Good Morning NUNAverse,
Preliminary lab studies show two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine may not provide sufficient protection against the Omicron COVID-19 variant, but three doses are able to neutralize it, the companies said in a news release on Wednesday. The companies said two doses may still provide protection against severe disease. Researchers in South Africa on Tuesday released a preprint study that showed the Omicron coronavirus variant partly escapes the protection offered by the Pfizer vaccine. The study showed people who have been previously infected and then vaccinated are likely to be well protected, and Alex Sigal of the Africa Health Research Institute in Durban, who led the study team, said that boosters are also likely to protect people.
A California tribe is poised to make gaming history later this month after the Nevada Gaming Control Board voted unanimously last week to recommend approval for its purchase of a Las Vegas resort. If the state’s gaming commission green lights the sale of the Palms Casino Resort, the San Manuel Band of Indians would become the first tribe to own and operate a resort in the heart of the U.S. gaming industry. The Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut in March 2021 became the first tribe to operate a casino in Las Vegas when it opened the Mohegan Sun Casino At Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The San Manuel investment goes a step further with proposed tribal ownership of an entire Las Vegas destination property.
54 Native athletes representing more than 30 tribes across Indian Country took the field Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings.
Over the course of the week, the student-athletes were exposed to leadership training and heard from speakers and coaches that touched on topics from maintaining personal finances to applying for college scholarships to how to refine their skills as football players. Easton Laster (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin) said the trip was probably the longest he had been away from his family, but he was soaking in every moment. Between the practice sessions and a luncheon Saturday at the Minneapolis American Indian Center, the camaraderie among the players could easily be seen. In addition to learning from coaches and speakers, it was evident the players were learning from each other.
The Navajo Nation has filed new criminal complaints against its former top financial officer, accusing her of misrepresenting information on a company hired to do rapid COVID-19 testing on the reservation. The complaints filed Friday in tribal court allege that Pearline Kirk, the former Navajo Nation controller, violated tribal law in advising the government to hire Agile Technologies Group LLC based on a recommendation from Kirk’s longtime mentor and confidant. The charges include obtaining a signature by deception, paying or receiving Navajo Nation funds for services not rendered, and falsification, the tribe’s Department of Justice said in a news release. The department did not respond to an email requesting a copy of the latest complaints. Kirk’s attorney, David Jordan, said Monday he has not seen the court documents and declined to comment.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Health:
Protection Against Omicron Coronavirus Variant Improves With Three Vaccine Doses, Pfizer Says
CNN, Jamie Gumbrecht, Devember 8
Preliminary lab studies show two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine may not provide sufficient protection against the Omicron coronavirus variant, but three doses are able to neutralize it, the companies said in a news release on Wednesday. Samples from people who had two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine saw, on average, a more than 25-fold reduction in neutralization ability against the Omicron variant than the earlier virus, “indicating that two doses of BNT162b2 may not be sufficient to protect against infection with the Omicron variant,” the companies said.
Judge Blocks Biden Vaccine Mandate For Federal Contractors
AP News, Geoff Mulvihill, December 7
A federal judge on Tuesday blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees of federal contractors, the latest in a string of victories for Republican-led states pushing back against Biden’s pandemic policies. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker, in Augusta, Georgia, issued a stay to bar enforcement of the mandate nationwide. The order came in response to a lawsuit from several contractors and seven states — Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia. It applies across the U.S. because one of those challenging the order is the trade group Associated Builders and Contractors Inc., whose members do business nationwide. Baker found that the states are likely to succeed in their claim that Biden exceeded authorization from Congress when he issued the requirement in September.
Gaming:
National Indian Gaming Association Announces Strategic Partnership With Clarion Events
IGB, Robin Harrison, December 8
The National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) has entered into a strategic partnership with Clarion Events that will see the pair collaborate to grow their brands as well as supporting and protecting the tribal gaming market. Through the new long-term partnership Clarion Events will leverage its expertise in arranging trade shows and conferences, to grow NIGA’s annual Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention.
Tribe Inches Closer To Historic Purchase Of Las Vegas Resort
Indian Country Today, Stewart Huntington, December 7
A California tribe is poised to make gaming history later this month after the Nevada Gaming Control Board voted unanimously last week to recommend approval for its purchase of a Las Vegas resort. If the state’s gaming commission green lights the sale of the Palms Casino Resort on Dec. 16, the San Manuel Band of Indians would become the first tribe to own and operate a resort in the heart of the U.S. gaming industry. The Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut in March 2021 became the first tribe to operate a casino in Las Vegas when it opened the Mohegan Sun Casino At Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The San Manuel investment goes a step further with proposed tribal ownership of an entire Las Vegas destination property.
