Good morning NUNAverse:
On Monday, South Dakota lawmakers tasked with redrawing the state’s political boundaries set a framework that will allow them to speed through the once-in-a-decade process on a tight schedule this year. Areas with large Native populations present one of the largest redistricting challenges. Federal law requires that racial minorities receive adequate representation in legislative boundaries. Republican lawmakers have said they will focus on areas encompassing tribal lands and plan to hold public input sessions near the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Indian Reservations. But O.J. Semans, a Native voting rights advocate, told the committee it was already not doing enough groundwork to ensure Native voices are heard. He and other voting rights advocates have pushed the committees to hold the meetings on tribal land and initiate meetings with tribal governments.
The Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed a decision by state pollution regulators to issue a water quality certification for Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 crude oil pipeline, the latest setback for opponents who are trying to stop the project as it nears completion. Under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) was required to certify whether the project met state and federal clean water standards. The MPCA concluded in November 2020 that it did. That certification cleared the way for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue the remaining federal permit for the pipeline replacement less than two weeks later. Two tribal governments and three environmental groups challenged the MPCA’s decision on several grounds, asserting that the state agency failed to consider alternative routes and improperly determined that the project would comply with state water quality and wetlands standards.
One of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit the U.S. mainland weakened into a tropical storm overnight as it pushed inland over Mississippi. Rescuers set out in hundreds of boats and helicopters to reach people trapped by floodwaters and utility crews mobilized after the hurricane swamped the Louisiana coast. Tribes in Louisiana are evaluating the damage done by Hurricane Ida and at least one said the damage is “overwhelming.” Prior to the hurricane making landfall, the United Houma Nation in Louisiana urged its citizens to fill out a “check-in form” on the tribe’s website. The tribe intends to use the form to most efficiently communicate with those affected by the storm and the information will also help the tribe provide data to receive relief funds.
As COVID-19 cases surge, tribes across the US have once again exercised their tribal sovereignty to require school mask mandates despite statewide bans, with many also implementing their own testing and vaccine directives for tens of thousands of students and faculty in schools on their tribal lands. Jason Dropik, board president of the National Indian Education Association and the head of the Indian community school in Wisconsin, explained the reasoning often had to do with the fact that Indigenous peoples have had to deal with a disproportionately high death toll from COVID-19. According to an analysis released in February, one in every 475 Natives has died since the pandemic started – a greater proportion of any other demographic in the country.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Politics:
South Dakota Lawmakers Start Speedy Redistricting Process
AP News, Stephen Groves
South Dakota lawmakers tasked with redrawing the state’s political boundaries set a framework Monday that will allow them to speed through the once-in-a-decade process on a tight schedule this year. Democrats hold about 10 percent of legislative seats, so proportionately, the redistricting committee is in line with the Legislature’s makeup. However, areas with large Native American populations — which in recent years have often sent Democrats to the Statehouse — present one of the largest redistricting challenges. Federal law requires that racial minorities receive adequate representation in legislative boundaries. Republican lawmakers have said they will focus on areas encompassing tribal reservations and plan to hold public input sessions near the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Indian Reservations. But O.J. Semans, a Native voting rights advocate, told the committee it was already not doing enough groundwork to ensure Native voices are heard. He and other voting rights advocates have pushed the committees to hold the meetings on reservation land and initiate meetings with tribal governments.
Labor Secretary Visits Phoenix Indian Center
Indian Country Today, Carina Dominguez, August 30
The U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Martin Walsh joined U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly at the Phoenix Indian Center to discuss Native American employment on and off tribal lands. Secretary Walsh is touring the nation, meeting with local officials and a few tribal communities, advocating for President Joe Biden’s economic agenda. Walsh and Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, were in downtown Phoenix on Aug. 24 discussing the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the “Build Back Better” agenda outlined by the White House – the same day both measures were advanced by the U.S. House of Representatives. The $1 trillion senate-passed infrastructure bill would bring more workforce training and employment opportunities for Native Americans.
