Good Morning NUNAverse,
Nearly 3 in 10 Native women are working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic as essential workers, yet they face a staggering pay gap that the pandemic could widen, according to the National Women’s Law Center. Native women, on average, are paid approximately $0.60 for every dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic men. Over the course of a 40-year career, this wage gap costs them $986,240 — nearly $1 million. This equals about $24,656 in lost wages per year, which could pay for eight months of child care, five months of food, and one year of rent for a working Native woman. This wage gap means that Native women would need to work an additional eight months into the new year — until Sept. 8 — to earn as much as their White, male colleagues made in 2020.
On Friday, Democratic Representatives Joe Neguse of Colorado and Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk Nation) of Kansas, a member of the House Small Business Committee (SBA), introduced the Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act of 2021. The bill would double funds to $5 million annually for the Small Business Administration’s Office of Native American Affairs, saying they hope to support Native entrepreneurs with a grant program that would better connect business owners with SBA resources. While the SBA already has an Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA), its mission is limited to supporting entrepreneurs by conducting outreach with tribal communities and telling them about agency resources, according to Davids. But the current SBA budget doesn’t explicitly fund the ONAA except to pay for a few staff members’ salaries, she said.
One month after he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Bryan Newland (Ojibwe) was ceremonially sworn in as Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. Newland grew up in the Bay Mills Indian Community in Brimley, Michigan and served as president of the tribe before being picked in February by President Joe Biden to work as Principal Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior. He was sworn in by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. Prior to his federal service, Newland worked as an attorney with Fletcher Law PLLC in Lansing, Michigan. He represented tribal clients on issues including the regulation of gaming facilities, negotiation of tribal-state gaming compacts, the fee-to-trust process, and leasing of Native lands.
The National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) launched a national campaign, Connected Indigenous Elders, to address the issue of social isolation and loneliness among American Indian and Alaska Natives. The campaign aims to educate Native families about the health concern and recommend available resources. The Connected Indigenous Elders campaign targets caregivers, youth, and tribal leaders to engage and remind them that they all play an important role in our elders’ mental and physical wellness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one-fourth of adults 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated. Older adults are at increased risk for loneliness and social isolation because they are more likely to face factors such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and hearing loss.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Politics:
Bryan Newland Sworn In As Interior Dept. Assistant Secretary For Indian Affairs
Native News Online, September 8
One month after he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Bryan Newland (Ojibwe) was ceremonially sworn in as Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. Newland grew up in the Bay Mills Indian Community in Brimley, Michigan and served as president of the tribe before being picked in February by President Joe Biden to work as Principal Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior. He was sworn in by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. Prior to his federal service, Newland worked as an attorney with Fletcher Law PLLC in Lansing, Michigan. He represented tribal clients on issues including the regulation of gaming facilities, negotiation of tribal-state gaming compacts, the fee-to-trust process, and leasing of Indian lands.
Law:
Tribes, States Seek Review Of Native Child Adoptions Case
Indian Country Today, September 8
The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to review a case that centers on whether Native peoples should receive preference in adoptions of Native children. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a sharply divided ruling in April over the federal Indian Child Welfare Act. The law gives Native families priority in foster care and adoption proceedings involving Native children, and places reporting and other requirements on states. The appeals court upheld the law and Congress’ authority to enact it.But the judges invalidated some of the law’s placement preferences, including for Native families and Native foster homes, saying they violate equal protection rights under the Constitution.
U.S. Reps Seek $5m In SBA Funds For Native Entrepreneurs
Law 360, Jayce Hanson, September 8
On Friday, Democratic Representatives Joe Neguse of Colorado and Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk Nation) of Kansas, a member of the House Small Business Committee (SBA), introduced the Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act of 2021. A bill to double funds to $5 million annually for the Small Business Administration’s Office of Native American Affairs, saying they hope to support Native entrepreneurs with a grant program that would better connect business owners with SBA resources. While the SBA already has an Office of Native American Affairs, its mission is limited to supporting entrepreneurs by conducting outreach with tribal communities and telling them about agency resources, according to Davids. But the current SBA budget doesn’t explicitly fund the ONAA except to pay for a few staff members’ salaries, she said.
Other:
Native American Women Lose Nearly $1 Million To The Pay Gap Over Their Careers—and COVID-19 Could Make The Disparity Worse
CNBC, Morgan Smith, September 8
Nearly 3 in 10 Native women are working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic as essential workers, yet they face a staggering pay gap that the pandemic could widen, according to the National Women’s Law Center. Native women, on average, are paid approximately $0.60 for every dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic men. Over the course of a 40-year career, this wage gap costs them $986,240 — nearly $1 million. This equals about $24,656 in lost wages per year, which could pay for eight months of child care, five months of food and one year of rent for a working Native woman. This wage gap means that Native women would need to work an additional eight months into the new year — until Sept. 8 — to earn as much as their White, male colleagues made in 2020.
Unequal Pay Devalues Native Women
Indian Country Today, Kolby Kickingwoman, September 8
Sixty cents on the dollar. That’s what Native women earn compared to White, non-Hispanic men based on 2019 data, according to the Equal Pay Today campaign. September 8 is Native Women’s Equal Pay Day. Based on the aforementioned numbers, it is the date Native women must work up until to make what White, non-Hispanic men made at the end of last year. Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison, along with the committee’s Native American Caucus chair and vice-chair Rion Ramiriez, Turtle Mountain Chippewa and Pascua Yaqui, and Paulette Jordan, Coeur d’Alene, released a statement saying the Biden administration has prioritized ending the gender pay gap and no American should find the disparity acceptable.
NICOA Brings Attention To Social Isolation And Loneliness Among Elders
Native News Online, September 8
The National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) launched a national campaign, Connected Indigenous Elders, to address the issue of social isolation and loneliness among American Indian and Alaska Natives. The campaign aims to educate Native families about the health concern and recommend available resources. The Connected Indigenous Elders campaign targets caregivers, youth and tribal leaders to engage and remind them that they all play an important role in our elders’ mental and physical wellness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one-fourth of adults 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated. Older adults are at increased risk for loneliness and social isolation because they are more likely to face factors such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and hearing loss.
Birthing Center Could Reopen At Phoenix Indian Medical Center
Indian Country Today, Dalton Walker, September 8
The new leader of the largest hospital under the Indian Health Service (IHS) wants to bring back its birthing center after services were shuttered roughly a year ago. James Driving Hawk (Rosebud Sioux Tribe) was named Phoenix Indian Medical Center’s new chief executive officer in August. The sudden shutdown of inpatient obstetrics services in August 2020 left an unknown number of expectant parents scrambling to seek birthing services elsewhere. Now, those services could return to PIMC. Last year’s closure left more questions than answers, sparked protests and included a letter to the federally run agency demanding answers from a bipartisan group of Arizona lawmakers. IHS initially said the closure was temporary, but didn’t provide a reopening date, and that the closure was related to “facility infrastructure, equipment and challenges with staffing.”
GAP’s Fall Styles Feature Up-And-Coming Lakota Actress
Native News Online, Darren Thompson, September 8
The GAP, Inc. has launched a new ad campaign that skips fashion models in favor of “change-making individuals” including JaShaun St. John, a 20-year-old Lakota actress from the Crow Creek and Pine Ridge Indian Reservations in South Dakota. St. John’s role in the campaign grew out of her work with Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao, who recommended the young actress to the apparel maker. St. John worked with Zhao on “Songs My Brother Taught Me”, a feature filmed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The film was Zhao’s first, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015. The film earned a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature. Zhao went on to win Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director for her 2020 film “Nomadland.”