Good morning, NUNAverse:
Four people were arrested at a demonstration organized by the NDN Collective on Sunday, July 4 after they climbed a 100 foot tall mill and grain silo in downtown Rapid City, South Dakota, and adorned it with an upside-down American flag with the words “Land Back.” The four were arrested for trespassing. The focus of the demonstration was police misconduct and brutality of Native people, with overrepresentation 0f Native people in the Pennington County Jail is common and often criticized by many in Indian Country.
Last weekend, Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer, 41, became the first woman and first person who identifies as LGBTQ2S to be elected as the Kahnawà:ke Mohawk Grand Chief, replacing former Grand Chief Joe Norton. A woman leading the Mohawk territory is a “natural evolution,” Sky-Deer, a longtime councillor, said in a recent interview. Women, she added, have always played an important role as custodians of the land, in passing down language and culture, and in governance. Sky-Deer said she believes her upbringing and closeness to the Mohawk culture and language resonated with voters.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s administration is guiding law enforcement officers not to honor tribes’ medical marijuana identification cards if they are not issued to tribe members. The guidance, released by the South Dakota Highway Patrol just hours before the voter-approved medical marijuana law took effect Thursday, sets up a potential conflict between prosecutors and the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, which has set up the state’s first marijuana dispensary and plans to issue medical cannabis ID cards to anyone with a certified medical condition. People seeking medical cannabis ID cards in South Dakota currently only have the option to obtain one from a tribe because the state will not begin issuing ID cards until November.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Politics:
Tribes Appeal To Secretary Haaland To Reverse Trump On Stripping Wolf Protections In New Film, ‘Family’
Native News Online, Jackie Zupsic, July 7
“Secretary Haaland, please return Endangered Species Act protections to the wolf,” is the closing message of a powerful new film, “Family,” released today that ends with the stark warning, “Before it’s too late.” The Global Indigenous Council has released “Family” as a part of a campaign to restore federal protections to wolves across the continental United States. Directed by critically-acclaimed filmmaker Rain and narrated by award-winning actress Crystle Lightning, the short film provides insight into how wolves are foundational to Indigenous cultures and how the Trump Administration’s removal of federal protections from wolves severely undermines tribal rights. “Family” appeals to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to reverse President Trump and relist the wolf under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Law:
South Dakota Highway Patrol Pushes Limits On Tribe’s Pot IDs
AP News, July 6
Gov. Kristi Noem’s administration is guiding law enforcement officers not to honor Native American tribes’ medical marijuana identification cards if they are not issued to tribe members. The guidance, released by the South Dakota Highway Patrol just hours before the voter-approved medical marijuana law took effect Thursday, sets up a potential conflict between prosecutors and the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, which has set up the state’s first marijuana dispensary and plans to issue medical cannabis ID cards to anyone with a certified medical condition. People seeking medical cannabis ID cards in South Dakota currently only have the option to obtain one from a Native American tribe because the state will not begin issuing ID cards until November.
Other:
Protests Against Colonization Brings Political Oppression Organizer Says
Native News Online, Darren Thompson, July 7
NDN Collective organized a demonstration on Sunday, July 4—the day colonists declared Independence from Britain in 1776—that resulted in the arrests of four people. Four people climbed a 100 foot tall mill and grain silo in downtown Rapid City, adorned it with an upside-down American flag with the words “Land Back” and were arrested for trespassing. The focus of the demonstration was police misconduct and brutality of all Native people. Overrepresentation of American Indians in the Pennington County Jail is common and is often criticized by many in Indian Country, giving the one of South Dakota’s biggest cities the nickname, “Racist City,” On Wednesday, KOTA TV reported that Rapid City has been named the most patriotic city in South Dakota.
Tribe Becomes Key Water Player With Drought Aid To Arizona
AP News, Felicia Fonseca, July 7
For thousands of years, an Arizona tribe relied on the Colorado River’s natural flooding patterns to farm. Later, it hand-dug ditches and canals to route water to fields. Now, gravity sends the river water from the north end of the Colorado River Indian Tribes reservation through 19th century canals to sustain alfalfa, cotton, wheat, onions and potatoes, mainly by flooding the fields. Some of those fields haven’t been producing lately as the tribe contributes water to prop up Lake Mead to help weather a historic drought in the American West. The reservoir serves as a barometer for how much water Arizona and other states will get under plans to protect the river serving 40 million people. The Colorado River Indian Tribes and another tribe in Arizona played an outsized role in the drought contingency plans that had the state voluntarily give up water. As Arizona faces mandatory cuts next year in its Colorado River supply, the tribes see themselves as major players in the future of water.
Kahnawà:Ke’s First Female, LGBTQ2S Grand Chief Wants To Focus On Healing, Unity
APTN News, July 6
The Kahnawà:ke Mohawk Territory has a long tradition of female leadership but has never had a female grand chief – until now. Over the weekend, Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer, 41, became the first woman and first person who identifies as LGBTQ2S to be elected to the post, replacing former grand chief Joe Norton, who died last year. A woman leading the Mohawk territory is a “natural evolution,” Sky-Deer, a longtime councillor, said in a recent interview. Women, she added, have always played an important role as custodians of the land, in passing down language and culture, and in governance. Sky-Deer said she believes her upbringing and closeness to the Mohawk culture and language resonated with voters.
Taking AIM: Arizona Hospitals Band Together To Fight Maternal Mortality
Cronkite News, Mikenzie Hammel, July 6
The new Arizona Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, AIM Collaborative, brings together 33 hospitals across Arizona to help combat pregnancy-related deaths and address underlying causes using strategies based on evidence. The collaborative launched its first program in May, providing hospitals with so-called “pregnancy bundles” – a list of practices for both medical staff and patients – with a goal of reducing complications of hypertension by 20% over the next 18 months. In Arizona, Native American women are four times more likely to die during birth than white women – the highest rate across the state. With these deaths in the spotlight in recent years, federal and state officials have pushed for legislation to protect mothers. In addition to having higher death rates, Native American women have the highest rate of complications related to pregnancy in the state. Two tribal hospitals are involved in the AIM initiative: Whiteriver Indian Hospital on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in eastern Arizona and Tuba City Regional Health Care on the Navajo reservation.