Law:
Minnesota Court Deals Yet Another Setback To Pipeline Foes
AP News, Steve Karnowski, August 30
The Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed a decision by state pollution regulators to issue a water quality certification for Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 crude oil pipeline, the latest setback for opponents who are trying to stop the project as it nears completion. Under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) was required to certify whether the project met state and federal clean water standards. The MPCA concluded in November 2020 that it did. That certification cleared the way for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue the remaining federal permit for the pipeline replacement less than two weeks later. Two tribal governments and three environmental groups challenged the MPCA’s decision on several grounds, asserting that the state agency failed to consider alternative routes and improperly determined that the project would comply with state water quality and wetlands standards.
COVID-19:
90% Of Eligible Tribe Members In Virginia Have Had At Least One Coronavirus Vaccine Dose; Upper Mattaponi, Chickahominy Tribes Say For Their Tribes, It’s A Matter Of Survival
Daily Press, Gaya Gupta, August 30
With the goal of continued survival during the pandemic, Virginia’s seven federally recognized tribes have been quick to convince their members to get vaccinated. As of Friday, the Virginia Department of Health reports 28 Native Americans died of COVID-19 statewide. Locally, the Three Rivers Health District and Chickahominy Health District, which serve tribal areas in Eastern Virginia, recorded 95 Native Americans who tested positive and one Native American who died from COVID-19. Statewide, about 90% of eligible Native Americans have received at least one vaccine dose through the state’s health department, according to Virginia Department of Health data — a higher percentage than any other racial or ethnic group in the state.
Other:
Tribes ‘Still Feeling Effects’ Of Hurricane Ida
AP News, August 30
One of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit the U.S. mainland weakened into a tropical storm overnight as it pushed inland over Mississippi with torrential rain and shrieking winds, its danger far from over. Rescuers set out in hundreds of boats and helicopters to reach people trapped by floodwaters and utility crews mobilized after a furious hurricane swamped the Louisiana coast and made a shambles of the electrical grid in the sticky, late-summer heat over the weekend. Tribes in Louisiana are evaluating the damage done by Hurricane Ida and at least one said the damage is “overwhelming.” Prior to the hurricane making landfall, the United Houma Nation in Louisiana, urged its citizens to fill out a “check-in form” on the tribe’s website. The tribe intends to use the form to most efficiently communicate with those affected by the storm and the information will also help the tribe provide data to receive relief funds.
People Of The Three Fires Gather In Michigan To Commemorate The Treaty Of 1821
Native News Online, Levi Rickert, August 30
Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi citizens gathered with state and local officials at Ah-Nab-Awen Park in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich. to commemorate the bicentennial of the Treaty of Chicago, which was signed on August 29, 1821. Ron Yob, chairman of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, served as the emcee of the bicentennial commemoration, which included the unveiling of a permanent historical marker and a water ceremony on the banks of the Grand River. In attendance to commemorate the bicentennial was Michigan State Rep. Rachel Hood (D) who read a proclamation from the State of Michigan and Dale Robertson, president and CEO of the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
New Mexico Panel Considers Future Of Coal-Fired Power Plant
AP News, Susan Montoya Bryan, August 30
New Mexico’s largest electric provider wants to transfer its share of a coal-fired power plant to an energy company backed by the Navajo Nation, but environmentalists argue that approving the deal would prolong the life of the plant and run counter to the state’s renewable energy goals. The state Public Regulation Commission will determine whether Public Service Co. of New Mexico’s plan for Four Corners Power Plant is in the public interest during a two-week hearing. It heard from the public Monday. Some tribal citizens told regulators that all levels of Navajo leadership are behind the proposal. They said allowing the Navajo Transitional Energy Co. — or NTEC — to take over the utility’s stake in Four Corners would provide more time for the tribe to find ways to deal with significant economic consequences that will come when the plant closes in 2031.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland Marries Longtime Partner On Saturday
Native News Online, August 30
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland married her longtime partner Skip Sayre on Saturday at the Santa Ana Pueblo, located north of Albuquerque, N.M. Friends and relatives of the couple began posting photos of the wedding reception on social media on Sunday. According to social media posts, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) attended the wedding reception.