Good Morning NUNAverse,
President Joe Biden has issued a proclamation naming November 2021 as National Native American Heritage Month, a time to “celebrate the countless contributions of Native peoples past and present, honor the influence they have had on the advancement of our Nation, and recommit ourselves to upholding trust and treaty responsibilities, strengthening tribal sovereignty, and advancing Tribal self-determination.” He also touted the American Rescue Plan as the most significant funding legislation in U.S. history, and named Friday, November 26, 2021 – popularly known as the consumer-driven Black Friday – as Native American Heritage Day.
The Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa — the Meskwaki — is calling on 66 Iowa schools to retire their Native-themed mascots. “We believe it appropriate to share with you Indian Country’s long-standing opposition to the continued use of Native ‘themed’ mascots,” a letter from the Meskwaki Nation reads. “We believe it appropriate to share with you Indian Country’s long-standing opposition to the continued use of Native ‘themed’ mascots,” a letter from the Meskwaki Nation reads. Meskwaki Nation, the only federally recognized tribal nation in Iowa, is “against the use of Native American terms or images or symbols for sports or other marketing uses,” the letter says.
At the end of last week, a birchbark canoe was launched on the shores of Lake Michigan at Northwestern University—a first in hundreds of years. The canoe was built by Wayne Valliere, a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Valliere is one of the few remaining traditional birchbark canoe makers among the Anishinabe people. Valliere is a 2020 National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellow and also practices other traditions such as beading, quillwork and drum making. Valliere recollects the history of the Anishinabe people, and shared with the nearly 100 people attending the launching that it has been nearly 400 years since a canoe has been launched on the southern shores of Lake Michigan.
The Canadian government on Friday appealed a federal court decision upholding a ruling that it individually compensate Indigenous children and their caregivers who were harmed by a discriminatory welfare system, but said it would pause the appeal while engaging in talks with the initial complainants. The decision is the latest twist in a 14-year legal battle, but also a sign that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, which has long pledged its commitment to Indigenous people, feels its chances of success are better outside the courtroom. The talks will focus on compensating Indigenous children, long-term reform of the Indigenous child welfare system and funding to support delivery of child and family services, Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu said in a statement.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Native American Heritage Month:
DOD Honors Native Americans And Their Many Contributions To The Nation
U.S. Department of Defense, David Vergun, November 1
It’s a time to reflect on the contributions and sacrifices Native Americans have made to the United States, not just in the military, but in all walks of life. A significant number of Native Americans have served in all of the nation’s wars beginning with the Revolutionary War. Twenty-nine service members of Native American heritage have been awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest medal for valor: 25 soldiers, three sailors and one Marine.
President Biden Declares November National Native American Heritage Month
Native News Online, October 29
President Joe Biden has issued a proclamation naming November 2021 as National Native American Heritage Month, a time to “celebrate the countless contributions of Native peoples past and present, honor the influence they have had on the advancement of our Nation, and recommit ourselves to upholding trust and treaty responsibilities, strengthening tribal sovereignty, and advancing Tribal self-determination.” He also touted the American Rescue Plan as the most significant funding legislation in U.S. history, and named Friday, November 26, 2021–popularly known as the consumer-driven Black Friday–as Native American Heritage Day.
A Proclamation ON National Native Americna Heritage Month, 2021
The White House, October 29
The United States of America was founded on an idea: that all of us are created equal and deserve equal treatment, equal dignity, and equal opportunity throughout our lives. Throughout our history — though we have always strived to live up to that idea and have never walked away from it — the fact remains that we have fallen short many times. Far too often in our founding era and in the centuries since, the promise of our Nation has been denied to Native Americans who have lived on this land since time immemorial.
Law:
2 Sentenced For Stealing $777,000 From Addiction Center
AP News, October 30
Two employees of a Native American addiction and counseling center, including its executive director, have been sentenced on charges of embezzling more than $777,000 in federal funds. The center offers mental health and alcohol and substance abuse services to Native Americans from Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin tribes. Its funding came from a federal commercial contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Federal officials in Wisconsin say Fredericka DeCoteau, 63, of Cloquet, Minnesota, was sentenced Friday to 2 years in prison and Edith Schmuck, 77, of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison. They were charged with theft of federal program funds. U.S. District Judge William M. Conley ordered DeCoteau and Schmuck to jointly back restitution of $777,283.
Canda Appeals Decision On Indigenous Children But Seeks Settlement Talks
Reuters, Anna Mehler Paperny and moira Warburton, October 29
The Canadian government on Friday appealed a federal court decision upholding a ruling that it individually compensate indigenous children and their caregivers harmed by a discriminatory welfare system, but said it would pause the appeal while engaging in talks with the initial complainants.
Native Mascots:
Trump Performs Ritual Seen As Racist By Native Americans
Dawn, November 1
Trump, who was booed when he attended a World Series game two years ago in Washington, joined thousands of Braves fans at Truist Park in Atlanta in making the chopping motion with his right arm before the team faced the Houston Astros in the best-of-seven Major League Baseball championship final. Trump was seated in a suite down the rightfield line and was joined by his wife Melania in the cheer, which Native Americans have deplored as a racist insult to their culture and heritage, with some groups calling for it to be retired. Racism targeting Native Americans hit home with MLB this year as the Cleveland Indians retired their nickname after years of complaints, and are now referred to as the Guardians. But the “Tomahawk Chop” remains a popular gesture among sports fans.
