Good Morning, NUNAverse,
The House of Representatives passed the Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes (RESPECT) Act last week, which would abolish 11 outdated federal laws that are related to the treatment of Native peoples, including provisions on “hostile tribes”, alcohol, work requirements, penalties for truancy, and placement of youth in reform schools without the consent of a parent or guardian.
All charges against NDN Collective President and CEO Nick Tilsen (Oglala Lakota) were dismissed by South Dakota prosecutors last week. Tilsen and 21 other treaty defenders were charged with misdemeanors from a July 3, 2020 protest when former President Donald Trump visited the Black Hills as part of Trump’s speaking event at Mount Rushmore for an Independence Day celebration.
According to a new report, more than a quarter of missing girls in Hawaii are Native Hawaiian, and members of the U.S. military play an outsized role in the sexual exploitation of children in the state. Publicly available data in 2022 showed that 38% of those arrested for soliciting sex online from law enforcement posing as a 13-year-old during undercover operations were active-duty military personnel, the report said.
To provide a more unified response for investigating crimes on tribal nations, including the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) updated their guidelines on criminal investigations in Indian Country. The memo of understanding states that it aims to establish guidelines concerning the individual jurisdictions of the BIA and the FBI in relation to certain investigative matters and to provide for the effective and efficient administration of criminal investigations in Indian Country.
Keep reading for a full news update.
Law:
RESPECT Act Passes House Of Representatives, Will Go To President’s Desk For Signing
Native News Online, Darren Thompson, December 16
House Votes To Repeal Outdated Laws On Native Americans
Law360, Ali Sullivan, December 15
Charges Dismissed Against Nick Tilsen, CEO Of NDN Collective, For 2020 Mt. Rushmore Protest
Native News Online, Darren Thompson, December 14
Charges Against Black Hills Treaty Defender Dropped
Indian Country Today, Kalle Benallie, December 14
BIA, FBI Update Criminal Investigation Guidelines For Indian Country
Arizona Mirror, Shondiin Silversmith, December 13
Tribes Reach New Great Lakes Fishing Deal
AP News, John Flesher, December 13
MMIW:
Report: Native Hawaiians Hit By Missing And Murdered Scourge
AP News, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, December 14
Health:
Native Americans Ramp Up Calls For Longer-Term Health Funding
The Washington Post, Rachel Roubein, December 16
COVID-19 Is Not Over: 13 Deaths Reported On Navajo Nation In The Past Week
Native News Online, December 16
Biden Administration Offers Free COVID Tests to Households
Native News Online, December 15
Politics:
First Native American In California Legislature, James Ramos, Appointed To Head Powerful Rules Committee
Native News Online, December 17
Casinos:
Cowlitz Campaign To Push Out Casino Rivals Raises Questions
The Oregonian, Jeff Manning, December 14
Other:
Tribal College President Selected For Prestigious Art Fellowship
Missoulian, Nora Mabie, December 17
More Questions Than Answers At Colorado River Meetings
AP News, Ken Ritter, December 16
Chief Standing Bear Film Receives Green Light
Nebraska Examiner, Jazari Kual, December 16
American Indian College Fund Announces $38 Million In Grants To Help Increase Native Student Enrollment, Retention, & Career Readiness
Native News Online, December 15
Perpetrators Publicly Apologize At KU For Stealing Native American Art
Native News Online, December 15
Indigenous Candidate Begins Miss America Competition
Indian Country Today, December 14
Fierce, Not Afraid. Indigenous Photography Takes The Spotlight
Forbes, Chad Scott, December 13