comply.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) will travel to Oklahoma on Saturday to make the first stop on her listening tour to hear how Native boarding schools impacted students and their families. The visit comes one year after Haaland launched a sweeping investigation into the schools, which her department oversaw for decades as a matter of federal policy. A report released in May as part of the investigation determined generations of Native children were forced or compelled to attend residential schools as a way for the U.S. government to break up tribal nations and obtain their land. The admission was the first time the government directly linked its boarding school policies to the acquisition of tribal land.

The Navajo Nation Veterans Administration was formally recognized by the head of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for being the first tribal nation program to receive accreditation to help veterans submit federal benefits claims directly to the VA. VA Secretary Denis McDonough recognized the tribal government program’s status during a visit to Gallup on June 28, the Farmington Daily Times reported. He added that this is part of the VA’s work to make sure tribal nations have a seat at the table, this includes having veteran service officers on tribal lands who can submit veterans’ benefits claims to the VA. McDonough’s visit came a day after it was announced that a group of bipartisan senators ended the review process on recommendations by the VA to close outpatient clinics in several states, including those in Gallup, Española, Las Vegas, and Raton. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez noted that the accreditation achieved by the tribal government’s VA will greatly help Navajo veterans, many who face difficulties in traveling to VA centers outside the tribal land.

Keep reading for a full news update.

Law:

New York Passes Legislation That Will Protect Unmarked Graves — If Gov. Hochul Signs It

Native News Online, Jenna Kunze, July 6

In early June, the New York state legislature passed legislation that, if signed by Governor Kathy Hochul, would protect unmarked burial sites from excavation. The Unmarked Burial Site Protection Act would require that construction be stopped on private property if human remains are encountered; create a Native burial-site review committee; and allow tribes and individuals to seek injunctions against violators. It was introduced last year by state New York Senator John Brooks and Assemblymember Steve Englebright. Similar measures had been introduced in every legislative session since 2009. The Inter-Tribal Historic Preservation Task Force, primarily composed of roughly half a dozen Algonquian-speaking tribes from Long Island’s east end, campaigned for it. Currently, New York, New Jersey, and Wyoming are the only three states that don’t have laws to protect their dead. In other states, the discovery of an unmarked gravesite sets off a chain of mandates, such as notifying a local coroner, who would then call the state archeologist if the remains were more than 50 years old; trying to establish a link to a present-day tribe and entrusting the remains to that affiliated group; and criminal penalties for those who don’t comply.

18 Years Lost, Finally Free

Indian Country Today, Kolby KickingWoman, July 6

After serving nearly 18 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, Danny Wilber (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin) finally walked out a free man on December 22. Wilber maintained his innocence through the years and said it was surreal when he was finally exonerated. While incarcerated, Wilber got to work. He spent the majority of his time in the law library and learned a lot about the law as he was fighting for his life. Wilber’s partner, Lacey Kinnart, (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) got involved in his case when he needed a crime scene diagram redesigned. She knew Wilber’s family and had taught his nieces and nephews in the Milwaukee public school system. After redesigning the diagram, she said she saw that Wilber was innocent but not having experience in the justice system she says she was naive to the process.

Boarding Schools:

How Native Boarding School Survivors Can Share Their Stories With US Officials

The Oklahoman, Molly Young, July 7

U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) will travel to Oklahoma on Saturday to make the first stop on her listening tour to hear how Native boarding schools impacted students and their families. The visit comes one year after Haaland launched a sweeping investigation into the schools, which her department oversaw for decades as a matter of federal policy. A report released in May as part of the investigation determined generations of Native children were forced or compelled to attend residential schools as a way for the U.S. government to break up tribal nations and obtain their land. The admission was the first time the government directly linked its boarding school policies to the acquisition of tribal land.

Other:

A New Google Doodle Honors The History-Making Native Comedian Charlie Hill

CNN, Scottie Andrew, July 6

Google honored barrier-breaking comedian Charlie Hill, the first Native comic to appear on national TV, with a Doodle on what would’ve been his 71st birthday. When Hill was a young comic in the 1970s, he refused to deign to racist stereotypes of Natives. Rather, his material addressed bigotry toward Natives throughout history, taking aim at White viewers, the forced displacement of indigenous people and even the harmful history of Christopher Columbus and Plymouth Rock Pilgrims. In 1977, 26-year-old Hill appeared on “The Richard Pryor Show,” the first time a Native stand-up performed on a program that aired across the US. Per Google’s caption of the Doodle tribute, the show’s writers asked him to portray a racist caricature of a Native person, but Hill declined. Hill, who belonged to the Oneida Nation and also had Mohawk and Cree heritage, moved to the Wisconsin’s Oneida Nation as a child and eventually made a name for himself at the renowned Comedy Store in California, where he made connections that would land him multiple national TV spots.

Navajo Nation Authorized To File Benefit Claims For Veterans

AP News, Noel Lyn Smith, July 6

The Navajo Nation Veterans Administration was formally recognized by the head of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for being the first tribal nation program to receive accreditation to help veterans submit federal benefits claims directly to the VA. VA Secretary Denis McDonough recognized the tribal government program’s status during a visit to Gallup on June 28, the Farmington Daily Times reported. He added that this is part of the VA’s work to make sure tribal nations have a seat at the table, this includes having veteran service officers on tribal lands who can submit veterans’ benefits claims to the VA. McDonough’s visit came a day after it was announced that a group of bipartisan senators ended the review process on recommendations by the VA to close outpatient clinics in several states, including those in Gallup, Española, Las Vegas, and Raton. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez noted that the accreditation achieved by the tribal government’s VA will greatly help Navajo veterans, many who face difficulties in traveling to VA centers outside the tribal land.

“We The Peoples Before” Production At Kennedy Center Told Stories Of Native Resilience And Strength

Native News Online, Levi Rickert, July 6

The Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater was sold out on Friday, July 1st for the We The Peoples Before stage production that drew a crowd of Natives from various parts of Indian Country as well as other attendees who sat for the two-hour long performance. The First Peoples Fund, an organization that supports the collective spirit of Natives artists, hosted the event that brought more than 50 Native performers to the stage, including Joy Harjo (Muscogee Creek Nation), Supaman (Apsaalooke Nation), and Pura Fe Crescioni (Tuscarora/Taino). Friday night’s performance was part of a three-day festival that coincided with the 25th anniversary of the First Peoples Fund and the 50th anniversary of the John F. Kennedy Center.