Good Morning, NUNAverse,
Supporters and opponents of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) have set the stage for Brackeen v. Haaland, a Supreme Court case that could overturn the Indian Child Welfare Act. Over the past week, the vast majority of federally recognized tribes as well as numerous Native advocacy groups, Indian Law professionals, Congressional representatives, and child welfare advocates have filed 21 amicus curiae briefs meant to advise the Supreme Court as it decides whether the constitutional challenges to ICWA have merit. The Justices will hear oral arguments in the case on November 9.
The state of Utah and two Republican-leaning rural counties sued the Biden administration on last week over the president’s decision last year to restore two sprawling national monuments on lands sacred to Native peoples that former President Donald Trump had downsized. The lawsuit alleges that President Biden’s action violates a century-old law that allows presidents to protect sites considered historically, geographically or culturally important, and outlines the rules governing when they can do so.
The Navajo Nation alerted tribal members of the reservation’s first confirmed monkeypox case last week. The individual is a member of the Navajo Nation living on the reservation in McKinley County, according to a health advisory notice from the Navajo Department of Health. The Navajo Area Indian Health Services said vaccines for monkeypox are expected to arrive on the Navajo Nation this week.
Last week, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Bryan Newland announced that the Indian Affairs Office of Indian Economic Development is now accepting applications for its Fiscal Year 2022 Tribal Tourism Grant Program. The program plans to fund 20-35 grants ranging from $25,000 to $150,000 for tribes and tribal organizations to hire consultants, perform feasibility studies, and develop business plans for proposed tourism projects.
Keep reading for a full news update.
ICWA:
Supporters Of The Indian Child Welfare Act Send 21 Briefs To U.S. Supreme Court
Native News Online, Andrew Kennard, August 23
Attorney General James Urges U.S. Supreme Court To Uphold Protections For Native American Children And Families
NY Attorney General, August 22
Law:
Utah Sues Biden Administration Over Restoration Of National Monuments On Lands Sacred To Native Americans
AP News, Sam Metz, August 24
Alaska Tribes, Advocacy Groups File Lawsuit Over Rejected Ballots
Native News Online, Jenna Kunze, August 24
Copper-Nickel Mine Company Sues Biden Administration
AP News, August 24
Joe Biden Sued Over Move To Restore Bears Ears
AP News, Sam Metz, August 24
Politics:
Cherokee Citizen, Rep. Markwayne Mullin, Wins GOP Nomination For Us Senate In Oklahoma
Native News Online, Levi Rickert, August 23
Boarding Schools:
Red Cloud Indian School Will Dig For Graves
Indian Country Today, Mary Annette Pember, August 23
Health:
Navajo Nation Confirms First Case Of Monkeypox
Native News Online, Jenna Kunze, August 25
Indian Health Service Announces $136 Million For Diabetes Treatment And Prevention
Native News Online, Jenna Kunze, August 25
Other:
Interview: Astronaut Nicole Mann Is Ready To Become The First Native Woman In Space
Native News Online, Levi Rickert, August 27
President Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan And Indigenous Students
Native News Online, Darren Thompson, August 27
On Remote Farms And In City Gardens, A Native American Movement Grows
The New York Times, Kevin Noble Maillard, August 26
Federal Home Loan Program Is Still Failing Native American Veterans After 30 Years
NPR, Quil Lawrence, August 25
Rhode Island Mayor Proposes $10m Reparations Spending Plan
AP News, Philip Marcelo, August 25
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Band’s Tribal College Becomes University
Native News Online, Darren Thompson, August 25
Native Groups Seek To Repair Lands Damaged By Colonization
AP News, Philip Marcelo, August 25
US Department Of Labor Awards $70.8M In Grants To Expand Employment, Training Services For Low-Income, Unemployed Native Americans
U.S. Department of Labor, August 24
Saint Paul Public Schools Unanimously Supports Smudging In Classrooms
Native News Online, Darren Thompson, August 24
BIA Announces Tribal Tourism Grant Program
Native News Online, August 24
One Native Veteran’s New Mission: Fill In The Gaps Of Va Care On His Reservation
NPR, Quil Lawrence, August 24
50 Acres Of Ancestral Homeland Repatriated To The Wiyot Tribe
Native News Online, Jenna Kunze, August 24
Hawai’i Seeks End To Strife Over Astronomy On Mauna Kea
AP News, August 23
EDA Awards $1.5 Million For Tribal Tourism
Native News Online, Darren Thompson, August 23