Good Morning NUNAverse,
Earlier this week, Forbes Magazine hosted an event with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden in New York City honoring the women chosen for its inaugural list of “50 Over 50 – Women of Impact”. Of the 50 chosen, two Indigenous women were chosen as part of the list of entrepreneurs, leaders, and creators – Winona LaDuke and Dr. Margaret Moss – out of more than 10,000 submissions. Winona LaDuke is a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, where she lives and works on the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota. Dr. Margaret Moss is an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota. She’s a trained lawyer with a PhD in Nursing and an associate professor at the University of British Columbia.
The past two election cycles have demonstrated the power of the Native vote in federal elections and Native voters were recognized as a consequential electoral group in many key races in both 2018 and 2020 – including the 2020 Democratic victory in Arizona, their first since 1996 in the state, and President Biden’s victory in Wisconsin – the Brookings Institute published a deep-dive into the voting behavior of Native populations and what might be expected in the 2022 midterms.
CNN reports that Michael Osterholm, Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, predicts a “viral blizzard” of COVID-19 infections in the coming weeks. Two indicators are up about 40 percent in the last month, according to data from Johns Hopkins University: the seven-day average of new cases topped 120,000; and the total number of hospitalizations stands at more than 68,000. The seven-day average for deaths was 1,286 as of Thursday, an 8% increase from a month ago, the data show.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Health:
A COVID-19 ‘Viral Blizzard’ Is About To Hit The US, Expert Says, With ‘Millions’ To Be Infected Soon
CNN, Travis Caldwell, December 17
The coronavirus will hit millions of Americans in a “viral blizzard” within a few weeks as infections from the Omicron variant pile on top of Delta, an expert predicts. Already, hospitalizations are rising as the holiday season gets into full swing. Long lines for Covid-19 testing formed Thursday in metro areas, including New York, Boston and Miami.
Law:
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski: ‘ANCSA Continues To Evolve’
Indian Country Today, Meghan Sullivan, December 17
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was enacted by Congress 50 years ago, and continues to be shaped by congressional officials today. In some ways, ANCSA involves all American politicians – from the Alaskan delegation who can craft amendments to change ANCSA, to representatives from other states who must vote on these amendments in order for them to become law. For this reason, representatives’ views and approaches to the Act remain significant today.
Federal Court Ruling Against Seminole Tribe Shows Why IGRA Must Evolve
Native News Online, Ray Halbritter, December 14
Guest Opinion For everyone following the Native American gaming industry, it has been impossible to ignore the fast and furious rise of mobile sports betting in recent years. Ads for new mobile sports betting apps are seemingly featured during every televised sporting event, on every sports-related video online, and across all social media platforms. In addition, states across the country are increasingly viewing mobile sports betting as a way to generate public revenues, with more than two dozen states having now legalized it. And yet, amidst all of this excitement, Indian Nations may sadly be left behind without changes to outdated federal policy.
Politics:
What Might We Expect From Native American Voters In The Upcoming 2022 Election?
Brookings Institute, Gabriel R. Sanchez, December 16
The past two election cycles have demonstrated the power of the Native American vote in federal elections. Native American voters were recognized as a consequential electoral sub-group in many key races in both 2018 and 2020. This includes the 2020 Democratic victory in Arizona, their first since 1996 in the state, and President Biden’s victory in Wisconsin. Moving beyond Native American heritage month and looking ahead to the 2020 Congressional elections, this post summarizes what we have learned about the voting behavior of this important sub-group of the larger electorate who are sadly often invisible in national discussions about electoral politics.
Other:
A Grim, Long-Hidden Truth Emerges In Art: Native American Enslavement
The New York Times, Patricia Leigh Brown, December 17
On a bitter, windy day, a long-overdue reckoning took place in the commandant’s quarters at Fort Garland, a former military outpost turned museum and cultural center. For most of its history, the museum has celebrated the frontiersman Christopher (Kit) Carson, who briefly commanded this far-flung garrison built during American westward expansion to protect settlers from raids by tribes.
Two Indigenous Women Recognized In Forbes’ “50 Over 50 – Women Of Impact”
Native News Online, Darren Thompson, December 16
On Wednesday, Forbes Magazine hosted an event with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden in New York City honoring the women chosen for its inaugural list of “50 Over 50—Women of Impact”. Of the 50 chosen, two Indigenous women were chosen as part of the inaugural listing of entrepreneurs, leaders and creators—Winona LaDuke and Dr. Margaret Moss—out of more than 10,000 submissions.
Honoring Traditional Ecological Knowledge Is Critical
Indian Country Today, Kirk Francis Sr., December 13
Indigenous peoples have coexisted with the lands of the Americas since time immemorial. Our existence is inextricably intertwined with our homelands. Our lands are the foundation and heartbeat of who we are as a people and as such, we have tended to them with the utmost respect and reverence. We have lived sustainably in our ancestral homelands for countless generations, relying on our traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), a body of information built upon observations, experiences and lessons derived from living in a sustainable manner with the natural environment.