Good Morning NUNAverse,
While at least 12 states have identified cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, US health officials remain concerned about the Delta version that accounts for practically all new infections. “We now have about 86,000 cases of Covid right now in the United States being diagnosed daily, and 99.9% of them, the vast majority of them, continue to be Delta,” US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday. Cases of the newest variant were identified by late Friday in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Utah, according to health officials.
First Lady Jill Biden and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland visited the Cherokee Nation on Friday. They were joined by several Cherokee Nation leaders, including Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. and Principal Chief Bryan Warner, and others. The visit was the third trip to a tribal nation for Biden since she became first lady of the United States in January 2021. She visited the Navajo Nation in April and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe in late October. On Friday, Biden and Secretary Haaland visited the Cherokee Nation’s Cherokee Immersion School in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The Cherokee Nation made significant investments to preserve and perpetuate the Cherokee language in 2019 through the Cherokee Nation Durbin Feeling Language Act. The Act has paved the way for the tribe to build a new state-of-the-art language hub to house all Cherokee language programs in one facility.
The U.S. Department of State on Wednesday announced National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) President Fawn Sharp has been credentialed as a delegate during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) that is currently in session in Glasgow, United Kingdom. President Sharp becomes the first tribal leader elected exclusively by tribal citizens to receive diplomatic recognition in history from the United States. The international COP26 summit that began on Sunday in Glasgow comes at a critical juncture where all nations and communities must find consensus to address one of the world’s climate crisis. Tribal nations and Indigenous communities globally have a different and unique sense of land and place rooted in, and often dependent upon, their environment and local natural resources for cultural practices, traditions, community, food, economies, and ways of life.
On Friday, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak heard stories from tribal elders about the history of the Stewart School in Carson City. The governor, tribal leaders, state agency heads, and Interior officials discussed ways the state — which funded the school’s construction and helped gather children to send there — can contribute to the federal efforts to confront historic injustices and intergenerational trauma and honor the children who died at boarding schools. Descendants of Paiute, Washoe, and Shoshone people who attended the Stewart School during the 90 years it was in operation told stories of bounties being offered to bring Native children to the school; of students attempting to run away due to starvation; and of extreme overcrowding in dormitories. The governor apologized on behalf of the state and promised to fully cooperate with the Interior Department as they review records and investigate the federal government’s past policies and oversight of Native boarding schools.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Health:
Omicron Variant Cases Identified In AT Least 12 States But Delta Still Dominates
CNN, Jamie Gumbrecht, Jen Christensen, Maggie Fox, December 4
While at least 12 states have identified cases of the Omicron coronavairus variant, US health officials remain concerned about the Delta version that accounts for practically all new infections. “We now have about 86,000 cases of Covid right now in the United States being diagnosed daily, and 99.9% of them, the vast majority of them, continue to be Delta,” US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday.
Navajo Nation Tops 40,000 COVID Cases; COVID-19 Death Toll At 1,551
Native News Online, December 4
The Navajo Nation reported on Saturday 100 new COVID-19 cases, which brings the total number of coronavirus cases on the nation’s largest Indian reservation to 40,019. The total includes all COVID-19 cases on the Navajo Nation since March 17, 2020 when the tribe began tracking COVID cases. Additionally, four more deaths related to COVID-19 were reported on Saturday. The total deaths since reporting began is 1,551. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez says the increase in cases are the result of people getting together over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend last week. The Navajo Nation in carefully monitoring the spread of the Omicron variant, a new form of COVID-19, that hit the United States for the first time earlier this week. As of Saturday, some 12 states have reported at least one case of the Omicron variant, including the state of Utah where the northern portion of the Navajo Nation is located.
Omicron Variant Spreading Twice As Quickly As Delta In South Africa
New York Times, Apoorva Mandavilli, December 3
Underscoring increasing concerns about Omicron, scientists in South Africa said on Friday that the newest coronavirus variant appeared to spread more than twice as quickly as Delta, which had been considered the most contagious version of the virus. Omicron’s rapid spread results from a combination of contagiousness and an ability to dodge the body’s immune defenses, the researchers said. But the contribution of each factor is not yet certain.
Law:
Bills That Would Protect Native Voting Rights Linger
Indian Country Today, Joaqlin Estus, December 3
Bills that would revamp elections and voting rights laws are before Congress. However, wIth a potential government shutdown looming, and the debt ceiling needing to be raised, it’s unclear whether Congress will act on them before it recesses on Dec. 13. In dozens of states in recent years, hundreds of laws have been proposed in what the League of Women Voters calls a concerted effort to stop some voters from voting or to make it much harder for them to participate. According to several people who testified before a Senate Indian Affairs Subcommittee public hearing in October, Native Americans are the target of many of these actions to discourage voting. The hearing, entitled “Voting Matters in Native Communities,” had been called by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican.