Law:
Ex-Navajo Nation Controller Faces New Criminal Complaints
AP News, December 7
The Navajo Nation has filed new criminal complaints against its former top financial officer, accusing her of misrepresenting information on a company hired to do rapid COVID-19 testing on the reservation. The complaints filed Friday in tribal court allege that Pearline Kirk, the former Navajo Nation controller, violated tribal law in advising the government to hire Agile Technologies Group LLC based on a recommendation from Kirk’s longtime mentor and confidant. The charges include obtaining a signature by deception, paying or receiving Navajo Nation funds for services not rendered, and falsification, the tribe’s Department of Justice said in a news release. The department did not respond to an email requesting a copy of the latest complaints. Kirk’s attorney, David Jordan, said Monday he has not seen the court documents and declined to comment.
Can Oklahoma Keep Killing Inmates On Native Land? Julius Jones’ Clemency Renews Death Penalty Fight
USA Today, Jana Hayes and Jessie Christopher Smith, December 7
The beating of the elk hide hand drum, symbolizing “the heartbeat” of then-death row inmate Julius Jones, combined with singing in the Pawnee and Seminole languages made for a powerful prayer outside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary on the day Jones was scheduled to be put to death. Marcus “Quese IMC” Frejo was surrounded by fellow members of the Pawnee and Seminole Nations, asking the Creator and their ancestors for guidance and help.
Senate Committee On Indian Affairs To Hold Hearing On Restoring Justice, Addressing Violence In Native Communities
Native News Online, December 7
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs will hold an oversight hearing oversight hearing, “Restoring Justice: Addressing Violence in Native Communities through VAWA Title IX Special Jurisdiction” on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. – Eastern Time.
Native Mascots:
A Native American Designed Washington’s Logo. Now His Family Want It Back
The Guardian, Dave Caldwell, December 7
Don Wetzel traveled all the way to the US capital from Montana last month to meet with politicians and to take in a Washington Football Team home game. As he moved through the crowd outside FedEx Field, he could not help but notice that more than half the fans were wearing something with the team’s former logo. That logo, the profile of a Native American trimmed with a circle of life and two eagle feathers, was especially familiar to Don Wetzel because his late father, Walter S “Blackie” Wetzel, had designed it 50 years ago, then gave it to Jack Kent Cooke, the team’s owner. The logo stayed on Washington’s helmets until last year, when the team’s racist nickname was ditched. Blackie Wetzel was a Blackfeet tribal chairman and, for a time, the president of the National Congress of American Indians, an influential position in which he worked toward securing housing and job training for Native Americans. Blackie considered the logo a sort of “unification symbol” among Native Americans. “But with the logo gone, that is kind of gone, too,” Wetzel says
Native Boarding Schools:
Dept. OF The Interior Turns To The National Native American Boarding School Healing COaltion For Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Research
Native News Online, December 7
The Department of the Interior on Tuesday said it was bolstering its Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative by partnering with the group that’s been at the same goal for nearly ten years: the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS). The two groups signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining each of their expected responsibilities.
Other:
Indigenous Bowl Showcases Best Of Indian Country
Indian Country Today, Kolby KickingWoman, December 7
Traveling from near and far, 54 Native athletes representing more than 30 tribes across Indian Country took the field Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings.
However, the event was about more than the game. Over the course of the week, the student-athletes were exposed to leadership training and heard from speakers and coaches that touched on topics from maintaining personal finances to applying for college scholarships to how to refine their skills as football players. Easton Laster, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, said the trip was probably the longest he had been away from his family but he was soaking in every moment. Between the practice sessions and a luncheon Saturday at the Minneapolis American Indian Center, the camaraderie among the players could easily be seen. In addition to learning from coaches and speakers, it was evident the players were learning from each other. Despite coming from different areas of the countries and different circumstances, many had more in common than they originally thought.
Opinion: A New Day For Native American Medical Students
The San Diego Tribune, Alex Calac, December 7
The 2020 decennial U.S. Census was remarkable for Indian Country in California, with a nearly 100 percent increase in the number of people identifying as American Indian and Alaska Native alone, or in combination with another racial group, since 2010. At 1.4 million individuals or 3.6 percent of the state population, California has the largest Native American or Indigenous population in the United States, with 109 federally recognized tribal governments.