Meskwaki Nation Calls On Iowa Schools To Retire Native-Themed Mascots
The Gazette, Gage Miskimen, October 29
The Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa — the Meskwaki — is calling on 66 Iowa schools to retire their Native-themed mascots. “We believe it appropriate to share with you Indian Country’s long-standing opposition to the continued use of Native ‘themed’ mascots,” a letter from the Meskwaki Nation reads.
Braves’ Tomahawk Chop, Explained: How Chant Started And The Effort To Rid Baseball Of ‘Racist’ Stereotypes
Sporting News, Edward Sutelan, October 29
There has been a bit of a reckoning in the sports world as of late. The Washington Redskins have changed their name to the Washington Football Team as they examine new name options. The Cleveland Indians will be known as the Cleveland Guardians starting next year. High school teams across the country are renaming their athletic programs from other Native American terms as well.
Environment:
The Native American Way Of Fighting Wildfires
Bloomberg Opinion, Francis Wilkinson, October 31
The wildfires that have engulfed millions of acres of forest in the American West in the last few years have brought environmental politics in the region to an unfamiliar place. In Oregon and California, forests are no longer just wondrous cathedrals of nature. They inspire fear as well as awe.
Other:
Protection And Prosecution Are Priorities Of New Domestic Violence Initiative
Native News Online, Chuck Hoskin Jr., October 30
Protecting women and children from violence within the Cherokee Nation Reservation is a deeply personal cause for First Lady January Hoskin and me. Likewise, the Cherokee Nation tribal government has a solemn duty to protect safety and ensure justice across our 14-county reservation. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and it is an excellent time to reinforce our tribe’s commitment to combatting domestic violence and helping survivors in ways that are sensitive, timely and, most of all, effective.
‘I’m Excited To Share Our Culture’: Native Americans Across Nc Gather For 1st Pow Wow In Raleigh
CBS17, Fantasia Harvey, October 30
Dix Park hosted the first Inter-Tribal Pow Wow on Saturday celebrating the culture of Indigenous communities living across North Carolina. During the event, the community had the opportunity to experience music, competition dancing, and vendors that showcased the legacy and culture of the indigenous community. Organizers said they hoped to bring out tribal citizens representing all eight recognized tribes in North Carolina to enjoy and participate in the competitive dancing and day-long event.
Birchbark Canoe On Shores Of Lake Michigan At Northwestern University
Native News Online, Darren Thompson, October 29
This morning at sunrise, a birchbark canoe was launched on the shores of Lake Michigan at Northwestern University—a first in hundreds of years. The canoe was built by Wayne Valliere, a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Valliere is one of the few remaining traditional birchbark canoe makers among the Anishinabe people, commonly known as the Three Fires Confederacy of the Ojibwe, Potawatomi and the Odawa people. Valliere is a 2020 National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellow and also practices other traditions such as beading, quillwork and drum making. Valliere recollects the history of the Anishinabeg people, and shared with the nearly 100 people attending the launching that it has been nearly 400 years since a canoe has been launched on the southern shores of Lake Michigan.
Red Nation Film Festival: Native Film Festival Founder Focuses On Telling Native Stories Onscreen
Native News Online, Tamara Ikenburg, October 29
Few people are as laser- focused on amplifying and promoting Indigenous voices in film and television as Joanelle Romero, Mescalero/Chiricahua Apache/Dinétah/Paiute. For nearly half a century, the industry veteran, member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and founder of the Los Angeles based Red Nation Film Festival has been nurturing Native talent and challenging traditional networks and studios to step up their game when it comes to telling Native stories. As the curtain rises on the Red Nation Celebration Instutute’s 26th Annual Red Nation Film Festival on Nov. 1, Romero is as committed as ever. Brimming with dozens of feature films, shorts, animation, industry panels, and culminating in a star-studded red-carpet awards ceremony, the festival is a high-voltage jolt of creative Native empowerment.
After Initiating Massacre Of Hundreds Of Native Americans, Should This Man Still Have His Name On School He Founded?
The Hill, Brooke Migdon, October 29
The University of California, Hastings College of the Law has for the past four years been investigating the legacy of its founder, lawyer and politician Serranus Hastings, and his role in the organized killings of Yuki Indians in Northern California. Nearly 300 Native men, women and children died in expeditions orchestrated by Hastings, Benjamin Madley, a history professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, told The New York Times. Unlike vigilantes that killed thousands more during the same period, Hastings was reimbursed by the state of California and the federal government for things like travel and ammunition expenses. The final decision to change the name or not lies with the California legislature and the governor. After unearthing Hastings’ legacy, the law school last year announced other restorative measures it planned to take, among them an agreement to erect a memorial in the main lobby of its administrative building in San Francisco and provide pro bono legal services to tribe members in Round Valley.