Native American Tracking Unit In Arizona Could Be Expanding
AP News, Clara Migoya, December 3
The Shadow Wolves unit, Homeland Security’s only Native American specialized tracking team, is ready for a change after nearly 50 years of patrolling the Arizona desert. Bills that seek to strengthen and expand the Shadow Wolves’ authority were approved unanimously by the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security in the past month. If the bills move forward, they will allow Homeland Security to reclassify the Shadow Wolves from tactical enforcement officers to special agents and expand the program to other tribal jurisdictions. Since 1974, the elite unit has tracked smugglers across the 2.8 million acres of the Tohono O’odham Nation in southern Arizona and the 76-mile stretch of land bordering Mexico. The unit is world-renowned for its skill for “cutting sign,” or reading physical evidence in the landscape: spotting a weft in the desert thicket, the edges of a mark in the sand, or the inside color of a broken twig.
University Of Alabama Keeps Indigenous Remains In Paper Bags; Federal NAGPRA Committee Says Remains Are Ancestors Of Tribes & Can Be Returned
Native News Online, Jenna Kunze, December 2
The University of Alabama Museums have skeletons in their closets—literally. For the past decade, the seven Muskogean language-speaking tribes who originally resided in what is now Alabama have sought the return of an estimated 5,892 human remains—their ancestors—and the artifacts buried with them from the University of Alabama. The university owns an archaeological park, called Moundville, where the remains were excavated from. For years, the University of Alabama has said it is willing to consult with the tribes, but it questioned the cultural affiliation or the links between the human remains it possesses and present-day tribes. It also said it would not return the funerary objects, which are currently on display at its museum, according to testimony from the tribes. On November 24, a federal committee that oversees NAGPRA made clear the cultural connection for the descendants of Moundville. In response to a petition filed jointly by the seven tribes, the NAGPRA Review Committee found a “preponderance of the evidence for cultural affiliation” between the seven Muskogean language-speaking tribes and the human remains and cultural objects found at the Moundville Archaeological Park. Members of the review committee called the 117-page document provided by the tribes “a strong case” with “overwhelming evidence.” The tribes spent a year preparing its claim for the committee, including linguistic evidence, geographical evidence, oral traditions, kinship, biological, historical, and anthropological evidence.
Boarding Schools:
Governor Apologizes For Nevada’s Role In Indigenous Schools
AP News, Sam Metz, December 3
On Friday, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak heard stories from tribal elders about the school’s history. The governor, tribal leaders, state agency heads and Interior officials discussed ways the state — which funded the school’s construction and helped gather children to send there — can contribute to the federal efforts to confront historic injustices and intergenerational trauma and honor the children who died at boarding schools. Descendants of Paiute, Washoe and Shoshone people who attended the Stewart School during the 90 years it was in operation told stories of bounties being offered to bring Native children to the school; of students attempting to run away due to starvation; and of extreme overcrowding in dormitories. The governor apologized on behalf of the state and promised to fully cooperate with the Interior Department and its first Native American secretary, Deb Haaland, as they review records and investigate the federal government’s past policies and oversight of Native American boarding schools.
Other:
First Lady Jill Biden And Interior Secretary Deb Haaland Visit A Language Immersion School On Cherokee Nation
Native News Online, December 5
First Lady Jill Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited the Cherokee Nation on Friday. They were joined by several Cherokee Nation leaders, including Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. and Principal Chief Bryan Warner, members of the cabinet, Council of the Cherokee Nation, Special Envoy for Language Joe Byrd, Executive Director of Language Howard Paden, Miss Cherokee Chelbie Turtle. The visit was the third trip to a tribal nation for Biden since she became first lady of the United States in January 2021. She visited the Navajo Nation in April and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe in late October. On Friday, Biden and Haaland visited the Cherokee Nation’s Cherokee Immersion School in Tahlequah, Okla. on Friday to a successful Cherokee language program. The Cherokee Nation has made historic investments to preserve and perpetuate the Cherokee language in 2019 through the Cherokee Nation Durbin Feeling Language Act. The Act has paved the way for the tribe to build a new state-of-the-art language hub to house all Cherokee language programs in one facility. The Act is named in honor of the late Cherokee linguist Durbin Feeling, known as the greatest contributor to the Cherokee language since Sequoyah.
NCAI President Fawn Sharp Becomes First Ever Elected Tribal Leader To Receive U.S. State Department Diplomatic Credentials
Native News Online, December 4
The U.S. Department of State on Wednesday announced National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) President Fawn Sharp has been credentialed as a delegate during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) that is currently in session in Glasgow, United Kingdom. Sharp becomes the first tribal leader elected exclusively by tribal citizens to receive diplomatic recognition in history from the United States. The international COP26 summit that began on Sunday in Glasgow comes at a critical juncture where all nations and communities must find consensus to address one of the world’s climate crisis. Tribal nations and Indigenous communities globally have a different and unique sense of land and place rooted in, and often dependent upon, their environment and local natural resources for cultural practices, traditions, community, food, economies, and ways of life.
