Good Morning, NUNAverse,
The omicron variant of COVID-19 has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant strain in the U.S., accounting for 73% of new infections last week, federal health officials said Monday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers showed nearly a six-fold increase in omicron’s share of infections in only one week. In much of the country, it’s even higher. Omicron is responsible for an estimated 90% or more of new infections in the New York area, the Southeast, the industrial Midwest, and the Pacific Northwest. The national rate suggests that more than 650,000 omicron infections occurred in the U.S. last week.
At last week’s Alaska Federation of Natives’ annual convention high-level military leaders got 45 minutes to speak, and their message was that the Arctic is becoming an increasingly important region for the military due to environmental changes, and Alaska Native communities are vital to keeping it secure. Lieutenant General David Krumm said with a rapidly warming Arctic and technological advances, the Arctic is becoming more accessible. A new route from Asia to Europe using what’s called the Northern Sea Route across the top of North America would save Chinese shippers two weeks of travel time. The melting sea ice also creates easier access to natural resources. Krumm said he’s hoping federal budgets will include significant new investments in the Arctic, for internet capability, for instance, which he said would help Alaskans and Alaskan businesses.
Yesterday, President Biden announced his intent to appoint leaders as commissioners to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The Commission will advise the President on ways the public, private, and non-profit sectors can work together to advance equity and opportunity for every Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community. The Commission is also charged with advising the President on policies to address anti-Asian xenophobia and violence, ways to build capacity in AANHPI communities through federal grantmaking and policies to address the intersectional barriers that AANHPI women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities face. The Commission will include civic leaders from across the country and will reflect the diversity of AANHPI communities across the United States.
The City and Borough of Wrangell in Southeast Alaska may soon reckon with its Indian boarding school history. Sometime before spring, the City and Borough of Wrangell intends to conduct archeological surveying over a portion of its property that was once the site of a former boarding school, the Wrangell Institute. That’s according to Wrangell’s economic development director, Carol Rushmore, who said the city needs to conduct the surveying in order to develop on a portion of the former school grounds. In May, Wrangell applied for a wetlands fill permit to subdivide a portion of the property into single family residential lots. To fulfill the requirements of the federal permit, Wrangell has to prove to the Army Corps of Engineers that there aren’t “cultural resources” that would be disturbed in development. The State Historic Preservation Office – the state agency providing oversight on the permit otherwise led by the Army Corps of Engineers – recommended ground penetrating radar given “the high potential to find human remains at the Wrangell Institute location.”
Keep reading for a full news update.
Updated Numbers
Indian Country Today
Center For Disease Control
Current Cases in the United States
Health:
Omicron Sweeps Across Nation, Now 73% Of New US COVID Cases
AP News, Mike Stobbe, December 20
Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S., accounting for 73% of new infections last week, federal health officials said Monday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers showed nearly a six-fold increase in omicron’s share of infections in only one week. In much of the country, it’s even higher. Omicron is responsible for an estimated 90% or more of new infections in the New York area, the Southeast, the industrial Midwest and the Pacific Northwest. The national rate suggests that more than 650,000 omicron infections occurred in the U.S. last week. Since the end of June, the delta variant had been the main version causing U.S. infections. As recently as the end of November, more than 99.5% of coronaviruses were delta, according to CDC data.
Virus Fears Widen As Omicron Variant Takes Hold Across US
AP News, Philip Marcelo, December 20
The nation’s second-largest city called off its New Year’s Eve celebration Monday, and its smallest state re-imposed an indoor mask mandate as the omicron variant leaped ahead of other variants to become the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S. The moves in Los Angeles and Rhode Island reflected widening fears of a potentially devastating winter COVID-19 surge. Much of the concern is being driven by omicron, which federal health officials announced accounted for 73% of new infections last week, a nearly sixfold increase in only seven days. Omicron’s prevalence is even higher in some parts of the U.S. It’s responsible for an estimated 90% of new infections in the New York area, the Southeast, the industrial Midwest and the Pacific Northwest, federal officials said.
Boarding Schools:
In Its Desire to Fill and Develop Land, Wrangell, Alaska Reckons with its Indian Boarding School History
Native News Online, Jenna Kunze, December 20
The City and Borough of Wrangell in Southeast Alaska may soon reckon with its Indian boarding school history. Sometime before spring, the City and Borough of Wrangell intends to conduct archeological surveying over a portion of its property that was once the site of a former boarding school, the Wrangell Institute. That’s according to Wrangell’s economic development director, Carol Rushmore, who said the city needs to conduct the surveying in order to develop on a portion of the former school grounds. In May, Wrangell applied for a wetlands fill permit to subdivide a portion of the property into single family residential lots. To fulfill the requirements of the federal permit, Wrangell has to prove to the Army Corps of Engineers that there aren’t “cultural resources” that would be disturbed in development. The State Historic Preservation Office— the state agency providing oversight on the permit otherwise led by the Army Corps of Engineers—recommended ground penetrating radar given “the high potential to find human remains at the Wrangell Institute location.”
Government:
President Biden Announces Intent To Appoint Commissioners To The President’s Advisory Commission On Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, And Pacific Islanders
The White House, December 20
Today, President Biden announced his intent to appoint the following leaders as commissioners to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders: The Commission will advise the President on ways the public, private, and non-profit sectors can work together to advance equity and opportunity for every Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community. The Commission is also charged with advising the President on policies to address anti-Asian xenophobia and violence, ways to build capacity in AANHPI communities through federal grantmaking and policies to address the intersectional barriers that AANHPI women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities face. The Commission will include civic leaders from across the country and will reflect the rich diversity of AANHPI communities across the United States.
Other:
Arctic Defense A High Priority For Military
Indian Country Today, Joaqlin Estus, December 20
Even members of Congress, and the state’s highest elected official get only 15 minutes to speak at the Alaska Federation of Natives’ annual convention. So it’s significant that high-level military leaders got 45 minutes to speak there last week. Their message? The Arctic is heating up militarily due to environmental changes, and Alaska Natives are vital to keeping it secure. Lt. Gen. David Krumm is commander, Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Region, Alaskan Command and 11th Air Force. He was later honored with a naming ceremony bestowing Iñupiaq and Tlingit names. Krumm said with a rapidly warming Arctic and technological advances, the Arctic is becoming more accessible. A new route from Asia to Europe using what’s called the Northern Sea Route across the top of North America would save Chinese shippers two weeks of travel time. The melting sea ice also creates easier access to natural resources. Krumm said he’s hoping federal budgets will include significant new investments in the Arctic, for internet capability, for instance, which he said would help Alaskans and Alaskan businesses.
Netflix’s ‘Maya And The Three’ Inspires A List Of Indigenous Warrior Princesses
Indian Country Today, Vincent Schilling, December 20
In honor of Netflix’s new miniseries, “Maya and the Three” — where a “brave and rebellious warrior princess” named Maya embarks on a quest to save her family with the assistance of three brave warriors — four organizations: Protect The Sacred, Harness, United We Dream in partnership with Meztli Projects, has created a list of notable Indigenous warrior princesses from all parts of the U.S. According to the announcement, these Indigenous teen ‘warrior princesses’ are part of the next generation of activists and community leaders. The young women range in age from 9 to 15 and come from all parts of the United States including California, Florida, and Oklahoma. The young women are all Indigenous and biracial to include Latina, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Yaqui, Black, Mexican, and Shinnecock, among other nationalities. They are all contributors to their own communities in several ways.