Indigenous Leaders Pledge To Oppose New Enbridge Developments
Native News Online, Darren Thompson, December 4
On November 5, the Canadian oil company Enbridge announced that it plans to increase capacity on its pipeline system that connects a crude-oil storage hub in Oklahoma to the Texas Gulf Coast, now that the Line 3 pipeline linking Alberta and Wisconsin is complete. The Carrizo Comecrudo and other Indigenous groups in the area, along with the Indigenous Environmental Network, have pledged to protect Indigenous sacred sites and oppose future pipeline developments. Increasing capacity may include building a new pipeline linking the Houston area to the Port of Corpus Christi, more than 200 miles away. In October, Enbridge acquired the Ingleside Energy Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, the largest crude-exporting hub in the U.S. Line 3 transports crude oil from the Alberta tar sands to Superior, Wisconsin, through Northern Minnesota. Now that it’s been completed — thanks to approval by the Biden administration on June 23 —its capacity has increased from 390,000 barrels a day to 760,000 barrels a day. Biden’s top domestic policy advisor, Susan Rice, was ordered to divest from the company earlier this year. President Donald Trump initially gave the Line 3 project the green light, and the Biden administration defended it in court when challenged by tribes and environmental groups.
Penobscots Don’t Want Ancestors’ Scalping To Be Whitewashed
AP News, David Sharp, December 4
Most Americans know about atrocities endured by Native Americans after the arrival of European settlers: wars, disease, stolen land. But they aren’t always taught the extent of the indiscriminate killings. Members of the Penobscot Nation in Maine have produced an educational film addressing how European settlers scalped — killed — Indigenous people during the British colonial era, spurred for decades by cash bounties and with the government’s blessing. “It was genocide,” said Dawn Neptune Adams, one of the three Penobscot Nation members featured in the film, called “Bounty.” She said the point of the effort isn’t to make any Americans feel defensive or blamed. The filmmakers say they simply want to ensure this history isn’t whitewashed by promoting a fuller understanding of the nation’s past. At the heart of the project is a chilling declaration by Spencer Phips, lieutenant governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
Western Canadian Inuit Leader To The Vatican: “It Is Not ‘The Pope’s Kayak’”
Native News Online, Jenna Kunze, December 3
Three days after a Canadian news source published a story about certain Indigenous artifacts held by the Vatican Museums in Italy since the early 1920s, an Indigenous leader in the Northwest territories publicly called for the items’ return. Specifically, a Western Arctic qayaq, or kayak, built between the late 1800s and early 1900s that historians say is one of only six in existence. “This qayaq is a piece of Inuvialuit history, made by Inuvialuit hands in Inuvialuit traditions,” said Inuvialuit Regional Corporation chair Duane Ningaqsiq Smith in a statement released Dec. 3. “It is not ‘the Pope’s kayak’ and rightly belongs in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, where its lessons and significance can benefit Inuvialuit culture and communities.” On Nov. 22, The Globe and Mail gained exclusive access to the Vatican Museum. According to their report, they knew about the Vatican Museums’ holding of certain Indigenous items for years, but had never been able to see the roughly 200 Indigenous artifacts first hand until recently.
Fearless Filmmaker Seeks To Heal A Troubled History
Indian Country Today, Vincent Schilling, December 3
In the wake of the discovery of unknown children’s bodies at the Kamloops Indian Boarding School as well as other locations in the United States and Canada, a fearless Native filmmaker is working to explore and expose a disturbing past faced by Native families. “Oyate Woyaka (The People Speak)” in pre-production delves into the issues of historical trauma, languages lost and the cultural genocide committed due to residential boarding schools. Oyate Woyaka, which is described as “a feature-length documentary following Lakota elders as they embrace their language and spirituality to heal from historical trauma” on the film’s Kickstarter page, is being created through a collaborative process by filmmaker Bryant High Horse and his nephew George McCauliffe. The project has already raised more than $35,000 in less than a month.
Chris Mattes Honors Lacrosse’s Native American Origins, 4 The Future Foundation For My Cause My Cleats
New England Patriots, Angelique Fiske, December 3
Lacrosse is the oldest sport in North America and was created by Native Americans. Like many lacrosse players, Chris Mattes learned a basic overview of the sport’s history throughout his years playing, but it wasn’t until he met Lyle Thompson and his family that he learned just what the game meant to Native Americans. Thompson and his brothers started 4 The Future Foundation to center the roots and values of lacrosse with diverse communities. It provides programming to “promote health and wellness, support education, embrace Native American history and traditions, give back and honor their ancestors and the earth through sharing the ‘Creator’s Game’ with Native and underserved youth.” For My Cause My Cleats, Mattes is representing the 4 The Future Foundation to bring light to issues facing Native Americans and to support Thompson family’s efforts, something that became even more important to him over the last two years.